> Or do you think you don't need to assess common sense at all?
shrug If we're talking developers... The ability to drive to the location on time, answer questions without going blank are good indicators of common sense for me. Extracurricular activities, anything from volunteering at an animal shelter, to making civil war models to home brewing beer, are huge in my book because they are a good indicator of a grounded individual. That mixed with some pair-programming should give more than enough information. YMMV.
I'm curious--what do you ask in interviews to get at a candidate's common sense? It's not very easy to do.
Or do you think you don't need to assess common sense at all? Maybe it's not, but like I said, a lot of the hires I later regretted came down to something like that.