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0 pointsAurornis1y ago0 comments

> (1) The candidate was a criminal mastermind who somehow managed to fool everyone for 15 years.

Not "criminal mastermind", but do enough hiring and you will run into a lot of people who are convincing conversationalists but clearly haven't written much code in a very long time.

In a couple cases I gave these people benefit of the doubt and gave them a backup take-home problem (super trivial, 5 minutes for experienced engineers). They always came back with a solution, but when you asked them to walk you through it they couldn't really tell you what they wrote.

I understand that test anxiety is real, but having to discuss your code with others on the spot is also part of the job. If someone can't discuss even the most basic fundamentals of programming in a conversation, you can't dismiss it all as anxiety every time.

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lapcat1y ago

Well, interviews are mostly noise, whether they're conversations or coding. I wouldn't put much faith in them either way. Interviews are just a tiny snapshot and unlike real work in many important ways.

IMO the key is really to investigate the candidates as much as possible before they even walk in the door. Nowadays, many candidates have a large public footprint.

(I also think employers interview way too many people. That's mostly a waste of time, better spent focusing on a relatively small number of the top candidates.)

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lapcat1y ago

IMO the key is really to investigate the candidates as much as possible before they even walk in the door. Nowadays, many candidates have a large public footprint.

(I also think employers interview way too many people. That's mostly a waste of time, better spent focusing on a relatively small number of the top candidates.)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse