I would like some info on how hiring decisions are made. I understand DSA and System Design are important but HMs know these aren't good predictors of performance so I see a disconnect there.
I'd like to understand what goes through the mind of the HM and/or committee before a decision is made.
I know it's a broad and complicated question that has different answers depending on the company, but any info is helpful.
“HMs know these aren’t good predictors of performance”. It isn’t about predicting performance. That’s not really measurable. It is a bar that exists. The hope is to see how you think and adapt, as well as your existing knowledge and skill.
I know it doesn’t seem like it with current interviewing, but companies like Amazon spend a ton of time and money researching interviewing practices, measuring outcomes, doing analysis of different approaches, and ultimately this shapes how interview loops are structured. Imperfect, but huge effort goes in.
Anyway! I really only know Amazon’s process. In the debrief, what you did is discussed, but how you approached it, how you handled twists, how you handled feedback, and so on. At Amazon the HM and Bar Raiser make a hiring decisions. They discuss the data with the rest of the loop, dig in, and try to find if the gaps the candidate has are risks they are willing to assume, and if they have enough bar raising abilities to make it a good hire. If someone has average performance in everything, and a couple of yellow or red flags, there’s nothing to “pull them up”. If someone has a few stumbles but kills a couple of sessions then it is easier to accept what’s missing and still push them over the bar.
Thanks for the insight :). Can you give some more insight on how the HM makes the decision? What do they consider when making the decision?