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A comment on Ask HN: What have you found the most useful interview question to be?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: What have you found the most useful interview que... by ManlyBread on Tuesday February 05, 2019 @10:15AM (#19085973)
If I would see that the server is unreachable I wouldn't contact anyone, I would interpret that as a red flag. The company would have no problem with deeming me unfit to work for them if I fail to complete the task - why should I consider working for that company when it's their fault that I'm unable to complete the task? What if this situation illustrates how the company works on the inside (no one takes care of the environments, things are constantly broken)? Is it worth it to find out?
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Re:Ask HN: What have you found the most useful interview que... by Maert on Tuesday February 05, 2019 @11:17AM (#19086669)
That's a lot of jumping to conclusions. A simple "Hey guys, the server seems to be down, not sure if you're aware. Can you let me know when it's back up so I can submit my request, as intended?"

Shows understanding, shows willingness to reach out and solve problems, shows ability to delegate responsibility.

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Re:Ask HN: What have you found the most useful interview que... by ManlyBread on Tuesday February 05, 2019 @05:49PM (#19090834)
My approach is merely a reverse take on "it is better to pass up a good candidate than to hire a bad one" that most companies seem to utilize. I'd rather refrain from continuing the interview (even if the company wouldn't end up being that bad) than wasting several months in a bad place.
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