Google’s Post

This + start interviewing for agility of thought and for cooperation. Software development is a cooperative effort to create value and solve problems. Writing code is just the means to an end.

🚨 Stop interviewing for language syntax. ⭐️ Start interviewing for logical thinking and attitude. I don't care if you know syntax that would take 5 minutes to Google. I do care if you can inherently understand a complex problem and provide avenues to resolution and that you care about solving it. 🖼 The art of Software Engineering is much deeper than a language. Great Software Engineers can learn to understand key principles which are shared across all the planes of Software Engineering and apply them across ecosystems.

🌟This is so valuable and crucial for both interviewers and interviewees to understand. From a interviewees perspective - understanding the fundamental principles of your sector whether backend, front end or data is more important than memorising a bunch of syntax and nuances that could be googled in seconds. Don’t be shy to state this in an interview: ‘I don’t know but I could find out if necessary. What I do know is…’ From an interviewers perspective - don’t penalise a candidate based of something than could be easily taught/learnt. Hire someone on their ability to learn, understanding of core principles and fundamentals and passion for the sector with the understanding that knowledge can be taught and syntax / language specific nuances can be learnt. If we all done this employees would learn, grow and be happier whilst employers can increase employee retention, foster a collaborative and innovative environment where knowledge is power. That’s just my take though; thoughts?

🚨 Stop interviewing for language syntax. ⭐️ Start interviewing for logical thinking and attitude. I don't care if you know syntax that would take 5 minutes to Google. I do care if you can inherently understand a complex problem and provide avenues to resolution and that you care about solving it. 🖼 The art of Software Engineering is much deeper than a language. Great Software Engineers can learn to understand key principles which are shared across all the planes of Software Engineering and apply them across ecosystems.

Absolutely agree! 🌟 The true essence of Software Engineering lies in logical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a positive attitude. Syntax can be learned, but the ability to comprehend complex problems and devise effective solutions is invaluable. Let's focus on hiring based on these essential qualities that define great Software Engineers!

As someone who likes to emphasise the learning of core concepts, I tend to question the practice of interviewing for language syntax. Without a formal education in computer science, I find that I lack so much foundational knowledge of how underlying abstractions work. I believe that having that foundational knowledge is critical for me to become a better software engineer. That's why I choose to invest my spare time into learning computer science knowledge. However, I recognise that the world is also very practical. Interviewing for syntax shows your familiarity with the language and the ability to hit the ground running. That means you're able to make meaningful contributions and add value to the organisation sooner. I do think that a balance should be struck though, as core foundations are still key to doing good engineering. But there's a reason why there is so much talk about this — it is a difficult problem to solve! What do you think?

This is absolutely true But... Software Engineering roles are kind of like chefs, Hold on to my analogy. There could be a chef who has mastered technique, This person can adapt to any kitchen because of his experience and knowledge, He's fundamentally strong. There could be a chef who adapts quickly to new recipes and cuisine, This person might be less experienced but has a fast learning brain, He focused on action rather than fundamentals. There could be chefs who specialise in simply one cuisine and are exemplary, This person has deeply a vertical knowledge power. Then there is the final chef who has mastered technique, adaptivity and depth as well as breadth through extensive learning, practice and experience. This person is a combination of everything, Having a balanced T shaped knowledge base and understanding. Hiring these chefs are not solely based on a streamlined criteria or single requirements, It depends on the chef's individual skillset as well the company's need. When all these combinations go together, There is a perfect meal. When the company needs an Italian chef, They would hire a specialist and make sure he knows how to cook Italian, They don't care if he knows a little bit of everything. Money is income for the chef and expense for the company. Both of them need to reach an optimal point of win-win.

Toatally agree. Solving problem is essential more than knowing the language syntax.

🚨 Stop interviewing for language syntax. ⭐️ Start interviewing for logical thinking and attitude. I don't care if you know syntax that would take 5 minutes to Google. I do care if you can inherently understand a complex problem and provide avenues to resolution and that you care about solving it. 🖼 The art of Software Engineering is much deeper than a language. Great Software Engineers can learn to understand key principles which are shared across all the planes of Software Engineering and apply them across ecosystems.

I had a similar experience recently where I was interviewed for Devops Engineering position by a "Technical Interviewer". These are people who are paid for taking interviews and mainly hired by non-technical HR consulting companies. If you take a look at the skill set of these interviewers, they claim to know Everything like Devops, MLops, AI, ML, Datascience, Blockchain, frontend, Backend, Mainframe and the list continues🧐 and they end up asking questions on syntax/command etc and specifically questions from internet. These questions can never gauge a candidate's concept on a topic. In my day to day operations as a Devops Engineer, I heavily rely on Python, Groovy, Shell Script documentation because I don't remember the exact syntax and moreover I DON'T want to. In order to copy a sample code from documentation and extending it and make it work to serve your purpose also needs conceptual clarity. Moreover, it is not the job of a Human to remember unimportant things like syntax/commands etc. That's why we have nowadays so many VS Code extensions which auto completes code blocks/commands. Whereas Many interviews which I failed shaped my career and helped me identify my weakness and there are these interviewers who make me feel that I wasted my time giving the interview 😁. Don't expect much from a company or an interviewer who asks you syntax. I am sure that their conceptual clarity is 0.🙏🏼