Which of these two interview processes sounds the most effective:
- A general chit-chat interview to learn some basics, a take-home technical test on some brief, a final chat with someone senior to ensure you'd be a good fit and/or aren't an idiot
- A general chit-chat interview to learn some basics, a 4 hour interview with two engineers to talk about some code you have already written
I've done option 1 several times both as a candidate and as the interviewer, and that take-home test teaches you next to nothing. It also strongly biases single people, people in a relationship or a marriage with no kids, or someone not currently working. They can use much more of the time available up to the deadline to think, write, and perfect the solution. A single parent with a full time has to fit this into any downtime they might have while exhausted.
Option 2 was the process for a job I didn't take in the end, but it's so much more valuable. Being able to talk about what you have written and why combined with how the conversation with the interviewer feels provides a far greater insight into how 40 hours a week would feel. Everyone gets the same time to prove themselves and an opportunity show off soft skills, which are what makes a good engineer great.