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> Is the current push back against coding tests in job hiring Is there such a pushback? As in, is the percentage of the workforce refusing to take such tests i

by hiq 5y ago

> Is the current push back against coding tests in job hiring Is there such a pushback? As in, is the percentage of the workforce refusing to take such tests increasing?

alecbz 5y ago
I don't know if there's a _rising_ pushback but you definitely do hear a not-small amount of complaining about coding interviews on HN.
- hiq 5y ago
  Sure, but all in all, you just need 100 frequent HN users hating on these interviews to fill all related threads with such complaints, and there are dozens of millions of SWE worldwide. Big tech companies still hire mostly based on this type of interviews and they've been growing a lot lately, meaning that enough people apply to them. Leetcode and the likes have also democratized the process for many candidates. If anything, I'd say that the proportion of the workforce willing to submit themselves to these tests is increasing, but that's just a guess.
neon_electro 5y ago
It very much depends on the style of coding test - personally, I'm more than happy to do take-home style tests where I prepare something in a matter of a few hours, but I can't stand "leetcode" interviews or anything where I'm pressured to produce in 30 minutes or less; perhaps that's because that's typically not how I work in the real world and in my experience, they do a really poor job of demonstrating my skill set and experience. I have terminated interviews before they even got started because of poor interview loop design from employers.
- isbvhodnvemrwvn 5y ago
  From the other part of the table - we'd lose more candidates if we did take-homes. People in general prefer to study once and use that knowledge for multiple companies at once, you can't optimize take-homes like that.
- hiepph 5y ago
  I recently failed a CS coding test. I was asked to solve a problem in 10m. I solved it in 20m and was rejected. I came up with a solution and communicate it right from the start. My solution was totally clear and readable. I just needed time to warm up and attentive to my code. I love CS. I love solving problems and reading books about Algorithm and Data Structure. I implemented them from scratch as a hobby. But the interviewer guy is not caring about that and said process is process. I felt disappointed at first but felt lucky after that since I wouldn't want to work with those people in the future.
  - smilekzs 5y ago
    10 mins per problem sounds extreme except for something that can be answered in no more than 5 lines of python (no code golf of course). Even then its signal-to-noise ratio (from an interviewer's perspective) can't possibly be too high. Most places would ask you to solve a moderately nontrivial problem in 30-50 minutes
hkt 5y ago
I refuse now and didn't two years ago. Anecdotal, I realise. But I think lots of people have decided that the message heavily test oriented recruitment processes send out indicates a bad work culture and sense of entitlement from employers. I subscribe to this view and vote with my feet.

by hiq 5y ago

> Is the current push back against coding tests in job hiring Is there such a pushback? As in, is the percentage of the workforce refusing to take such tests increasing?

alecbz 5y ago

I don't know if there's a _rising_ pushback but you definitely do hear a not-small amount of complaining about coding interviews on HN.

hiq 5y ago
Sure, but all in all, you just need 100 frequent HN users hating on these interviews to fill all related threads with such complaints, and there are dozens of millions of SWE worldwide. Big tech companies still hire mostly based on this type of interviews and they've been growing a lot lately, meaning that enough people apply to them. Leetcode and the likes have also democratized the process for many candidates. If anything, I'd say that the proportion of the workforce willing to submit themselves to these tests is increasing, but that's just a guess.

neon_electro 5y ago

It very much depends on the style of coding test - personally, I'm more than happy to do take-home style tests where I prepare something in a matter of a few hours, but I can't stand "leetcode" interviews or anything where I'm pressured to produce in 30 minutes or less; perhaps that's because that's typically not how I work in the real world and in my experience, they do a really poor job of demonstrating my skill set and experience. I have terminated interviews before they even got started because of poor interview loop design from employers.

isbvhodnvemrwvn 5y ago
From the other part of the table - we'd lose more candidates if we did take-homes. People in general prefer to study once and use that knowledge for multiple companies at once, you can't optimize take-homes like that.
hiepph 5y ago
I recently failed a CS coding test. I was asked to solve a problem in 10m. I solved it in 20m and was rejected. I came up with a solution and communicate it right from the start. My solution was totally clear and readable. I just needed time to warm up and attentive to my code. I love CS. I love solving problems and reading books about Algorithm and Data Structure. I implemented them from scratch as a hobby. But the interviewer guy is not caring about that and said process is process. I felt disappointed at first but felt lucky after that since I wouldn't want to work with those people in the future.
- smilekzs 5y ago
  10 mins per problem sounds extreme except for something that can be answered in no more than 5 lines of python (no code golf of course). Even then its signal-to-noise ratio (from an interviewer's perspective) can't possibly be too high. Most places would ask you to solve a moderately nontrivial problem in 30-50 minutes

hkt 5y ago

I refuse now and didn't two years ago. Anecdotal, I realise. But I think lots of people have decided that the message heavily test oriented recruitment processes send out indicates a bad work culture and sense of entitlement from employers. I subscribe to this view and vote with my feet.