Ask HN: As a candidate do you ask your interviewer algorithmic questions?

I have been doing quite a few technical interviews lately (for a Software Engineer position) and I have slowly begun asking my interviewers more and more technical questions when it is my turn to ask questions. These are generally related to the algorithm question that they wanted me to solve for them, but I have slowly been branching out to asking my own algorithmic questions. I have, surprisingly, been met with varied reactions like:

1) Awkward silence

2) A flat out refusal to answer any of my algorithmic interview questions

3) An excuse not to answer my questions, usually mentioning that we are running out of time

On a few occasions the interviewer willingly answers my questions and we end up having a great technical discussion and both parties involved learn something. I think it is great because it shifts some of the nervousness back on the interviewer to remind them that the candidate is probably nervous as well.

I am wondering why the power dynamic is so skewed towards the employer in these situations? Is what I am doing considered so faux paus?

If I were an interviewer, I'd welcome it. I always like a good, spirited discussion about interesting problems.

This is great as long as you limit the question to things you think that the interviewer can answer, everyone loves to show off their own proficiency.

i wish that happened.

also in a previous job interview, a guy showed up with a quick map traversal algo written in no less than ms word. right out i recognized the 6 line function, with a bug. while he asked "do you know which data structure this code expects" to which i replied "a graph, and you have a infinite loop on the visited check..." there he cut me as if he didn't want to hear what i was saying and proceed with questions he had planned/rehearsed.... until 5 questions later he actually asked "why would that fail" to which i had to point the bug mentioned before.

i just ruled that out as he being nervous as i was. but later i found out he was just a control freak and he actually said i lacked any technical knowledge in the hiring review. :) got the offer as everyone else obviously saw the opposite.

anyway. all that to illustrate that you should ask away. after all, you're going to spend 8h+a day with those people. the least it will do is to know then better.

This. To be honest, I don't think it really accomplishes that much for you. For the most part, it seems like you're just making the interviewer feel awkward, and you're not really learning anything about the company. I agree with asking them about what they're working on. As a soon to be new grad, my experience is limited to only like 2 interviews, but I usually try to ask my interviewers questions pertaining to the specific project they're working on. Hopefully, you can find something about their work that interests you and ask them about it.

Aside from that, I don't think it's a good idea to look at an interview as a power struggle. It's not a you vs. them situation, but rather you're both kind of gauging if you want to work together. The first part is kind of where they determine if they want to work with you (gauging your skill) while the second part (your questions and beyond) is kind of where you determine if you want to work with them.

As far as things go, unless you're well proven, people are probably going to need to gauge your skill in some way. Don't get too nervous about the algorithmic questions. Just think of them as a type of puzzle just with much higher stakes. For some practice, if you're not familiar with this website: oj.leetcode.com.

Disclosure: I don't have much experience interviewing. That's just my take on how to look at it.