Why Are Interviews Harder Than The Job? Dan Moore reflects on the common frustration that interviews, especially for software-related jobs, often feel harder than the actual job itself. He shares insights from his experience leading an interview process and explores why this phenomenon occurs and potential alternatives. --- Key Points Hiring systems often focus on applicant tracking rather than simplifying the hiring experience. Interviews usually involve deep technical challenges that are not always reflective of day-to-day work. The main reason interviews feel tougher is due to limited interview time. Interviewers try to gather as much information as possible in a short period. The analogy: Interview = 100m sprint (short, intense test) Job = 10k run (longer, sustained work) Employers want to assess candidates quickly, resulting in “sprint-like” interview tests such as Leetcode coding challenges. This approach is imperfect but currently the least problematic method to assess candidates under time constraints. --- Alternatives to Traditional Interviews Dan outlines several alternative hiring methods that might better reflect actual job performance or reduce candidate stress, while acknowledging trade-offs: Contract to Hire Candidates work on contract basis before full-time hiring. Good for candidates who accept flexibility and risk. However, many qualified candidates may avoid this option due to uncertainty or lack of benefits. Homework Assignments Candidates complete take-home problems. Allows working in a less pressured environment but requires extra candidate effort and longer evaluation time. It's essential to discuss solutions to avoid plagiarism or AI-generated answers. Pair Programming Real-time collaboration on work-related projects during the interview. This can demonstrate practical skills but is high pressure and may not reveal much about non-technical abilities. Leverage Your Network Hiring candidates known from past experiences. This reduces risk but can lead to less diverse hiring pools. Historical Interview Asking candidates detailed questions about their past experiences relevant to the job. This method assumes past behavior predicts future performance and is favored by the book "Who". Dan is currently trying this approach in his hiring process. --- Conclusion Hiring is inherently difficult because: Both candidates and employers have limited information. Presentations in interviews are often curated. Candidate success is multi-dimensional and may take months to manifest. There is no perfect solution currently. The journey to better hiring practices continues. --- Published: April 13, 2025 Category: Jobs Author: Dan Moore --- Additional Resources & Links LinkedIn post referenced (requires login) Related meme highlighting interview frustrations Article on diversity limits by hiring within networks: 1996 HBR article Book “Who” on historical interviews: whothebook.com