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No engineer has ever sued because of constructive post-interview feedback

blog.interviewing.io

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Re: No engineer has ever sued because of constructive post-interview feedback

#291

Post by JshWright »

riazrizvi wrote: post #261

You generally don't get technical interview performance feedback because technical interviews are constrained by the interviewer to put themselves in a technically confident light against the candidate. The interview is as much a crapshoot for the interviewer, because they might be less/more/similarly skilled to the candidate, but they absolutely cannot reveal themselves to be less skilled because they would undermin…

My favorite interview question is a real life issue I faced where a short sighted database design wound biting us in a pretty serious way. It's a good technical problem to talk through, and provides a lot of useful information about the candidate, but it's also an excuse to set very clear expectations that I'm not looking for the "right" answer (in real life it took half a dozen smart people a couple hours to come up with a right-ish answer).

I try to use it early in the interview, and I find it sets a helpful tone, avoiding a lot of that posturing you describe.

Re: No engineer has ever sued because of constructive post-interview feedback

#292

Post by noahtallen »

jcims wrote: post #282
0x445442 wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Non paid take home projects... Huge red flag.

I see this a lot but it seems fairly naive to expect. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with refusing to do them, but to get paid? Has anyone in the history of the world been paid for an interview take home project? Curious how it was set up and what the rate was. Did you have to file taxes? Was it 1099?

I’ve done a trial project which was after an initial (much shorter) code test which was non paid. The trial earned me a couple grand and I got a 1099 alongside my w2 at the end of the years since I was hired full time.

Re: No engineer has ever sued because of constructive post-interview feedback

#293

Post by yibg »

ddelt wrote: post #169
kenhwang wrote: post #6

One time we gave feedback on request and the candidate contested the feedback, then went out on a social media rampage. So yeah, we stopped after that. It only takes one bad candidate to make it not worth the effort.

Hot take: you could hire someone who did absolutely well in the interview, and they could find a few weeks into the job that they loathe everyone, and go on a social media rampage. What I’m getting at is, there will always be bad apples, or people who react in a way that damages your organization. But not providing useful feedback to people who ask for it simply because one person went crazy is punishing a lot more p…

I think a big part of it is also most companies hiring decisions are a lot more subjective than they’d like to admit. I suspect in many cases the interviewers aren’t able to provide specific feedback that won’t immediately sound strange.

Re: No engineer has ever sued because of constructive post-interview feedback

#295

Post by jcims »

noahtallen wrote: post #292
jcims wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see this a lot but it seems fairly naive to expect. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with refusing to do them, but to get paid? Has anyone in the history of the world been paid for an interview take home project? Curious how it was set up and what the rate was. Did you have to file taxes? Was it 1099?

I’ve done a trial project which was after an initial (much shorter) code test which was non paid. The trial earned me a couple grand and I got a 1099 alongside my w2 at the end of the years since I was hired full time.

Very cool, thank you.

Re: No engineer has ever sued because of constructive post-interview feedback

#296

Post by jcims »

AlexCoventry wrote: post #290
jcims wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see this a lot but it seems fairly naive to expect. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with refusing to do them, but to get paid? Has anyone in the history of the world been paid for an interview take home project? Curious how it was set up and what the rate was. Did you have to file taxes? Was it 1099?

It's pretty common in my experience.

Have never seen it in 25 years of working in the industry. Sounds like it's more common than I thought (who's the naive one lol).

Re: No engineer has ever sued because of constructive post-interview feedback

#297

Post by tedunangst »

Apocryphon wrote: post #187
nkingsy wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a tried and true practice in dating, and it translates well to hiring, which is basically the same thing. Most people, ESPECIALLY people who ask you for feedback, do not want feedback. They want to get in a fight with you. Edit: I don't remember ghosting anyone personally in either setting, but it's happened to me plenty. Getting upset about it just means you're new to the experience.

Then maybe there can be a system that provides a disclaimer where they waive all ability to sue or otherwise get into a fight with you.

And deal with all the blowback for yet another NDA? Plus the inevitable decision where you need to decide to enforce it and come across as even more of an asshole? For what benefit again?

Re: No engineer has ever sued because of constructive post-interview feedback

#298

Post by vonseel »

kortilla wrote: post #265
0x445442 wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Non paid take home projects... Huge red flag.

Honestly the non paid take home projects are much better. The three interviews I’ve done them for stand out as the best interview processes I’ve been a part of. They actually check for real software skills. The time you spend on-site grinding leetcode with some Google engineer is non-paid as well, so let’s not pretend it’s really any different.

Totally agree. I can’t imagine many people enjoy studying for leetcode type interviews, either, unless they are fresh out of a CS program and already practiced with that stuff.

Re: No engineer has ever sued because of constructive post-interview feedback

#300

Post by vonseel »

kenhwang wrote: post #6

One time we gave feedback on request and the candidate contested the feedback, then went out on a social media rampage. So yeah, we stopped after that. It only takes one bad candidate to make it not worth the effort.

Just don’t abruptly hang up on them like some interviewers.
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