Hacker News Reader

Little did you know, LC-style question is never about grinding LC. Algorithmic puzzles are one of the few legal ways of measuring candidate's IQ without directly asking. Companies are looking for a way to hire smart people, so they rely on LC as a signal. It can be replaced with any similar signal as well (ranging from how many cats can you ship to ISS to solve blackhole physics.)

View on HN

I might buy that, except for how cheesy the actual questions are.

If you subscribed to the old "Daily Coding Problem" email list, you'd know. Those guys collected actual questions asked in interviews ca 2010-2015, and sent them back out. About half were so poorly worded that interviewers couldn't possibly get anything out of them. Some of the questions required zero algorithmic thinking, or there was only one possible solution. Also, getting a flash of physical insight to solve a problem rarely happens when you're in a high-stress situation.

This is one of the most persistent myths in all of hiring. It is not unlawful to test IQ for white collar job candidates. Companies don't use IQ tests because they're not particularly effective, not because they'd get in trouble (reputation aside) for doing so. I don't believe anybody who (a) says stuff like this about Leetcode and (b) works professionally in this industry actually believes they could productively hire off an IQ test.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com