3 ms·

Do you allow candidates to use their normal workflow (which is dependent on access to Google, github and q&a sites) or are we putting people in an idealized wor

Do you allow candidates to use their normal workflow (which is dependent on access to Google, github and q&a sites) or are we putting people in an idealized workflow where the dev has to know everything? I think many developers and interviewers think using Google and StackOverflow is a sign of weakness. It may or may not be, but it is normal in many developers workflows. Thoughts?

kronin 8y ago
I tell the candidates that I will happily be their Google/stack overflow. Some candidates ask questions along that line, some don't. I agree that we don't code in a vacuum. What I'm trying to ascertain in the interview is how someone thinks, how they approach a problem and work through the solution. The more they communicate the better, even if part of that communication is "is there a length property on the String class?" I note, but don't give it too much weight, if there are minor syntax errors. I ask candidates to walk through their code with an example input, especially the ones that have errors. If they catch their errors and fix them, I note that. If they skip over their errors because they assume the code does what they wanted it to, I note that. Ultimately, can you reason through the problem, come up with a solution, and talk about the tradeoffs you made in your implementation. Any senior should be able to handle that without any preparation. I worked at a FAANG where in several loop debriefs I was challenged on the complexity of my question. One of the challengers asks a chutes and ladders question (given a random chutes and ladders board, where you can choose between 1-6 for every move, what is the minimum number of moves to get to the end). It doesn't take a hard technical question to figure out whether someone knows how to think and work through problems.

3 ms·

Do you allow candidates to use their normal workflow (which is dependent on access to Google, github and q&a sites) or are we putting people in an idealized wor

by indymike 8y ago

kronin 8y ago
I tell the candidates that I will happily be their Google/stack overflow. Some candidates ask questions along that line, some don't. I agree that we don't code in a vacuum. What I'm trying to ascertain in the interview is how someone thinks, how they approach a problem and work through the solution. The more they communicate the better, even if part of that communication is "is there a length property on the String class?" I note, but don't give it too much weight, if there are minor syntax errors. I ask candidates to walk through their code with an example input, especially the ones that have errors. If they catch their errors and fix them, I note that. If they skip over their errors because they assume the code does what they wanted it to, I note that. Ultimately, can you reason through the problem, come up with a solution, and talk about the tradeoffs you made in your implementation. Any senior should be able to handle that without any preparation. I worked at a FAANG where in several loop debriefs I was challenged on the complexity of my question. One of the challengers asks a chutes and ladders question (given a random chutes and ladders board, where you can choose between 1-6 for every move, what is the minimum number of moves to get to the end). It doesn't take a hard technical question to figure out whether someone knows how to think and work through problems.