3 ms·

> write anything in any language on the board That is a horrible question that tells more about him then the interviewee.

gumby 4y ago
Why? When I read that comment I looked up and laughed, imagining what I would choose. I’d probably laugh in such an interview — and why not? It would lead to lots of enlightening discussion.
- jeffrallen 4y ago
  Yeah, "no right answer" questions open up the opportunity to work together in a dialog, which simulates real work better than "test style" questions. I also had great success hiring for IT ops by telling the person, "we use some systems you are not familiar with here, so I'm going to spend the next 10 minutes teaching you the system, and then we'll discuss how you'd diagnose it when you get your first page about it". This tests their ability to learn something new, to engage with an unfamiliar situation, but in the context of mentorship. The only problem with such an intimate technique is that when someone bombs it, they really really bomb it: There's just no hiding what's happening, as it's happening.
- jsnell 4y ago
  Because it is a question that can't provide a positive signal, only a negative one, and since the negative signal is kind of flaky. I.e. somebody "passing" this by writing some code doesn't actually give you any confidence in hiring them. It is only going to filter out people who can't code at all, and then you have to ask them a real question. But due to giving the candidates no guidance, some who actually know how to program will not just bang out something simple in as minute. They will think it is a trick question; or waste time choosing what to write rather than just do it; or start writing something far too complex for the purpose of just passing the quick filter. It is a profoundly shit question, setting up candidates for randomly failing.

3 ms·

> write anything in any language on the board That is a horrible question that tells more about him then the interviewee.

by Aperocky 4y ago

gumby 4y ago
Why? When I read that comment I looked up and laughed, imagining what I would choose. I’d probably laugh in such an interview — and why not? It would lead to lots of enlightening discussion.
- jeffrallen 4y ago
  Yeah, "no right answer" questions open up the opportunity to work together in a dialog, which simulates real work better than "test style" questions. I also had great success hiring for IT ops by telling the person, "we use some systems you are not familiar with here, so I'm going to spend the next 10 minutes teaching you the system, and then we'll discuss how you'd diagnose it when you get your first page about it". This tests their ability to learn something new, to engage with an unfamiliar situation, but in the context of mentorship. The only problem with such an intimate technique is that when someone bombs it, they really really bomb it: There's just no hiding what's happening, as it's happening.
- jsnell 4y ago
  Because it is a question that can't provide a positive signal, only a negative one, and since the negative signal is kind of flaky. I.e. somebody "passing" this by writing some code doesn't actually give you any confidence in hiring them. It is only going to filter out people who can't code at all, and then you have to ask them a real question. But due to giving the candidates no guidance, some who actually know how to program will not just bang out something simple in as minute. They will think it is a trick question; or waste time choosing what to write rather than just do it; or start writing something far too complex for the purpose of just passing the quick filter. It is a profoundly shit question, setting up candidates for randomly failing.