Personally, I don't think those two statements are linked. The first is about education on general. Yes, it's nice to have a one more tool in ones cognitive to

Personally, I don't think those two statements are linked. The first is about education on general. Yes, it's nice to have a one more tool in ones cognitive toolbox. Like, it's nice to know some maths despite not using it professionally. The second is just about hiring publicity. Given free choice, the top professionals often seek the hardest challenge in town. It's just a recruitment honeypot. There is no hiring methodology to actually figure out the productivity of a hire - but, you can affect the population of hires. 8 hours at a whiteboard in itself is not that necessary except to maintain the image of a worthy challenge, thus calling in a population with it's siren song. It's not personal, it's just statistics.