> When interviewing for a specific role, you have to think very hard about what it is you are trying to do - and don't just fall back on generic cut and paste questions.

I think this is true, but it raises a question about "hiring for a specific role."

I find that when companies do this, they're in a reactive mode. Which of course is going to happen from time to time, but the reason memes like the OP get born is because many companies are habitually reactive when it comes to hiring.

I don't follow a lot of sports, but I follow NFL football. Each year, the teams get to "draft" (a/k/a hire) incoming players from college. When it comes to the NFL draft, there are two prevailing philosophies: "Draft for Need" and "Draft Best Player Available". Without question, teams that stick to more of a BPA approach tend to have longer term success. Teams that draft for need sometimes get that player that helps them get over the hump and win a championship, but more often they're trading away long-term greatness for some short-term pain relief.

I think hiring for software teams (and just about anything where there is a lot of variance in depth and breadth of skill) follows the same pattern. Hiring for a specific role is an antipattern (albeit sometimes a necessary one). If you have a very specific role to fill, perhaps a freelancer or a consultant might be a better fit for easing the short-term pain. Then you let them go as soon as they're no longer needed.