4 ms·

Ask HN: How to do a non technical interview?

We're hiring developers for HelloFax (YCw11) and I'm looking for ways to optimize the hiring process. Here's how our hiring process works: 1. Technical screen (phone call) 2. Longer technical interview 3. Non-technical interview with the other cofounder. 4. We do a trial period or jump into full time employment (if we've known someone previously). I think we do a solid job at #1 and #2 (thank you Joel Spolsky!), but I'm curious what people's techniques are for #3, or whether they even do a #3. Normally, I try to get at the heart of people's motivations / interests and if they understand what being at a startup involves. I also try to see if there's a culture fit. Are there any questions that you find really effective?

michaelrlitt 15y ago
We hire 1 intern every term, but just finalized 2 offers on full-time employees (not previously known). I'm all about the culture fit - my founders care about the technical capabilities. I ask the following two questions: 1a) You have 8 balls and a fulcrum scale. Each ball looks, tastes and smells the same. One ball is slightly heavier then the rest. Find it using the scale only twice. If the candidate blows through this one I ask the following. 1b) If I gave you 3 uses of the scale and one heavy ball, what is the largest number of balls you could weigh? I find this question shows that they can problem solve. Most developers try a 4x4 split - which doesn't work. It's great to witness their problem solving technique. 2a) How do you put an elephant in a fridge? 2b) How do you put a giraffe in the fridge? 2c) If the king of the jungle has a meeting with all of the animals, who is missing? 2d) How would you cross a river that is known to be full of alligators? This question helps bring out the candidates sense of humour due to it's sheer ridiculousness. We tend to be very informal, it's very important we can shoot the shit with our employees.
- petervandijck 15y ago
  So I am a very bad developer, but I can answer 1a. Weigh 3x3-> if they are the same, then just compare the 2 that are left. If not, discard the 3 in the lightest heap, and weight 1x1. Done. 1b is harder. I would guess you can put 8 on the side (and do the first solution if the others are the same), so 24 in total. Correct? I guess these tests test for logical thinking, but not for development skills. 2a. Cut it up, put it through the blender, put the fridge on its back side and pour it in. If it doesn't fit, let it dry in the sun (remove water), try to pour again. 2b. Same. 2c. tarzan 2d. over a bridge?
  - allwein 15y ago
    Question 2, being on the more humorous side, isn't completely logically consistent. 2a)You open the door and put the elephant in the fridge, and close the door. It appears that you made some assumption about either the smallness of the fridge or the largeness of the elephant. Also theoretically tests if you went for a simple solution or try to overcomplicate things. 2b)You open the door, take out the elephant, put in the giraffe, and shut the door. In theory, this tests you ability to track the state of a problem and your previous actions. The part that pisses me off, is you usually lose points for not taking the elephant out first. If I have a theoretical fridge that's big enough to hold an elephant, why can't it be big enough to hold a giraffe at the same time? 2c) This one is easy after you've been given the answer to number 2b. Obviously the giraffe is missing, since he's still locked in the fridge. 2d)Just swim across, all the alligators are at the jungle meeting from 2c.
Peroni 15y ago
If the purpose of #3 is to get a true reflection of what the person is actually like then don't sit in a board room and ask them obscure Fermi questions. Meet them in a local coffee shop, bar, tech meet-up, etc. To get the candidate to step away from work-mode you need to step away from the place of work. It really is as simple as that.

michaelrlitt 15y ago

We hire 1 intern every term, but just finalized 2 offers on full-time employees (not previously known). I'm all about the culture fit - my founders care about the technical capabilities. I ask the following two questions: 1a) You have 8 balls and a fulcrum scale. Each ball looks, tastes and smells the same. One ball is slightly heavier then the rest. Find it using the scale only twice. If the candidate blows through this one I ask the following. 1b) If I gave you 3 uses of the scale and one heavy ball, what is the largest number of balls you could weigh? I find this question shows that they can problem solve. Most developers try a 4x4 split - which doesn't work. It's great to witness their problem solving technique. 2a) How do you put an elephant in a fridge? 2b) How do you put a giraffe in the fridge? 2c) If the king of the jungle has a meeting with all of the animals, who is missing? 2d) How would you cross a river that is known to be full of alligators? This question helps bring out the candidates sense of humour due to it's sheer ridiculousness. We tend to be very informal, it's very important we can shoot the shit with our employees.

petervandijck 15y ago
So I am a very bad developer, but I can answer 1a. Weigh 3x3-> if they are the same, then just compare the 2 that are left. If not, discard the 3 in the lightest heap, and weight 1x1. Done. 1b is harder. I would guess you can put 8 on the side (and do the first solution if the others are the same), so 24 in total. Correct? I guess these tests test for logical thinking, but not for development skills. 2a. Cut it up, put it through the blender, put the fridge on its back side and pour it in. If it doesn't fit, let it dry in the sun (remove water), try to pour again. 2b. Same. 2c. tarzan 2d. over a bridge?
- allwein 15y ago
  Question 2, being on the more humorous side, isn't completely logically consistent. 2a)You open the door and put the elephant in the fridge, and close the door. It appears that you made some assumption about either the smallness of the fridge or the largeness of the elephant. Also theoretically tests if you went for a simple solution or try to overcomplicate things. 2b)You open the door, take out the elephant, put in the giraffe, and shut the door. In theory, this tests you ability to track the state of a problem and your previous actions. The part that pisses me off, is you usually lose points for not taking the elephant out first. If I have a theoretical fridge that's big enough to hold an elephant, why can't it be big enough to hold a giraffe at the same time? 2c) This one is easy after you've been given the answer to number 2b. Obviously the giraffe is missing, since he's still locked in the fridge. 2d)Just swim across, all the alligators are at the jungle meeting from 2c.

Peroni 15y ago

If the purpose of #3 is to get a true reflection of what the person is actually like then don't sit in a board room and ask them obscure Fermi questions. Meet them in a local coffee shop, bar, tech meet-up, etc. To get the candidate to step away from work-mode you need to step away from the place of work. It really is as simple as that.