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Honestly, there are so many posts like yours on HN, it's a surprise companies don't change this ridiculous algorithms thing. Hiring managers here complain that

Honestly, there are so many posts like yours on HN, it's a surprise companies don't change this ridiculous algorithms thing. Hiring managers here complain that candidates all lie and they need to weed them out. However, algorithms bias towards younger people, recently out of college, math hobbyists and people with a lot of free time. Me, I tell them in the first phone screen, "I'm a Systems/DevOps guy, I don't do algorithms and whatnot so I'm just letting you know in advance in case you ask me to whiteboard something like that." So far I was only spurned once out of half a dozen screens employing this statement. If you want to screen liars, there are a million ways to do it. Truth is, folks, most interviewers don't read resumes in depth, and they're not clever enough to interview for honesty.

scarface74 8y ago
I’m a software developer first and foremost, I am a software architect second these days specializing in building stuff on top of AWS. But I might try to do some algorithm type interview, but wouldn’t feel bad if I bombed it. In fact, the only algorithm type interview I have done in the last 10 years, they made me an offer but I declined it for another job that asked more architectural questions. The way I see it, if I could write 65C02 and x86 assembly language programs in the 80s, I think I can handle the needs of your software as a service CRUD app.
- mancerayder 8y ago
  As a hiring manager I would be impressed by your background. Unfortunately most will never read that far back. Or worse, not have enough experience to understand someone who can do that can handle the needs of their software as a service CRUD app.
halbritt 8y ago
There's really no need to screen for liars. Generally speaking, I'll try to ascertain how the candidate represents the skills on their resume. Some represent their skills well and can describe in detail their approach to solving a problem or some such. From there, it's not hard to assess things like passion, determination, etc. Usually, I'm just looking for one thing the candidate does well. There's really not much room for lying and if they claim to have some crucial skill and then I discover after the fact that they don't, that's grounds for dismissal.

scarface74 8y ago

I’m a software developer first and foremost, I am a software architect second these days specializing in building stuff on top of AWS. But I might try to do some algorithm type interview, but wouldn’t feel bad if I bombed it. In fact, the only algorithm type interview I have done in the last 10 years, they made me an offer but I declined it for another job that asked more architectural questions. The way I see it, if I could write 65C02 and x86 assembly language programs in the 80s, I think I can handle the needs of your software as a service CRUD app.

mancerayder 8y ago
As a hiring manager I would be impressed by your background. Unfortunately most will never read that far back. Or worse, not have enough experience to understand someone who can do that can handle the needs of their software as a service CRUD app.

halbritt 8y ago

There's really no need to screen for liars. Generally speaking, I'll try to ascertain how the candidate represents the skills on their resume. Some represent their skills well and can describe in detail their approach to solving a problem or some such. From there, it's not hard to assess things like passion, determination, etc. Usually, I'm just looking for one thing the candidate does well. There's really not much room for lying and if they claim to have some crucial skill and then I discover after the fact that they don't, that's grounds for dismissal.