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We have no idea why Max Howell was rejected. Only the interviewing team knows that. Maybe there were a variety of other problems. Maybe he came off as a complet

We have no idea why Max Howell was rejected. Only the interviewing team knows that. Maybe there were a variety of other problems. Maybe he came off as a complete asshole during interviews. Often not knowing something is fine during an interview, sometimes the point of the interview is to see if you can ask good questions and collaborate with the interviewers, take advice, without becoming defensive or combative. Even if feedback was given after his interview, it's often the case that the real reasons are too sensitive or controversial to feed back. You can't trust a candidate when they complain about why they were rejected. They really don't know.

gedy 4y ago
> Often not knowing something is fine during an interview No it's not, from my experience. I've had Google jackasses push away from the desk during interviews chuckling "how much do you program?" when you don't know their pet quiz. (The answer to the last question "is more than you", but ashamed I've never said that)
- slater- 4y ago
  The prick culture at Google is entrenched. I (jokingly) blame Stanford.
oblak 4y ago
> You can't trust a candidate when they complain about why they were rejected. They really don't know. Sure they know. One or more people didn't like them. Oh, but there's nuance, details and such, but it usually boils down to one simple - someone didn't like you as a person.
- iLoveOncall 4y ago
  This is absolute bullshit. I have been part of many panels at Amazon, and subjective criteria like this just doesn't happen. I haven't conducted a single interview where time wasn't an issue, so I guarantee you that there is just no time to like or dislike the candidate. What kind of opinion about "likeness" do you think I can form about a person when I have to ask them intense questions over an hour? Yeah I probably won't like a candidate that is obviously way below the hiring bar, and I will probably like a candidate that provides solid answers to all my questions. That doesn't change at all the outcome of the interview.
  - oblak 4y ago
    > You can't trust a candidate when they complain about why they were rejected. They really don't know. > Yeah I probably won't like a candidate that is obviously way below the hiring bar, and I will probably like a candidate that provides solid answers to all my questions. So, which one is it? Do you have time to like/dislike a person, or not? > That doesn't change at all the outcome of the interview. It clearly does.
    - iLoveOncall 4y ago
      > So, which one is it? Do you have time to like/dislike a person, or not? No, you don't, not for what you are talking about which is their personality. You will like their skills or dislike their lack of skills, which is what is being evaluated.

gedy 4y ago

> Often not knowing something is fine during an interview No it's not, from my experience. I've had Google jackasses push away from the desk during interviews chuckling "how much do you program?" when you don't know their pet quiz. (The answer to the last question "is more than you", but ashamed I've never said that)

slater- 4y ago
The prick culture at Google is entrenched. I (jokingly) blame Stanford.

oblak 4y ago

> You can't trust a candidate when they complain about why they were rejected. They really don't know. Sure they know. One or more people didn't like them. Oh, but there's nuance, details and such, but it usually boils down to one simple - someone didn't like you as a person.

iLoveOncall 4y ago
This is absolute bullshit. I have been part of many panels at Amazon, and subjective criteria like this just doesn't happen. I haven't conducted a single interview where time wasn't an issue, so I guarantee you that there is just no time to like or dislike the candidate. What kind of opinion about "likeness" do you think I can form about a person when I have to ask them intense questions over an hour? Yeah I probably won't like a candidate that is obviously way below the hiring bar, and I will probably like a candidate that provides solid answers to all my questions. That doesn't change at all the outcome of the interview.
- oblak 4y ago
  > You can't trust a candidate when they complain about why they were rejected. They really don't know. > Yeah I probably won't like a candidate that is obviously way below the hiring bar, and I will probably like a candidate that provides solid answers to all my questions. So, which one is it? Do you have time to like/dislike a person, or not? > That doesn't change at all the outcome of the interview. It clearly does.
  - iLoveOncall 4y ago
    > So, which one is it? Do you have time to like/dislike a person, or not? No, you don't, not for what you are talking about which is their personality. You will like their skills or dislike their lack of skills, which is what is being evaluated.