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Re:Caltech's CS interview prep course by mkl95 on Sunday February 27, 2022 @05:04PM (#30493117)
Take home OR coding challenges is a false dichotomy.

> In the end, even if these coding challenges might not reflect the actual work you do, they might still be predictive of success in the job

They are snake oil. You cannot predict success at some job by asking candidates to prove their ability at something that is only tangentially related to the actual job.

Re:Caltech's CS interview prep course by barry-cotter on Sunday February 27, 2022 @05:20PM (#30493287)
General mental ability is general, that’s the point.

> The Validity and Utility of Selection Methods in Personnel Psychology: Practical and Theoretical Implications of 100 Years of Research Findings

> On the basis of meta-analytic findings, this paper presents the validity of 31 procedures for predicting job performance and the validity of paired combinations of general mental ability (GMA) and the 29 other selection procedures. Similar analyses are presented for 16 predictors of performance in job training programs. Overall, the two combinations with the highest multivariate validity and utility for predicting job performance were GMA plus an integrity test (mean validity of .78) and GMA plus a structured interview (mean validity of .76). Similar results were obtained for these two combinations in the prediction of performance in job training programs. A further advantage of these two combinations is that they can be used for both entry level hiring and selection of experienced job applicants. The practical utility implications of these summary findings are substantial. The implications of these research findings for the development of theories of job performance are discussed.

Re:Caltech's CS interview prep course by mkl95 on Sunday February 27, 2022 @05:57PM (#30493673)
> General mental ability is general, that’s the point

I've seen PhDs melt under pressure at two different jobs. Which tells me that an exceptional IQ or work ethic doesn't necessarily equate with success in the industry. Those two people had something in common, and it was their poor communication skills, both input and output. If your brain cannot process some coworkers feedback efficiently and it cannot spit out feedback efficiently, the logical / mathematical side of your brain is not going to make up for it.

Re:Caltech's CS interview prep course by cutenewt on Sunday February 27, 2022 @05:50PM (#30493605)
Do you have any insights on what kind of "integrity test" they used?