Dark Motives and Elective Use of Brainteaser Interview Questions

Post by nomel » Tue, Sep 11, 2018, 6:00 PM UTC

welcome_dragon wrote: post #25

rossdavidh wrote: post #4

So, there's a hidden value to these sorts of questions, but it is useful to the interviewee, not the interviewer. If they use lots of these questions, you probably don't want to work there, or at least not for the person who's asking those questions.

I disagree, as long as getting the right answer isn't important. I flat out tell people I don't care if they get the right answer, that I just want to hear their thought process. Such questions used in this way are extremely valuable.

Post by Timmah » Tue, Sep 11, 2018, 6:04 PM UTC

jf- wrote: post #42

riyadparvez wrote: post #26

My issue is more with tricky algorithmic questions. I faced these tricky interview questions, where you either have to know the trick beforehand or there is NO way you can come up with a solution in an interview. I never understand the point of these questions. Because these esoteric hypothetical questions will almost never come up in real-life. They don't test someone's skills, because these problems don't follow an…

Most algorithms questions only prove one thing: whether a candidate has brushed up on algorithms beforehand. That has some usefulness, being a proxy measure for conscientiousness, but offers little beyond that. Maybe that they’re able to follow the reasoning, but it could just as easily be learned by rote and parroted back. The fact is that no one comes up with a from-scratch efficient algorithm for doing anything in…

Post by kanelbullar » Tue, Sep 11, 2018, 6:08 PM UTC

segmondy wrote: post #68

throwawaymath wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you say the questions that fund asked you are relevant to the work you do (or would be doing) there? I think that's the core criticism most people levy against the "high tech" interview questions.

People that don't get the offer tend to complain about such things. They are asking questions to measure how you think, to measure your potential, to see how you handle stress. If you are stressing over an interview, what will you do when you lose $1 million in 10 seconds?

Post by rossdavidh » Tue, Sep 11, 2018, 6:09 PM UTC

throwawaymath wrote: post #65

rossdavidh wrote: post #4

So, there's a hidden value to these sorts of questions, but it is useful to the interviewee, not the interviewer. If they use lots of these questions, you probably don't want to work there, or at least not for the person who's asking those questions.

I don't think your second sentence is a good conclusion to draw. If nothing else, it's very difficult to find companies which will offer the highest compensation packages (or better) without also asking these questions. You're going to come across these questions no matter which of FAANG you apply to; the same applies to hedge funds. We're not talking about tens of thousands here, either. The top companies have packa…

Post by Timmah » Tue, Sep 11, 2018, 6:11 PM UTC

Alterlife wrote: post #73

rrggrr wrote: post #5

The single most effective interview question I ask: "What do you want to do?". I drill down on that to a granulator level as I try to make sure the tasks, duties and overall position matches what the candidate really wants for themselves. Its followed-up with a "How would you do it?", again persisting in the discussion (not interrogation) until we both are comfortable with the sensibility and symmetry of the answers.

Wow, I'm sorry but I think that's terrible for the candidate. You have a job description and you shared that with them. You're basically hiring the most talented bullshitter. Very few people will know exactly what they want to do in the next few years. There is only what you as the employer need to get done and what they as an employee are willing and able to do.