I have my own misgivings about asking interviewees to write code for interviews. But some of what the author considers weaknesses of this are actually strengths

I have my own misgivings about asking interviewees to write code for interviews. But some of what the author considers weaknesses of this are actually strengths: > A disproportionate amount of time is often spent trying to deduce the requirements of the challenge. Deducing requirements is a job skill at least as valuable as the actual coding! There's nothing worse than perfectly polished code that solves entirely the wrong problem. And the author's proposed alternatives seem even worse: > Ask pertinent questions. OK, but that selects for people who can build a compelling narrative around their work. This is not the worst skill to have, but it's not entirely aligned with the actual work requirements, and subject to cultural and sometimes gender biases. > Have a probationary period I strongly dislike that. At-will employment is a reality in many places, and probationary periods are a reality in even more places, but they should be seen as a last resort, rather than a routine filter. I don't want co-workers to show up and be kicked out within a few weeks. I don't want to move 8 time zones, enroll my kids in new schools, sell my house, to be told after two weeks "Hmm, this does not seem to be working out". > Walk through their existing projects As has been mentioned numerous times on HN, that's at least as discriminatory as take-home exams, if not more so. You may spend your free time with your kids, or welding kinetic sculptures instead of programming. That's a perfectly valid choice. People who interview forensic pathologists don't expect them to cut up bodies at home in their spare time. And generally, showing existing projects from previous employment should be, and is, grounds for immediate disqualification. > Ask them to build something – anything! That strikes me as considerably harder and considerably more subjective to evaluate than a standard take home exam. > Pair program / Focus on their ability to learn That's reminiscent of one technique I used to like: Show the candidate a piece of product-like code, and ask them questions about various pieces in it (programming language constructs, algorithms used).