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I wouldn't ask it snarkily. I've been hired for jobs before and then asked to work on stuff that, while related, was nowhere in the job description. Got hired

I wouldn't ask it snarkily. I've been hired for jobs before and then asked to work on stuff that, while related, was nowhere in the job description. Got hired to do Java/C++ development, was pushed into being part-time sysadmin for our primary test environment because my team had spare capacity and our dev-ops team didn't. There were times I went 6 months without touching a line of Java or C++. Another guy I worked with said he got hired for real-time c development and then got pushed into Java development shortly after arriving. Some managers embrace the notion that all software engineers are basically the same and you can shuffle them around outside their area of expertise and then complain when efficiency goes down. Now granted there are probably more strategic ways to ask about that then the direct method I originally posted, but if I'm interviewing with one of such managers, I want to know.

libria 7y ago
Fair enough; phrase it "What would my day-to-day work look like?" "What percentage of time coding/designing/testing/meetings?" The current interview process could be better but right now these coding questions are just a proxy for ability/aptitude. I just want you to have the best shot at this job. Be as critical about the process as you want after you get it.
- scottLobster 7y ago
  Wasn't trying to be confrontational, advice from the other side of the table is always appreciated. :) And you're right. 9/10 times it'll just be a fizzbuzz proxy and not worth the risk of a direct question.
diminoten 7y ago
There's literally no way to not ask that snarkily. Don't do it. Also, it reeks of "justice driven opinion having" which is scary beyond reason for an employer, e.g. "They didn't ask for this feature the right way so I'm not going to deliver it/deliver it in a way that makes them unhappy."
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- sbov 7y ago
  There's plenty of ways to do it non-snarkily. Interviews go both ways. If you have a problem simply saying something like "nah, these are just screening problems, it's hard to come up with good ones" then it sounds like there's deeper problems here. Like, the company having issues recognizing even obvious flaws in its own processes.
  - diminoten 7y ago
    You will be looking for jobs forever if you read that much into every interaction, and possibly for good reason.
- scottLobster 7y ago
  I know it's the internet, but you seem to projecting a certain tone onto my statements that wouldn't be there. I don't know where you got "justice driven opinion having" from, it's mission-driven opinion having. They need to know I can code my way out of a shoe-box, and in return I need to know they can lead a team of engineers through a Chuck-E-Cheese ball pit. Someone who gets defensive about an honest, neutral-tone question about their interview process is likely going to be defensive about more important decisions, which means they take feedback poorly and are likely a poor leader. This is assuming I'm talking to a hiring manager and not an HR rep. I don't apply to missions I'm not willing to work overtime for. If I'm going to make sacrifices for whatever my employment does, I require that my leadership shares my commitment and is fundamentally competent such that they don't needlessly waste my sacrifices. In any interview I'll be probing for that as respectfully as I can, just as they'll be probing me for technical aptitude and whatever character profile they're looking for.
  - diminoten 7y ago
    But that's not what you're accomplishing by asking that question, you're taking a moral position beyond your role on a topic you're not an expert in. What you're demonstrating is your lack of perspective and a hubris that can poison a team, turning it into a snake put where people "neutrally" question every decision. The mere fact that you think you can neutrally ask a question like that is a red flag.

libria 7y ago

Fair enough; phrase it "What would my day-to-day work look like?" "What percentage of time coding/designing/testing/meetings?" The current interview process could be better but right now these coding questions are just a proxy for ability/aptitude. I just want you to have the best shot at this job. Be as critical about the process as you want after you get it.

scottLobster 7y ago
Wasn't trying to be confrontational, advice from the other side of the table is always appreciated. :) And you're right. 9/10 times it'll just be a fizzbuzz proxy and not worth the risk of a direct question.

diminoten 7y ago

There's literally no way to not ask that snarkily. Don't do it. Also, it reeks of "justice driven opinion having" which is scary beyond reason for an employer, e.g. "They didn't ask for this feature the right way so I'm not going to deliver it/deliver it in a way that makes them unhappy."

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
sbov 7y ago
There's plenty of ways to do it non-snarkily. Interviews go both ways. If you have a problem simply saying something like "nah, these are just screening problems, it's hard to come up with good ones" then it sounds like there's deeper problems here. Like, the company having issues recognizing even obvious flaws in its own processes.
- diminoten 7y ago
  You will be looking for jobs forever if you read that much into every interaction, and possibly for good reason.
scottLobster 7y ago
I know it's the internet, but you seem to projecting a certain tone onto my statements that wouldn't be there. I don't know where you got "justice driven opinion having" from, it's mission-driven opinion having. They need to know I can code my way out of a shoe-box, and in return I need to know they can lead a team of engineers through a Chuck-E-Cheese ball pit. Someone who gets defensive about an honest, neutral-tone question about their interview process is likely going to be defensive about more important decisions, which means they take feedback poorly and are likely a poor leader. This is assuming I'm talking to a hiring manager and not an HR rep. I don't apply to missions I'm not willing to work overtime for. If I'm going to make sacrifices for whatever my employment does, I require that my leadership shares my commitment and is fundamentally competent such that they don't needlessly waste my sacrifices. In any interview I'll be probing for that as respectfully as I can, just as they'll be probing me for technical aptitude and whatever character profile they're looking for.
- diminoten 7y ago
  But that's not what you're accomplishing by asking that question, you're taking a moral position beyond your role on a topic you're not an expert in. What you're demonstrating is your lack of perspective and a hubris that can poison a team, turning it into a snake put where people "neutrally" question every decision. The mere fact that you think you can neutrally ask a question like that is a red flag.