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> This situation is not ideal. Preparing for interviews is work, and forcing programmers to learn skills other than building great software wastes everyone’s ti

> This situation is not ideal. Preparing for interviews is work, and forcing programmers to learn skills other than building great software wastes everyone’s time. Companies should improve their interview processes to be less biased by academic CS, memorized facts, and rehearsed interview processes. This is what we’re doing at Triplebyte. Thank you! This is a good write up and just like it concludes it's far from ideal. I'd love to see more interviews based on real-world type things like maybe code a project, come in and explain the architecture, reasons for your data structures, performance questions, etc. Shows how you code and communicate and even better: work with others and maybe walk someone through extending your project or something similar. Honestly though my biggest issue with interviews is the lack of response with a negative result. For instance one of my last interviews I spent literally months with the company interviewing on and off on the phone and in person. I never heard a SINGLE negative thing from anyone, always answered every question correctly, shot the shit with many of them and everything seemed perfect. Even the team lead asked me not to go after something else because he wanted me. Then I was ultimately declined with the only reason given was "lack of experience". But I had over 12 years of experience, all of the interviewers told me I went above and beyond, said they agreed and liked the solutions I came up with, that I talked through them well, etc etc. I was never able to get anything else out of that. If something is wrong with a candidate and they don't fit that's perfectly fine. But please give them accurate and detailed feedback where possible. This leaves me absolutely nothing helpful and instead of possibly improving on something I'm left thinking they made a mistake or everyone just simply lied to me during the entire process. I was even exchanging some texts and emails with the lead up until I was given the negative result and then nothing.

cema 11y ago
Honestly though my biggest issue with interviews is the lack of response with a negative result. Exactly mine too. However: If something is wrong with a candidate and they don't fit that's perfectly fine. But please give them accurate and detailed feedback where possible. Detailed feedback is hardly ever possible. Not only because of a fear of litigation (which is a big factor too) but also because the hiring decision is a matter of balancing so many different points.
- BinaryIdiot 11y ago
  > Detailed feedback is hardly ever possible. Not only because of a fear of litigation (which is a big factor too) but also because the hiring decision is a matter of balancing so many different points. You're right but if a candidate is going to spend hours or days working with your company I think it's the least they deserve. If there is a legitimate reason for not hiring them I'd like to think litigation would be rare. I mean when you work with a sales guy to buy something and ultimately don't buy you usually tell them why especially if you've been working with them for days. The inverse is true as well if you decide not to sell a product to someone. It just seems weird to me that a person can spend so much time with a company and possibly not even get a good learning experience out of it (when you're left with the impression that everything went as smooth as statistically possible and then you're declined without any useful data how do you know how to improve if at all? Hell maybe someone was just better than you or they decided they needed something else for the job; telling the person could save them so much trouble). If you want someone to spend hours or days trying to join your company I feel like you should be able to give them feedback. I don't like the trend of big companies not giving anything. Interviewing is a two way street but there is just a weird stigma or legal worry preventing feedback.
  - redblacktree 11y ago
    There is also a power imbalance that is exploited. You need a job a lot more than the hiring company needs a new recruit.
    - BinaryIdiot 11y ago
      Maybe? I like to consider myself pretty valuable (ego++) :D But you're right. I wonder what the statistics are for interviewing; are more people interviewing while they don't have a job or do have a job and are looking. I feel like it has to be the former like what you were suggesting but I haven't seen data either way (not even sure on the logistics on collecting that in a good, representative way).
ammon 11y ago
I totally agree with this. Companies should give (constructive) feedback when they say no. They do not partially out of a fear of being sued, but also because they often don't know really why the reject people. The default state at most companies is rejection. If no one really liked you during the interviews, at most companies this will result in a rejection. We're doing this differently at Triplebyte. We give everyone we don't work with (who does our final interview) a several hundred word personal email, with an explanation and advice on how we think they can improve.
- gedrap 11y ago
  I think another reason is a fear of starting an endless argument with the candidate, when candidate believes he was actually right and the company made the decision already so it's rather pointless. Not sure how likely is it happen though.
  - BinaryIdiot 11y ago
    True I could EASILY see that happening. I think the important point is to provide the feedback then stop communication (unless it's like a simple thank you or maybe some clarification you could give them or something). Arguing back and forth with an employer who already made the hiring decision isn't going to help things but it's hard not to be defensive if you think someone is wrong.
andrest 11y ago
Not to excuse your case but a company I work for just got funded and posted a job ad on AngelList, it's been a week and there are 50+ applications sitting in the mailbox. We produce and sell a physical product so one of the founders keeps the operations going, other does biz dev and I do tech. This year alone we need to hire about 10 more people. It's overwhelming. Especially so when hiring the first key employees for roles you don't have experience with.
yoklov 11y ago
I've always heard there's a substantial legal risk in saying anything other than 'no'. Not sure how true it is, though.

