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Interviews in the Age of AI: Ditch Leetcode – Try Code Reviews Instead

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Re: Interviews in the Age of AI: Ditch Leetcode – Try Code Reviews Instead

#91

Post by P_I_Staker »

bluehorizon2 wrote: post #26

People are forgetting why companies these days do Leetcode in the first place. The initial reason why we have Leetcode today is that Google originally determined through their interview research that the smartest candidates were the ones who were best at algorithms. Google wanted to hire the smartest people, not necessarily the best coders, so that’s why their interviews were mostly algorithmic. Of course everyone st…

It seems like chasing golden unicorn super smart bois has been more of a problem than a solution in SV and companies like google. It starts to look like a schoolyard game or mensa.

I'll just get the smartest of the smarts and rule the world! If I only get the alphas of the alphas, I'll surely win.

Reminds me of all the NBA players getting schooled in FIBA, because the international teams have better chemistry. At one point they had to do a total re-boot, because it was so embarrassing.

I know of at least one second tier, non-sv shop that goes hard to hire the best developers in terms of intelligence. It actually leads to huge quality problems during recruiting and poor diversity. There's just something about mega-nerds with extremely poor social skills that keeps the women and minorities away.

What I'm talking about isn't just awkwardness and lacking charisma. I'm talking about randomly telling women that they can tell she is on her period and things like that.

Re: Interviews in the Age of AI: Ditch Leetcode – Try Code Reviews Instead

#92

Post by lotsoweiners »

indymike wrote: post #69

We use this process, and it has helped us hire some great developers without having to use third party staffing and headhunters: 1. Post well written job post on major job boards. 2. Immediately reply via text to every applicant (yes, we have opt in on the application) 3. Initial screening including several knock-out questions via text. Immediately let candidate know if they are not selected and why. 4. 30 minute can…

> 7. Background checks start in parallel with on-boarding. First week is spent with business unit teams to learn what the company actually, really does.

Yikes!!! I’ve never heard of a potential employer giving offers before background check. Do you tell candidates this before they quit their current jobs?

Re: Interviews in the Age of AI: Ditch Leetcode – Try Code Reviews Instead

#93

Post by voiceblue »

lotsoweiners wrote: post #92
indymike wrote: post #69

We use this process, and it has helped us hire some great developers without having to use third party staffing and headhunters: 1. Post well written job post on major job boards. 2. Immediately reply via text to every applicant (yes, we have opt in on the application) 3. Initial screening including several knock-out questions via text. Immediately let candidate know if they are not selected and why. 4. 30 minute can…

> 7. Background checks start in parallel with on-boarding. First week is spent with business unit teams to learn what the company actually, really does. Yikes!!! I’ve never heard of a potential employer giving offers before background check. Do you tell candidates this before they quit their current jobs?

Exactly. A lot can unexpectedly go wrong during a background check, some companies ask employees for (very old) W2's they may not have, etc. There was a time when I worked at and a new co-worker suddenly disappeared without a trace, and I was told in confidence by a VP they "were not who they said they were" which I presume means they failed a background check. This was during growing pains, they were probably doing checks after hiring.

Re: Interviews in the Age of AI: Ditch Leetcode – Try Code Reviews Instead

#94

Post by lmarcos »

lotsoweiners wrote: post #92
indymike wrote: post #69

We use this process, and it has helped us hire some great developers without having to use third party staffing and headhunters: 1. Post well written job post on major job boards. 2. Immediately reply via text to every applicant (yes, we have opt in on the application) 3. Initial screening including several knock-out questions via text. Immediately let candidate know if they are not selected and why. 4. 30 minute can…

> 7. Background checks start in parallel with on-boarding. First week is spent with business unit teams to learn what the company actually, really does. Yikes!!! I’ve never heard of a potential employer giving offers before background check. Do you tell candidates this before they quit their current jobs?

As someone not familiarized with background checks, why is it weird to do bg checks after handing the offer?

