One I suggested to my team lead was to ask what was a problem or challenge the applicant had been wrestling with recently w.r.t the language or job. I think an

One I suggested to my team lead was to ask what was a problem or challenge the applicant had been wrestling with recently w.r.t the language or job. I think an organic, open question like this would help to identify what the applicant spent time thinking about and provide insight into their nature as a programmer beyond what leetcode might offer. I think a similar interesting question: asking for one or several things the applicant dislikes most about the programming language, would be similarly revealing. YMMV when it comes to people who are smart but not very good talkers, but I think it's better than, say, asking people to sing a song, like some recruiters do.