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

chrlschn.dev

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

#151

Post by CharlieDigital »

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.
I would love to do this; it would give me an opportunity to showcase my side projects, my coding style, and all with code that I'm already familiar with.

It would be great, IMO.

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

#152

Post by hondo77 »

P_I_Staker wrote: post #84
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…

So you have someone start before you've decided to hire them. This sounds incredibly sleezy.

Sounds incredibly like a non-starter for people who aren't completely desperate. Then again, maybe that's who they're looking for.

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

#153

Post by lamontcg »

voiceblue wrote: post #93
lotsoweiners wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

> "were not who they said they were"

I worked with a guy who it later came out that he was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder when he convinced a buddy of his to kill his ex-wife and her new boyfriend. Probably should have had better background checks at that company.

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

#154

Post by allo37 »

ziddoap wrote: post #90
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…

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 can sympathize, but keep in mind most professions expect you to commit to a certain number of hours of continuing education. Often you can convince your employer to let you do this during work hours (or even pay for it!), but not always.

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

#155

Post by onlyrealcuzzo »

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…

AI could do code review better than coding.

90% of code review is BS - and AI excels at BS.

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

#156

Post by disgruntledphd2 »

galangalalgol wrote: post #58
anthonypasq wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assure you, they would if they could, but its illegal.

A quick search indicates that it is not illegal in the US as a whole, but maybe California?

What's illegal is IQ/ability tests having disparate impact on particular racial groups. You can only use them if you can justify how they're related to the job (which is much easier for algorithms stuff in SE roles).

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

#157

Post by dpe82 »

BigJ1211 wrote: post #138
ghostpepper wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Oftentimes, in practice it's the same.

Aside from things that may lead to accusations of violating equal opportunity employment laws, you can ask just about anything. Many previous employers won't do more than confirm employment though, as a negative review may open them up to liability. As a result, the norm in many industries is to only ask (and receive) confirmation of employment.

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

#158

Post by ngc248 »

KallDrexx wrote: post #146
yreg wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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?

It creates an extremely subjective comparison between candidates. Part of it is like a sibling comment said, if an interviewer's interests lie more in line with devops, then a devops project that solves a problem he's acutely aware of will be given much higher praise in his mind, and allows him to engage with the candidate more. If the interviewer rarely does any devops and isn't totally sure of the problem space, he…

very clearly said, this is such a subjective process.

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

#159

Post by ziddoap »

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…

>Some people code to live, not live to code.

That doesn't mean not loving coding.

It means that you might have other hobbies that you want to spend time on, or other obligations you have to spend time on, etc.

I like what I do at my job. I would even go as far to say as I love it. I also don't do it for an extra 20 hours a week (beyond the 40 hours I already do for work) because I have other things I love to do too (sometimes more!); quality time with friends, family, my other hobbies, etc.

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

#160

Post by adastra22 »

voiceblue wrote: post #93
lotsoweiners wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

…why would you need an old W2?
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