cema 11y ago

Honestly though my biggest issue with interviews is the lack of response with a negative result. Exactly mine too. However: If something is wrong with a candidate and they don't fit that's perfectly fine. But please give them accurate and detailed feedback where possible. Detailed feedback is hardly ever possible. Not only because of a fear of litigation (which is a big factor too) but also because the hiring decision is a matter of balancing so many different points.

BinaryIdiot 11y ago
> Detailed feedback is hardly ever possible. Not only because of a fear of litigation (which is a big factor too) but also because the hiring decision is a matter of balancing so many different points. You're right but if a candidate is going to spend hours or days working with your company I think it's the least they deserve. If there is a legitimate reason for not hiring them I'd like to think litigation would be rare. I mean when you work with a sales guy to buy something and ultimately don't buy you usually tell them why especially if you've been working with them for days. The inverse is true as well if you decide not to sell a product to someone. It just seems weird to me that a person can spend so much time with a company and possibly not even get a good learning experience out of it (when you're left with the impression that everything went as smooth as statistically possible and then you're declined without any useful data how do you know how to improve if at all? Hell maybe someone was just better than you or they decided they needed something else for the job; telling the person could save them so much trouble). If you want someone to spend hours or days trying to join your company I feel like you should be able to give them feedback. I don't like the trend of big companies not giving anything. Interviewing is a two way street but there is just a weird stigma or legal worry preventing feedback.
- redblacktree 11y ago
  There is also a power imbalance that is exploited. You need a job a lot more than the hiring company needs a new recruit.
  - BinaryIdiot 11y ago
    Maybe? I like to consider myself pretty valuable (ego++) :D But you're right. I wonder what the statistics are for interviewing; are more people interviewing while they don't have a job or do have a job and are looking. I feel like it has to be the former like what you were suggesting but I haven't seen data either way (not even sure on the logistics on collecting that in a good, representative way).

ammon 11y ago

I totally agree with this. Companies should give (constructive) feedback when they say no. They do not partially out of a fear of being sued, but also because they often don't know really why the reject people. The default state at most companies is rejection. If no one really liked you during the interviews, at most companies this will result in a rejection. We're doing this differently at Triplebyte. We give everyone we don't work with (who does our final interview) a several hundred word personal email, with an explanation and advice on how we think they can improve.

gedrap 11y ago
I think another reason is a fear of starting an endless argument with the candidate, when candidate believes he was actually right and the company made the decision already so it's rather pointless. Not sure how likely is it happen though.
- BinaryIdiot 11y ago
  True I could EASILY see that happening. I think the important point is to provide the feedback then stop communication (unless it's like a simple thank you or maybe some clarification you could give them or something). Arguing back and forth with an employer who already made the hiring decision isn't going to help things but it's hard not to be defensive if you think someone is wrong.

andrest 11y ago

Not to excuse your case but a company I work for just got funded and posted a job ad on AngelList, it's been a week and there are 50+ applications sitting in the mailbox. We produce and sell a physical product so one of the founders keeps the operations going, other does biz dev and I do tech. This year alone we need to hire about 10 more people. It's overwhelming. Especially so when hiring the first key employees for roles you don't have experience with.

yoklov 11y ago

I've always heard there's a substantial legal risk in saying anything other than 'no'. Not sure how true it is, though.