this post was submitted on 08 Apr 2025
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Debugging interviews are great, because it really allows you to see how someone thinks. You give them a working test and some buggy code, then ask them to debug it and take as much time as they need while you look over your shoulder (virtually). IDC what the methodology is or the time it takes, if you can solve logic puzzles, you'll make a decent programmer.
I mean, that's what Google did several years ago. They stopped because data showed it didn't mean anything.
That said, debugging existing code is a more realistic test of what you'll be doing on any programming job, as opposed to writing anything from scratch.
Oh, I didn't mean the content, I meant the purpose of it. In my experience, it wasn't just about testing the interviewees, it implies having to 'sell' the company as well, to give the interviewees reasons to want to be hired. That's the bit which generated the guilt.