HN Explorer

Ask HN: 9+ hours too long for interview process?

14 points by victorhugo31337 ↗ HN
I'm interested in a Senior Software Engineer position with Cisco/Meraki, or at least I was until I was told the interview process would last 9+ hours and would include algorithmic heavy questions. The position is for a Senior Platform Engineer:

https://meraki.cisco.com/jobs#50444

I'm discouraged because I know the position doesn't require heavy knowledge or use of algorithms--mostly board bring-up and device driver work. I know this because I have 11+ years of experience doing the same job, 5 of those years working for the very same Cisco.

My question is, what's the deal? It seems like the interview process is more of a pissing contest more than anything else. How is someone who works full-time and has a family have time to go over algorithms from graduate school that I know I will never use for this position?

10 comments

[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 27.8 ms ] thread
sharemywin
I wouldn't worry about the BS interview. I would imagine at some point they'll talk about thing things you've accomplished and it's important to show confidence and get through the parts of interview you know don't matter that much. If they hire some kid out of college versus someone with experience who tells them they can get up to speed quickly and do the job. Good luck too them. If someone does well on both more power to them, but unlikely. I kept pointing out I could look it up on the internet in 2 seconds.
WorldMaker
It certainly ignores a lot of human productivity studies that indicate people rarely work at full manual labor productivity past 8 hours and full creative work productivity (including problem solving and often socialization skills) past 4 hours.

It certainly may be the case that they actually are interested in seeing interviewees past such points in a somewhat controlled environment.

Such "gauntlet" interviews seem common among large technology companies and while I think some of it is a semi-intentional attempt to push interviewers to limits to see how they react, I think it's also just as much "everybody else does it" and that continual momentum of existing interview processes. Which is precisely how such hazing processes in organizations get normalized and their problems ignored over the long term. (Yes, pushing someone to the limits of their productivity is strenuous activity and the very definition of hazing.)

JSeymourATL
> Such "gauntlet" interviews seem common among large technology companies...

True - the bigger the company, the dumber they are. And HR flunkies need to justify their existence somehow.

The only possible way to short-circuit the process is to connect directly with the hiring executive. Assuming you can reach a conceptual agreement that you'd be an ideal match for the role; he 'may' have the decision authority to dispense with all the formalities. Surprisingly, even these titular Big Shots don't have the same level of actual power you'd find in smaller, more nimble companies.

Spoom
Cynical alternative: The job is meant exclusively for H1B candidates, and the posting is just so they can say they had no qualified locals.
zerr
That's not cynical at all.
spicyj
Why would they prefer H1B candidates?
brianwawok
Cheaper. Common H1B rate is 30-70% of the green card rate.

If you few IT as expense centers not innovators.. i.e. we make a lot of money, but we need IT people to build our business people some reports.. why not hire the cheaper guys?

rgovind
May be ask them to split interview into two days. I have done it before and I don't think it negatively impacted anything.
fao_
This seems like they're selecting for candidiates that will tolerate a job that is perpetual crunch-time.
testing15
It seems they are looking for candidates who can work for long hours and under pressure.