Reversing the Interview

One of the popular topics in the interviews for Software Engineering roles, is 'Data Structures and Algorithms' (DSA). Basically, those GeeksForGeeks or LeetCode like problems!! They are proclaimed to test the fundamentals of computer science as well as hands-on coding prowess. Fine.

Preparing for such interviews can be a daunting task. Especially if you are not fresh-out-of-school doing competitive programming day-in-and-day-out. Although there are some basic principles, but you will still need to go through a couple of hundreds of them, just to get hang of the language of the problems and then converting them into principle forms. Takes a couple of months to prepare. And still, you are not sure what will appear on 'the' day. At the time of interview, you will need to solve them on white-board (digital, in case of virtual) within a set time. Total pressure-cooker situation!!

This whole interview scenario, to me, looks rather asymmetric, isn't it?

The candidate is in deep-anxious state, whereas the interviewer is calm, dishing out one of the hundreds of problems available on platter. This one-sided situation isn't just non-empathetic for the candidate but, at times, makes interviewer take some kind of higher-ground, handing out hints as if, doing some charity.

This needs to change, right? How?

Keep some time in the same interview slot, for an interview in the reverse direction. Meaning, the candidate asking the interviewer, a DSA problem.?

Why not??

This way, even the candidate can check the computer-science fundamentals of the folks who are already hired by the company and are deemed to be experts in DSA. If everything goes well you all are going to be colleagues, so need to have basics clear with all.

Fair?

Well, this can be arranged for any type of interview, any role, any topic. Interviews in both directions. Hope this suggestion (if at-all gets implemented) will bring some sanity and rationality in the interview process.