Problems on a whiteboard don't test programming skills simply because the whiteboard isn't executable. You don't get the feedback that REPL gives you, so you can't build up your solution - and understanding of the problem - iteratively.
Strange argument. What are people who write in compiled languages supposed to do? Particularly if their code is part of a product with a long build cycle?
It's not like nobody has enough computers so you have to use whiteboards.
On this I agree. We switched from whiteboards to giving the candidate a laptop, their editor of choice, and access to a compiler and the manpages and this was a major improvement.
Re:Interview Programming Problems Done Right
by mikehoward on Wednesday January 18, 2012 @08:52PM
(#3482853)
look up doc - edit - compile - test - repeat is pretty close to interpreted language repl cycles. But then I started on punch cards, so maybe my perspective is different. [one to three compile & test cycles/day makes anything interactive look good]
Appreciate the comment though. Gives me food for thought.
Seems to me that holding a code retreat and pairing with interviewee's would be more realistic. It would eliminate at least some of the pointless stress of interviewing and would get closer to a real programming environment.
It's not like nobody has enough computers so you have to use whiteboards.