
Interviewing Red Flags - ingve
https://afreshcup.com/home/2019/06/08/interviewing-red-flags
======
drugme
_Whiteboard interviews that ask me to develop an algorithm to reverse a
string, insert an item into a linked list, or similar nonsense. I 've never
worked somewhere that this was important to know, and if it was, I would look
it up. Bonus "no thanks" points if the interviewer doesn't think something
like string.reverse() is a good answer._

This stance is fine if you're a "product-oriented" developer (like the author
seems to be, going by his profile). And which is of course a fine thing to be
- if that's what's needed in your environment. We all fit on that spectrum
somewhere.

In other environments we _do_ in fact need people who consider "algorithms"
like string reversal (even in place!) to be quite trivial (in the sense that
yes, every engineer on the team should be able to whip out something like that
cold). And frankly it would give us the willies to work with someone who
couldn't.

That said -- whiteboard tests, per se, are almost invariably gratuitously
shitty experiences for all parties involved, even when conducted properly (and
much of the time they simply aren't).

And more to the point, unnecessary (or at best, blunt instruments) or sussing
out whether someone has the chops you're looking for. I find it's quite _easy_
in fact to tell (usually within 10-15 minutes at the most) whether someone
knows their stuff, or is bullshitting, or... simply _doesn 't care_ about the
finer points. There's no need to "grill" them -- they'll pretty much come
right out and tell you.

Case in point - the author of this blog post.

------
mailslot
To add: Short stints on a résumé are warning signs for a hiring manager. Too
much concern about them is a warning sign for an applicant.

I’ve encountered a handful of companies that expect applicants to have been
with their previous company for five+ years.

It’s not always the case, but it can be a sign of a toxic work environment.
It’s important to discuss, because it can also just the result of recently
losing a key employee.

If they demand a verbal commitment, a proving period, or some other type of
assurance: run.

