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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

#131

Post by [deleted] »

JohnFen wrote: post #107
ziddoap wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's great that you quickly notify candidates if they aren't a fit! Wish more people did that. But.... > Bring a side project, show us how it works. What do you do if someone doesn't have a side project (or want their side project to be reviewed by someone they don't know)? Some people code to live, not live to code.

I'm not defending the practice of requiring that a side project be presented. I think that's over the top and wouldn't do it -- however, if a candidate volunteers one, that does give a huge advantage to that candidate. > Some people code to live, not live to code. Totally fair. But there are lots of companies who prefer people who code because they love coding over those that do it just for the paycheck, and that's a…

[deleted]

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

#132

Post by fnimick »

el_benhameen wrote: post #119
JohnFen wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not defending the practice of requiring that a side project be presented. I think that's over the top and wouldn't do it -- however, if a candidate volunteers one, that does give a huge advantage to that candidate. > Some people code to live, not live to code. Totally fair. But there are lots of companies who prefer people who code because they love coding over those that do it just for the paycheck, and that's a…

I don’t think this was intentional, but you missed the third category: people who love to write code but only have time to do it for the paycheck.

Oh, I think it is very intentional, and the whole point is to not say it out loud.

If you don't have time to code for "love", you won't have time to jump at unreasonable requests and pull tons of crunch time overtime either.

Given the choice, companies would love to hire someone with no responsibilities outside of work, this is just a legal way of filtering out parents, people with dependents etc

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

#133

Post by gedy »

HerculePoirot wrote: post #108
gedy wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hell I wish they would tbh. I have a decent IQ (140), but can't (or just unwilling to) grind leet code

An IQ score of 140 is considered near-genius or genius level and places you in the top 0.25% (99.75 percentile) of the population.

Actually 137 if test was accurate, I still don't do well with leet code whiteboarding though, shrugs.

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

#134

Post by neilv »

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…

"When a measure becomes a target..."

Also, I wouldn't take Google's (nor anyone's) claimed research about hiring at face value.

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

#135

Post by fnimick »

lmarcos wrote: post #97
bobobob420 wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"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…

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

That's the whole point. Companies would always prefer someone with no responsibility who can be guilted and pressured into doing overtime over someone who can point to actual needs outside of work that they need to attend to. It's a great way of filtering out people who will have boundaries.

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

#136

Post by Apocryphon »

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

But it still feels wrong if progression is measured by an arbitrary measure orthogonal to what one actually does in one's career, no?

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

#137

Post by sithlord »

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…

>5. Interview and code review session. Bring a side project, show us how it works.

So you are filtering out candidates that have families or lives outside of work that do not spend their free time coding?

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

#138

Post by BigJ1211 »

ghostpepper wrote: post #126
throwaway38475 wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Background checks don't call your old boss. How would they even know who that is?

Have you ever done a background check with HireRight? They ask you for all of your previous companies and contact them to verify. I think there is an option not to call your current employer.

How far can you legally go with those in the US?

Here in the EU at most you can ask if they worked there, nothing else.

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

#139

Post by fnimick »

codeTired wrote: post #51
nfriedly wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, being "willing to grind" might be a good thing to target if it's a good proxy for being willing to do the work . However, I agree with the general sentiment that almost nobody is doing the research to ensure their interview process selects for the things they actually want.

I’m willing to grind if you present me with a real life problem you need solving. I’m not willing to run on a hamster wheel, it seems illogical to me.

And therefore you are not an employee they want.

These companies don't want an employee who starts to question "why" things should be done or why things are important. Demonstrating that you are willing to apply yourself at something objectively useless simply because you are required to is a huge plus.

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

#140

Post by droptablemain »

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…

Are you hiring now? :)
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