The latest trend for tech interviews: Days of unpaid homework

Post by gowld » Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 4:07 PM UTC

animal531 wrote: post #70

i_dont_know_ wrote: post #55

Despite some of the comments here, I'm actually a fan of the 'homework' format. I'm not always great at hiring, but I know how to gauge the 'homework' interviews, and I've usually been right about the interviewee's abilities afterwards, WAY moreso than whiteboarding or riddles or any of the other alternatives. That being said, I would add some constraints: 1. The 'task' shouldn't take more than 30 min to understand,…

I'm going to disagree with you on a number of reasons. 1. A lot of studies out there show that the most important factor for a hiring success is culture, not skill. 2. Are you even measuring skill with your test? It doesn't matter if it should only take 2h for a candidate to complete your test, if they're nervous or want to impress they're going to spend 12h on it. How can you tell the difference? 3. What about the r…

Post by minimaxir » Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 4:08 PM UTC

rhapsodic wrote: post #177

markbnj wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Came here to say almost exactly this. I can't speak to the bias issue. I do know that spending three days doing a little chat app last time around landed me one of the best gigs I've had. The process was painless, I would have spent that time coding and refreshing skills anyway, and the project was actually fun. I also know 100% that if the company I work for encountered a candidate who needed more time to work on th…

>I undertook this project after two 30 minute conversations had convinced both parties that there was a fit, and the project was a next step. In this case, I don't see it as unreasonable, because you didn't have to do the project just to have a shot at someone talking to you in person. I would never do a homework project as the first step in an application process. I would do one as the last step, after I had learned…

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 4:09 PM UTC

scott_s wrote: post #192

threatofrain wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought of undue grace or generosity because typically the term is used to criticize the unmeritorious for undue position -- is it not? What does it mean if I say you are privileged? When one looks further at the definitions listed for privilege, one sees examples discussing kings and royalty for birthrights. If we're discussing whether people are unworthy, then we are on the same page.

To me, "undue grace" and "generosity" imply some actor who imparts such grace or generosity. But that's not required for privilege. Particularly when people talk about enjoying a privilege in the social-justice way (which I believe to the kind of criticism you're talking about), they're often using it to mean a lack of discrimination as opposed to granting an elevated status. For example, if someone has the expectati…

Post by gowld » Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 4:12 PM UTC

0x445442 wrote: post #85

If the software development industry was the home building industry... I'm a general contractor (Unicorn Homes Inc.) and I'm currently building a number of spec homes. We're going to need electrical work done in all the homes and I'm in the process of sub-contracting out that work. What I need from you, Joe Electrician, is for you to go wire the kitchen of one of these homes. Once you're done I will inspect your work…

Post by nwellinghoff » Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 4:14 PM UTC

danpalmer wrote: post #30

dosycorp wrote: post #21

I don't want to name names but one YC company I interviewed at left me with the distinct impression that they talked a big game, just to get me to work on one of their (apparently) "strictly-hiring-related toy projects" as homework. Homework, "sure", except it: 1) integrated with a real system, 2) mirrored something they actually did, and 3) they would only agree to proceed if I signed an IP/work contract and accepte…

I don't want to pass judgement on your coding exercise, and it certainly seems fishy with the contract, however... I would point out that on the hiring side, evaluating a submitted project in a way that can differentiate between good and great candidates, and that the reviewers can understand well enough to get the signal they need, is very difficult. Because of this, I know several times we have asked candidates to…