This is the normal approach in a lot of other fields. I'm still floored it's not more common in tech. I've done a lot of both traditional interviews (presentat

This is the normal approach in a lot of other fields. I'm still floored it's not more common in tech. I've done a lot of both traditional interviews (presentation on research or previous work followed by 1:1) and "tech" interviews (coding challenges and whiteboarding) from both sides. Tech-style interviews evaluate a much narrower swath of skills are are much more easily gamed. I feel that a presentation evaluates broader things: how well do you communicate and how comfortable are you discussing and answering questions about a topic you know well. It's a better indicator of job performance, i.m.o.