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I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

uxdesign.cc

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Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#131

Post by ambicapter »

Zenbit_UX wrote: post #98
dnaismith wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We did this at my company. A developer at the level that that developer was applying for would do a task that took them 2-4 hours. We then gave the interviewee four days to complete the task with a recommended time of 2 days. We also always made sure to include the weekend in the time they had to complete the task as we know during the week time is precious.

I'm interviewing with 6 companies simultaneously and like you they all think they're deserving of free labor. I'd wager your company must have the worst devs, those who have little self respect and zero other prospects. Do you not understand that you're requesting free labor from an applicant? Did you forget the purpose isn't to have the sickest challenge ever but to evaluate someone's code/ingenuity?

Methinks you didn't read GP correctly. They took a 2-4 hr task and let the interviewee take 4 days, not including weekends.

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#132

Post by Zenbit_UX »

hdfbdtbcdg wrote: post #94
Zenbit_UX wrote: post #91

I recently went through an interview with a company posting on HN and was shocked by their challenge. They provided their current UI (barebones dashboard) as well as instructions to launch the backend server locally and requested I upgrade their UI to include a side panel for filtering a data table. The task itself wasn't difficult, but the realization that these scum bags wanted me to upgrade their current product u…

Are you sure it was the latest version of their product? Asking someone to do a task that you have recently done could be a really good code test.

They had given me a live demo of their product on a call beforehand, so I know they didn't have this. They wanted me to design a feature they didn't have yet on their current product.

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#133

Post by ambicapter »

wpietri wrote: post #116
andy_ppp wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read the grandparent as: The task should take 2-4h and be done within 2-4 days is how I read it. I’m still not sure why people expect it’s easy to fit this in and it’s the last thing you want to do after a hard day of work. I’ve just started taking a full day off for programming exercises I do when interviewing. It allows me to give well thought through and tested solutions even if I make some small mistakes or mis…

Except that they said it should take 2 days.

They tell the interviewee that, the the given task actually takes 2-4 hours in-house.

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#134

Post by bennylope »

wycy wrote: post #77
leadingthenet wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's barebones, but glitchy?! I've been using it for years, and it's been rock stable for me.

I've found it incredibly glitchy. I have some reminders that somehow duplicate and show up multiple times (all at the same time), and others that will show up and instantly dismiss themselves. I can even be looking at my phone and see them pop up and instantly disappear. For a long time I thought it was perhaps due to poor sync with the Mac, since sometimes I manage reminders from there, but the same thing happens wi…

Reminders sync when I create them and recurring reminders show up on every device, but I have to mark them complete on every single device. Sometimes they show up again right after being marked complete.

I've stopped thinking about it as "glitchy" and more "the new Apple way".

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#135

Post by Zenbit_UX »

ambicapter wrote: post #131
Zenbit_UX wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm interviewing with 6 companies simultaneously and like you they all think they're deserving of free labor. I'd wager your company must have the worst devs, those who have little self respect and zero other prospects. Do you not understand that you're requesting free labor from an applicant? Did you forget the purpose isn't to have the sickest challenge ever but to evaluate someone's code/ingenuity?

Methinks you didn't read GP correctly. They took a 2-4 hr task and let the interviewee take 4 days, not including weekends.

2-4 hours is anywhere from $100 to $800 worth of free labor depending on how the dev values their time. The GP was bragging about how generous they were in providing multiple days and weekends to finish it.

How did this become acceptable practice for hiring people? Do any other industries besides tech do this?

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#136

Post by stronglikedan »

Loughla wrote: post #129
rdez6173 wrote: post #104

I am a software engineer and I was once asked during an interview at a large hedge fund to pick a side and debate why war is justified. When I pressed them about the relevance, they indicated that they often have heated debates on all manner of topics, so they wanted to see my thought process. I enjoy solving complex problems, but socio-ethical problems are way outside of my wheelhouse. I politely indicated that I di…

How is that even remotely related to the job at hand? Why would you sabotage possible good candidates just so you can get your needless debate rocks off?

Same reason why some would sabotage possible good candidates just because they never wondered how a toilet works. People are weird.

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#137

Post by Zenbit_UX »

onlydeadheroes wrote: post #119
Zenbit_UX wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe, but from a self serving standpoint acquiring multiple offers drastically helps your negotiating position.

Not really in this case. If you go to the job you like saying that the shitjob offered you 2x the salary... and they call your bluff? Now what? Take the shit job you are not going to take? For that you could have bluffed with an empty hand anyway.

I was condoning lying about offers or salaries on offer, just that having more offers signals a perspective employer that you're a desirable candidate.

I've heard of companies asking for proof of other offers so saying so and so offered me 2x is a very risky play if untrue.

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#138

Post by mmoez »

albertgoeswoof wrote: post #93

This is a really great marketing example! The creator has combined a top page HN post with a PH launch at the same time with really polished looking apps & landing pages. Essentially this will give them a huge traction boost on the app stores and a bunch of new users. Super impressive.

Link poster here: I am not the creator of the app and don't know its author Andrew Burton. So there is no intentional coordination. Heck, Andrew may not have yet noticed that his article is a top page HN.

I have just stumbled upon this article in a UX mailing list and thought it'd be interesting to share it on HN.

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#140

Post by djhaskin987 »

Is HN truly this bad of a bubble that everyone thinks interview tests are normal?

The last time I had to do a test it was on site and I was just out of college. Most interviews just talk about the challenges of the team, my past work on similar problems, and how I solved them. I've been on the other side of the table too. It's usually easy to tell if the applicant is a quack or if they are skilled by how they talk about different technology: commiserating about familiar pain points, how they solved common problems. I almost feel at this point that it's unprofessional to hand out tests to people.

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