Key insights

• ⚙️ Startups should define what they're looking for in an engineer and build a hiring process around those criteria
• 🎓 Prioritize experience and problem-solving abilities over educational credentials in the hiring process
• 🌍 Real-world experience matters more than where an engineer got their education
• 🏢 Interview processes differ between small and big companies, with different priorities and approaches
• 🔍 Difficulty in standardizing and evaluating engineer interviews leads to inconsistency and noise
• 💼 Look for candidates excited about the company and job, not just a nice paycheck, to ensure retention
• 📊 Standardized interviews are important for fair evaluation of candidates
• 🚫 Avoid hazing during interviews and switch to teaching mode if a candidate is failing

Q&A

• What are some tips for hiring and retaining engineers?

  Look for candidates excited about the company and job, not just a nice paycheck. Standardized interviews are crucial for fair evaluation and it's important to avoid hazing during interviews.

• How does the interview process contribute to inconsistency and noise in engineer evaluations?

  Engineer interviews are difficult to standardize and evaluate accurately, leading to inconsistency and noise. It's important to strive for consistency and alignment with hiring criteria.

• What role do side projects play in tech job interviews?

  Side projects may help at the resume screening stage but play a minimal role in actual interviews. Companies often use crude filters and need to measure skills directly.

• What are the differences in interview processes between small and big companies?

  Small companies prioritize specific skills, while larger companies prioritize intelligence. Asking easy interview questions can be more predictive of successful engineers than asking harder ones.

• How does Triplebyte evaluate candidates in the hiring process?

  Triplebyte evaluates candidates in isolation, including coding, computer science knowledge, debugging, and system design exercises, aiming for a fair assessment of their skills.

• What criteria is emphasized in the hiring process for startups?

  Startups prioritize experience and problem-solving abilities over educational credentials, and they build their hiring process around specific criteria tailored to their needs.

• 00:00 Almond Bartram, co-founder of Socialcam and Triplebyte, discusses the hiring process for startups and the importance of identifying the right skills in engineers. He emphasizes the need for companies to define what they are looking for and build a hiring process around those criteria. Experience and problem-solving abilities are prioritized over educational credentials.
• 07:37 Experienced engineers may not perform better in job interviews compared to junior candidates, and certain interview formats result in a high level of noise. Triplebyte evaluates candidates in isolation, including coding, computer science knowledge, debugging, and system design exercises. The interview process is highly variable, with disagreement in candidate performance across different companies.
• 14:42 Interview processes vary between small and big companies, with smaller companies often prioritizing specific skills and larger companies prioritizing intelligence. Asking easy interview questions can be more predictive of a successful engineer than asking harder ones. New grads should focus on classic computer science concepts and practice coding under stress. Many companies provide interview prep resources, and some are more upfront about their expectations. Practicing is key to doing well in interviews.
• 21:42 Interviewing for tech jobs often involves applying computer science ideas to practical problems. Side projects can help at the resume screening stage but play a minimal role in actual interviews. Companies often use crude filters in the hiring process, but there's a need to measure skills directly. Location doesn't matter much for big companies, while smaller ones may prefer local candidates. There's a tension between skills demonstrated in interviews and the skills that truly matter in the job.
• 28:30 Engineer interviews are difficult to standardize and evaluate accurately, leading to inconsistency and noise. Companies should strive for consistency in the interview process and align their hiring criteria with the desired skills and culture. Interviewing should focus on the skills relevant to the job role, but keeping up with modern technology is important for long-term success.
• 35:02 Tips for hiring and retaining engineers, including looking for candidates excited about the company, caution about relying on interview books, the importance of standardized interviews, and avoiding hazing during interviews.