Sarah Savagesarah
Nov 17, 2025, 11:52 AMNew post: Coding tests as an interview smell https://www.sarah-savage.com/coding-tests-as-an-interview-smell/
Replies
Russellzimzat@mastodon.socialNov 17, 2025, 1:57 PM@sarah I generally agree. One aspect for additional consideration:
> they took the time to apply, to write a cover letter and customize their resume and read your job description.
Employers are being overwhlemed with thousands of AI-generated cover letters and resumes which no longer reflect the candidates actual experience but just regurg. the job description requirements.
Ex: job posting added "kcachegrind" as an example tool, most resumes/covers mentioned it. Most never used it.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- Russellzimzat@mastodon.socialNov 17, 2025, 2:04 PM
@sarah Manager bias can also get really bad. Same job posting, I asked what they were looking for and how they choose which to interview. Then I asked them to look at my own resume, that they hired me with from 3-4 years ago for basically the same expectations (they were looking for someone to replace me since I'm just part time contractor now), and they started heming and hawing about why they now would ignore it because it didn't match their expectations anymore. 🤷😵💫
- Sarah SavagesarahNov 17, 2025, 2:19 PM
@zimzat AI-generated applications can be rejected. And not all candidates are qualified.
For qualified candidates that one is interested in, it makes sense to actually take the time to interview, rather than simply hand them a coding test.
- Russellzimzat@mastodon.socialNov 17, 2025, 3:02 PM
@sarah If they can tell the difference between an AI-generated resume and a non-AI-glazed resume, absolutely agree.
The modus operandi of an LLM is to sound plausible.
The best way for a human to distinguish themselves from plausible sounding slop is to be less perfect, more detailed, niche, etc; the exact opposite of what everyone has been trained to write as or look for in a resume.
From what I've heard the only system that still works is referrals; right back to the good ol' boys clubs. 😕
- Russellzimzat@mastodon.socialNov 17, 2025, 3:07 PM
@sarah I highly suspect that a lot of companies, especially the larger ones, aren't actually hiring and are just funneling people through an automated pipeline to maintain appearances (something something ghost jobs) or on the extremely remote chance someone actually good makes it through the other end.
It sucks, it's immoral, and they shouldn't be allowed to get away with it, ... But here we are. It's a big part of why I've kept my part time contract position.
Grégoire HUBERTchanmix51@hostux.socialNov 17, 2025, 3:07 PM@sarah I love doing a code kata using a test driven approach as hiring interview with applicants. Most of them are not used to TDD so at first they are frustrated because they feel they cannot show what they are capable of but I am more interested into their ability to adapt, share and work in a team.
🇦🇶 Placebo Domingobrbcoding@indieweb.socialNov 17, 2025, 3:56 PM@sarah you and me both. I would nope out of the interview the moment I got any of these bullshit tests. When I was younger, I had less self-confidence/esteem and just accepted any kind of interview format without question, but my tolerance for that shit is almost zero now. Even if the company is hot shit, the fact that they have a crappy interview process tells me all I need to know about how it is to work there. And don't get me started on "AI-enhanced" interviews. Hell no!