I think the point is if someone is under-represented and they merely do "OK" on the whiteboard, other latent biases might downgrade the candidate in the final a

I think the point is if someone is under-represented and they merely do "OK" on the whiteboard, other latent biases might downgrade the candidate in the final analysis. I do think it's relevant to ask people to code in some form, but this article makes me rethink the things I'm going to look for in those interview questions. Also, perhaps more useful might be to give them a small problem before they come in to the interview (1-2h work at most) and then go over it with them as part of the interview. That way you evaluate better how they work on a team, explain their thought process and actually do the job they'll be hired to do.