evan | hiring eng @ Lazer
@thebc12
AI in technical interviews: it's time to evolve 🚀 I've been rethinking how we evaluate engineering talent. While AI can generate working code in seconds, most companies still test whether candidates can implement algorithms from memory. We're missing the skills that actually matter. The problem isn't that we're testing fundamentals—those still matter. The problem is HOW we're testing them. Engineers work alongside AI tools every day, yet our interviews pretend these tools don't exist. 🎯 Three fundamental shifts: AI collaboration (not dependency) - Engineers who guide AI vs those who blindly accept outputs Process over perfect solutions - How they break down problems and iterate with real tools Strategic thinking beyond immediate solutions - Focus on long-term architecture, not just quick fixes 💡 New interview framework: AI coding challenge: Give candidates pre-existing code (potentially AI-generated) where they need to fix a broken feature and add new functionality. They can use whatever tooling they want, but it should be scoped so they need AI to complete it in the allotted time. System design: Remove AI support entirely to test independent thinking and their ability to establish guardrails for AI tools At @lazertech we've started incorporating this approach. What we've learned: the fundamentals still really matter. The engineers who perform best aren't necessarily the ones who use AI the most—they're the ones who combine AI effectively with solid engineering principles while maintaining high standards. When AI handles immediate implementation, engineers can focus on what humans do best: strategic thinking, quality evaluation, and building systems that scale. Your interviews should reflect how engineers actually work. AI is a tool, not a solution. Test for the skills that matter in an AI-augmented world. 🤖 Full breakdown below ⬇️ https://paragraph.com/@theonchainrecruiter/engineering-with-ai-rethinking-the-engineering-interview
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Charlie Kerr
@charliekerr
Agreed. Another thing I think will change soon are on sites returning to on site. Whiteboarding assessments will be done on a board, in person. The line between human and computer is blurring- without a better proof of personhood, you’re gonna need to show up in person.
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