Five Hours Of Interviewing - Zero Questions About The Job

Short summary

A senior engineer recounts a five-hour interview loop where zero questions addressed distributed systems—instead, a freshman-level flood-fill puzzle decided the outcome. The author argues that algorithm interviews test a skill AI has commoditized, while ATS systems meant to filter bots now amplify them, forcing honest candidates through identity theater. The piece is a critique of an industry-default hiring pipeline that is broken at both the top and bottom of the funnel.

• •Five-hour interview loop asked zero domain-relevant questions; candidacy decided by a trivial grid puzzle
• •ATS systems sold as bot filters now amplify synthetic candidates while penalizing real humans
• •Algorithm puzzles test clean-room implementation—a skill AI has commoditized—missing what actually matters for senior roles

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