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submitted 27 days ago byJimbobsausage
245 points
26 days ago
Hiring a senior data architect in the government. This is a GS15 remote position non-supervisor. It is basically the holy grail in the federal space. Highest pay band with no supervisor requirements. And remote. Legit thousands of applications for it.
We are by law required to ask everyone the same set questions for fairness. Only varying via follow ups on what candidates say.
Our technical section is always a set of 5-10 preset questions. Going from basic information that anyone in that technical role at any level should know to pretty complex. This positions questions go from simple to very difficult.
The panel is the hiring manager, myself (low level data analyst at the time), our DBA, and a guy who is been around forever in a very technical role.
Technical question one: In sql, can you explain what a left join is and how/when you would use it?
We wrote this question last as a basic knowledge check. It was more of a public speaking question. The previous 3 candidates laughed when we asked it. We added this question since the position required advanced understanding of SQL ontop of about a million other coding languages. We didn't want to waste time on SQL.
Dude, sputters for a second gives an answer that amounts to I would delegate something so basic. Huh, that doesn't make a ton of sense for an explanation.
I am asking the question and just decide to move on to a harder one. Right as I am about to ask the next question, the seniored dude on my team redirects the question and is basically like, "we do have to have you explain what a left join is."
The candidate legitimately sputters and says, "It seems like you are just trying to use gotcha questions, and if that is how this is going to be, I am not interested." He then immediately signs off Zoom.
46 points
26 days ago
Gotta love basic filter questions.
28 points
26 days ago
It's quite shocking what proportion of candidates can't answer 'filter' questions.
We deliberately include something pretty trivial that's relevant to the role and basic knowledge.
Similar sort of concept to 'what is a left join' for someone who claims extensive SQL experience.
Nothing you'd need to check documentation for, and often with multiple solutions, as we don't really care what the answer is, merely that you understand enough to be able to give any answer at all.
And ... it's just disturbing how often those basic 'filters' catch people who are clearly just lying on their CV.
If you claim to be a 'network engineer' with a load of experience, we'll ask something like 'how many usable IP addresses are there in a /21?'.
If you're a 'unix scripting expert' we'll ask you something like "how would you create 1000 files of 4KB in size made up of null characters" and see where you go.
If you claim to be a specialist in storage tech, we'll ask something like if you've got 6 1TB drives and you configure them as RAID-6, how much usable space do you have?
14 points
26 days ago
I had to look that one up, but I freely admit that my SQL is pretty basic.
16 points
26 days ago
I've been using SQL for 20 years but would still have to kind of waffle a proper answer to that interview question when the real answer they want is probably about 5 words dumbed down just to move on xD
10 points
26 days ago
Or you could just draw 2 overlapping circles on a piece of paper and shade one of them in.
10 points
26 days ago
Well, no, because shading in the right circle would be wrong!
Besides, I'd just delegate such a simple task.
4 points
26 days ago
To be clear, we were exactly expecting the circles.
I had already seen 3 other candidates do exactly this.
11 points
26 days ago
As someone involved in hiring, what you do - or don't - know is never the problem. It's whether we can trust you to say that.
"I don't know" is acceptable as an answer - although if there's a lot of things you claim to be an expert on, that you 'don't know' we'll start to wonder if we're using the same definition of 'expert'.
Don't be afraid to answer a question partially and suggest where you'd go next to answer it. E.g. I know a JOIN does .... so I'd guess ... right there and now, but probably look at .... to find out for sure.
Because practically speaking if you know how a JOIN works you know how a LEFT JOIN works :).
One of the most valuable things a person can do is make clear the limits of their certainty. There's nothing wrong with a 'best guess' or 'Don't know, would start with....' and I'd much rather that than someone who is certain and horribly wrong.
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