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You're right. We ask fizzbuzz simply because it eliminates a shockingly high percentage of applicants. We then ask more challenging and open ended questions to
by stult 8y ago
You're right. We ask fizzbuzz simply because it eliminates a shockingly high percentage of applicants. We then ask more challenging and open ended questions to evaluate actual competence if they get that question. Fizzbuzz is there as a shibboleth of sorts. But I don't see it as a waste of time even for qualified candidates. For many qualified applicants, getting them to relax and speak naturally is the greatest challenge. Starting with a softball question helps eliminate some of the natural interview anxiety and lets us see how they really communicate. Then once in a while, it highlights the really arrogant pricks who think it's beneath them, which is another category of candidate we want to filter out.
- hvidgaard 8y agoIt's amazing how many junior developers fall flat on that, and I've even had candidates claiming several years of experience to unable to make a for loop with an if statement. And I honestly don't think we lose any good candidates to it. I don't ask FizzBuzz because many expect it, but I ask equivalently simple questions. I have the following criteria for an interview code question 1. Have an obvious KISS implementation. 2. Ability to modify requirement so the KISS no longer works. I expect 2. to enable us to gauge their thinking. I don't expect a working solution to it, but they should be able to identify why it does not work anymore and outline ideas to solve it. This part is a conversation where we can lead them if they are not good at controlling the conversation.