The core problem in interviews is the tension between measuring quick problem-solving skills and the ability to handle larger projects over time. Many of the best programmers have numerous job options, making it challenging for companies that require a trial employment period to attract them.

When pre-screening candidates, we evaluate programming productivity, academic computer science skills, debugging abilities, and system design capabilities.

The skill that interviews can most easily measure is the ability to think through small problems quickly, but the ability to solve large, complex problems well over time is what you need in an employee.

When hiring for SEO, focus on candidates who demonstrate creativity and analytical skills, and assess their problem-solving abilities through interview questions.

During interviews, I focus on how applicants respond to questions rather than the technical details, which allows me to gauge their character.

Larger companies tend to rely more on brain teasers in interviews, which can introduce noise, but they often use them as a standard part of their hiring process. Bigger companies focus more on measuring innate ability rather than specific coding skills for their codebase, while smaller companies prioritize immediate productivity in specific technologies like Ruby on Rails.

Startups prioritize problem-solving skills and contributions to open source over formal qualifications when hiring.

The traditional use of brain teasers in interviews is becoming less relevant; companies should focus on practical problem-solving skills instead.

When interviewing designers, prioritize their communication skills and ability to articulate their design decisions and trade-offs.