3 ms·

These types of questions aren't about playing a game of catchphrases but are meant to let the candidate shine through demonstrating their thought processes. T

by IncRnd 9y ago

These types of questions aren't about playing a game of catchphrases but are meant to let the candidate shine through demonstrating their thought processes. They are also used as behavioral questions to assess how a candidate deals with situations in which they are not familiar, even if the task itself is incredibly easy or not directly applicable to the job. You'd be surprised how many people freeze when they are asked to reverse a list of elements. Another reason to ask fundamental questions is to ensure that an otherwise fit candidate understands the tradeoffs involved.

spatley 9y ago
The question we ought to ask though is: Is a candidate that freezes when asked to reverse a list be an employee that would be incapable of basic coding? Or more interestingly (to me) is the candidate that can easily write the reverse pseudocode on an interview whiteboard one that will be a good employee? When I interview, I ask for her to write some code, yes. But I make it very simple: fizzbuzz, or reverse a string. But then inform the canditate that I am looking for style, craft and personality. Somewhat akin to a chef being asked to fry an egg
- onikolas 9y ago
  And how do you quantify "style, craft and personality" ? I ask about quantification because I see it as the only way to reduce/eliminate bias.
- IncRnd 9y ago
  > Or more interestingly (to me) is the candidate that can easily write the reverse pseudocode on an interview whiteboard one that will be a good employee? You're looking at it backwards. That type of question catches people who misstated their qualifications. It's a buy-in to sit at the table. People can debate whether they should have to answer questions, but in the real world one or two small qualifying questions of this nature save the employer a lot of money and time in the hiring process.

by IncRnd 9y ago

spatley 9y ago

The question we ought to ask though is: Is a candidate that freezes when asked to reverse a list be an employee that would be incapable of basic coding? Or more interestingly (to me) is the candidate that can easily write the reverse pseudocode on an interview whiteboard one that will be a good employee? When I interview, I ask for her to write some code, yes. But I make it very simple: fizzbuzz, or reverse a string. But then inform the canditate that I am looking for style, craft and personality. Somewhat akin to a chef being asked to fry an egg

onikolas 9y ago
And how do you quantify "style, craft and personality" ? I ask about quantification because I see it as the only way to reduce/eliminate bias.
IncRnd 9y ago
> Or more interestingly (to me) is the candidate that can easily write the reverse pseudocode on an interview whiteboard one that will be a good employee? You're looking at it backwards. That type of question catches people who misstated their qualifications. It's a buy-in to sit at the table. People can debate whether they should have to answer questions, but in the real world one or two small qualifying questions of this nature save the employer a lot of money and time in the hiring process.