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Worst interview questions for software developers

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Re: Worst interview questions for software developers

#241

Post by hnfong »

Blackstrat wrote: post #240
Jiro wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>When I clarified that I only cared about technical material, he replied that he only read technical material on the job, not after hours. He's heard of work/life balance and doesn't want to do work during unpaid hours. Nobody hires a cashier asking "tell me how you've made cashiering an integral part of your whole life or we won't hire you".

Work/life balance? Yes, work/life balance matters. On the other hand, when one enters a professional field, the expectation of the employer is that they maintain their value. The employer is paying for productivity. The individual has the responsibility of maintaining and enhancing their knowledge. Those thinking otherwise are opening the door to foreign competition, against which they will lose. And comparing softwa…

You're saying that if I didn't regularly read technical materials after working hours, I'd have lost value after 10+ years of industry experience compared with my 25 year-old self?

It seems very narrow minded to think that newer technologies could be "read" by any classical understanding of the word. I mostly learn new tech by cloning github projects and tinkering with them; or pick some interesting subjects and follow whatever scattered pieces of documentation I could find. You're not going to catch any seasoned engineer reading Machine Learning for Dummies.

It would be a much more straightforward question if you just asked the candidates what they learned recently.

Re: Worst interview questions for software developers

#242

Post by LanceH »

anthomtb wrote: post #198
mrweasel wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's also kinda dumb, because it make some wrong assumptions. Some of the most stable people are those with kids. You're not going to take a random offer across the country/globe because it sounded kinda interesting, you're not going to stupid shit and risk getting fired, because you really need to be able to afford new winter boots for three children. On the other hand, you do need a bit of flexibility some times, f…

Huh...interesting. I have long felt there is a bias towards those with a traditional family life, at least in the American companies where I have worked. Your previous boss provides some confirmation of that view. Personally, I do not believe that kids vs. no kids, single vs. married, makes a difference in work performance. Any changes attributed to family status can be equally attributed to age and maturity.

It makes a difference in someone moving away the second they get trained on some new skill.

It makes a difference at some place which might require late hours, weekends, or on call.

It also makes a difference for companies that want to absolutely abuse their employees.

Re: Worst interview questions for software developers

#243

Post by LanceH »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #147
amelius wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How should the interviewee respond to illegal questions?

Can't answer that for others, but for me, I would end the interview, and walk out. But I have the luxury of having the means to do that.

I'm completely up front about having a family or my age, because if that's a problem, I'd prefer to know it before starting there. If it is a problem for them, I would probably let them know what they've asked is illegal. I would probably also let any recruiter who brought me in know as well.

Re: Worst interview questions for software developers

#244

Post by A_Venom_Roll »

weitzj wrote: post #146

Worst interview question I got: “Imagine you are on an island with your peoples…. How do you protect your population?” Then this interview kind of went weirder further along… “Some predators are entering your island and rape your women. What do you do?” Well: not joining the company making up these weird questions ;) I guess this “island question” was somehow picked up by the engineer watching too many hiring talks o…

That question is really weird man.

Re: Worst interview questions for software developers

#245

Post by skibidibipiti »

timeon wrote: post #234
zulban wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The question isn't a way to know the future. It's to gauge whether they have thought about the future. Easy to pass, but red flag for a fail.

Genuine question: why does it matter?

If you plan to stay, you’re a better investment

Re: Worst interview questions for software developers

#247

Post by tgv »

cowthulhu wrote: post #229
tgv wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And are you sure the person on the other side of the table can assess your problem solving skills correctly? That would make them an expert on Fermi-like problems. OTOH, perhaps HR really knows how many civilizations are out there in the universe.

There are no guarantees the other person knows anything, but they don’t need to be an expert to confirm you can break down a problem

Correctly? I could be bullshitting the heck out of it. I think I could teach anyone to pass such questions, if not vetted. It seems to boil down to: initial estimate, then multiply by a fraction for each narrowing specification in the question (how many red-haired, left-handed, gay piano tuners are there in New York), dependence between factors be damned, if it doesn't matter if the outcome is 1 or 500.

Re: Worst interview questions for software developers

#248

Post by Blackstrat »

hnfong wrote: post #241
Blackstrat wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Work/life balance? Yes, work/life balance matters. On the other hand, when one enters a professional field, the expectation of the employer is that they maintain their value. The employer is paying for productivity. The individual has the responsibility of maintaining and enhancing their knowledge. Those thinking otherwise are opening the door to foreign competition, against which they will lose. And comparing softwa…

You're saying that if I didn't regularly read technical materials after working hours, I'd have lost value after 10+ years of industry experience compared with my 25 year-old self? It seems very narrow minded to think that newer technologies could be "read" by any classical understanding of the word. I mostly learn new tech by cloning github projects and tinkering with them; or pick some interesting subjects and foll…

Read was all encompassing, I.e. how do you learn/keep up? If one doesn’t, one’s value diminishes. Simple as that. Experimentation coupled with reading is common among SEs. It’s not the company’s responsibility to keep them current. The problem I saw emerging over the last decade or so of my career, was a proliferation of individuals that wanted the money, but didn’t want to put in the effort. And that situation only worsened as they gained more tenure. Couple that with new grads or boot camp graduates, all wanting to start somewhere around 6 figures, and the industry has an issue. Hence, many companies have turned to outsourcing.

Re: Worst interview questions for software developers

#250

Post by SergeAx »

karaterobot wrote: post #48

> How do you see yourself in five years? Man, this question. I was asked this question in an interview for a startup. I gave the regular answer that was expected of me. The interview went well, and at the end when the interviewer (who was the co-founder) asked if I had any questions, I turned this around on him: "where do you see [company x] in five years?" He laughed and talked about finding product-market fit and g…

The idea of this question is not about getting spot on prognosis, but about the general sanity and maturity of the candidate. It is not a technical, it is a behavioral question.
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