If the employer does the bg check before handing the offer, that means the candidate hasn't resigned yet from their current job. So wouldn't the bg check expose the candidate? (E.g., my boss would know I'm thinking about leaving)

Re: Interviews in the Age of AI: Ditch Leetcode – Try Code Reviews Instead

#95

Post by wombat-man »

farhanhubble wrote: post #89
joeframbach wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can bring my kids in but I don't think I could tell you how they work. I've been in this industry for almost 20 years, but I don't have side projects, because, well, see above.

Agreed not everyone has side projects. But being asked to build something of your own interest in about half a day seems like a good alternative.

I don't know what I could do in half a day that would impress anyone. Especially if other candidates are bringing in their serious side projects.

Re: Interviews in the Age of AI: Ditch Leetcode – Try Code Reviews Instead

#96

Post by francisofascii »

indymike wrote: post #69

We use this process, and it has helped us hire some great developers without having to use third party staffing and headhunters: 1. Post well written job post on major job boards. 2. Immediately reply via text to every applicant (yes, we have opt in on the application) 3. Initial screening including several knock-out questions via text. Immediately let candidate know if they are not selected and why. 4. 30 minute can…

> we occasionally have to let someone go on background issues

What kind of issue would that be?

Re: Interviews in the Age of AI: Ditch Leetcode – Try Code Reviews Instead

#97

Post by lmarcos »

bobobob420 wrote: post #77
indymike wrote: post #69

We use this process, and it has helped us hire some great developers without having to use third party staffing and headhunters: 1. Post well written job post on major job boards. 2. Immediately reply via text to every applicant (yes, we have opt in on the application) 3. Initial screening including several knock-out questions via text. Immediately let candidate know if they are not selected and why. 4. 30 minute can…

"Bring a side project, show us how it works." Can people in the industry stop this please? You have to be mentally sick to ask people to code review their side projects. It doesn't make any sense. "Average developer tenure is two years, company is three years old." Got it. I don't think this statement says what you think it does.

Agree. Interviews taken into account side projects are biased towards:

- people who have free time to work on side projects (usually young people have more free time than people with families)

- people who don't mind sharing their code with others

- people who work on interesting side projects. If your side project is boring, that will probably bore your interviewers -> no offer

- people who work on side projects on regular basis. If I get to work on one side project every year, well, chances are I may have forgotten the hell I did on that project (depending when the interview takes place). If I work on side projects constantly, I have no trouble picking up a fresh one to talk about

Re: Interviews in the Age of AI: Ditch Leetcode – Try Code Reviews Instead

#98

Post by yreg »

bobobob420 wrote: post #77
indymike wrote: post #69

We use this process, and it has helped us hire some great developers without having to use third party staffing and headhunters: 1. Post well written job post on major job boards. 2. Immediately reply via text to every applicant (yes, we have opt in on the application) 3. Initial screening including several knock-out questions via text. Immediately let candidate know if they are not selected and why. 4. 30 minute can…

"Bring a side project, show us how it works." Can people in the industry stop this please? You have to be mentally sick to ask people to code review their side projects. It doesn't make any sense. "Average developer tenure is two years, company is three years old." Got it. I don't think this statement says what you think it does.

> You have to be mentally sick to ask people to code review their side projects.

Could you expand why? We allow people to substitute a tech interview round with side project showcase. Don't see why it doesn't make sense in your view.

> "Average developer tenure is two years, company is three years old." Got it. I don't think this statement says what you think it does.

So what does it say?

Re: Interviews in the Age of AI: Ditch Leetcode – Try Code Reviews Instead

#99

Post by harryquach »

brigadier132 wrote: post #65
codeTired wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because adults with hobbies and families have better things to do. How is this so hard to grasp? Bonus is that 90% of devs literally will not use most of that knowledge. My biggest problems are getting requirements, understanding the problem, working around a legacy system or deciphering old code, not actually writing code when requirements and documentation is on point.

> Because adults with hobbies and families have better things to do If you really valued your time you would spend a week studying for the interview that gives you a 50pct or more increase in salary so you can work that many fewer years

To be fair grinding Leetcode to the point of proficiency takes longer than a week.

With that said I agree on your other point, putting in the work and sacrificing time, even months, will pay dividends long-term with a salary that allows someone to retire early.

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