Ask HN: What is the point of algorithm-heavy interviews? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What is the point of algorithm-heavy interviews?

#101

Post by dang » Fri, Nov 08, 2019, 6:27 AM UTC

mav3rick wrote: post #100

dang wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We've asked you repeatedly not to break the site guidelines. You've continued to break them repeatedly. If you keep doing that we will ban you. I'm sure you can correct misinformation and make your substantive points thoughtfully if you want to. Please use HN that way, not this way or like https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21459960 .

This is egregious as well - "They won't know anything about algorithms either, but they'll cost less and can be worked like slaves." It's hard to have a logical rebuttal to something like this. It's engaging in the worst stereotypes.

I know it's hard, but another comment being bad doesn't make it cool to break the site guidelines yourself. That only makes the thread even worse. And your account unfortunately has a pattern of doing so.

I've replied to that comment above.

Re: Ask HN: What is the point of algorithm-heavy interviews?

#102

Post by dang » Fri, Nov 08, 2019, 6:27 AM UTC

blaser-waffle wrote: post #90

bradleyjg wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then they complain to Congress that they can’t hire enough workers.

The obvious solution is to increase H-1B. They won't know anything about algorithms either, but they'll cost less and can be worked like slaves.

Please don't post shallow dismissals and/or flamebait to HN.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Ask HN: What is the point of algorithm-heavy interviews?

#103

Post by mav3rick » Fri, Nov 08, 2019, 7:42 AM UTC

dang wrote: post #101

mav3rick wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is egregious as well - "They won't know anything about algorithms either, but they'll cost less and can be worked like slaves." It's hard to have a logical rebuttal to something like this. It's engaging in the worst stereotypes.

I know it's hard, but another comment being bad doesn't make it cool to break the site guidelines yourself. That only makes the thread even worse. And your account unfortunately has a pattern of doing so. I've replied to that comment above.

Sorry. Acknowledged.

Re: Ask HN: What is the point of algorithm-heavy interviews?

#104

Post by skyzyx » Sun, Nov 17, 2019, 5:54 AM UTC

There are pros and cons. Interviews are inherently imperfect. I’ve interviewed people who can do a bubble sort algorithm off the top of the heads, but cannot figure out how to use GitHub to save their lives. I’ve interviewed people who write great code, but can’t articulate their ideas well enough to sell them to management.

Both soft + hard skills are mandatory. Hard skills are probably 33%-50% of the job, while working with people and being able to solve complex human problems in engineering is 50%-67% of the job.

Interview with algorithms or not — I don’t care. But don’t think for one second that an ability to write code is the only important part of being an engineer.