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I've heard that FizzBuzz style challenges weed out a huge number of seemingly-qualified candidates. Interviews don't do that; it is easier to talk about being a good programmer than to be one.

Having a simple challenge (ideally less than an hour) seems appropriate under those circumstances. Ideally you use the simple challenge as a replacement for hours of stressful whiteboarding.

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It's one thing to have a simple challenge to see if the person can write code but it seems that places put more value on that than anything else technically related.

It's only the first step in the interview. If you get past Fizzbuzz (a lot of people can't), they go more in depth about things that actually matter.

I've been past that step many times. It only means facing the same thing with multiple people while being stuck in a room with someone demanding to hear what you're thinking as you try to actually think and then hoping you don't freeze up at some point.

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