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Towards Scientific Study of Technical Interviews

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 (Central Time) — 12:45PM - 1:30PM

A technical interview is a stage in the industry hiring process that aims to give visibility to the thought process and problem-solving ability of candidates. However, several critics argue that thinking aloud and public performance stresses and filters out otherwise qualified candidates. My study on enhancing technical interviews has three main stages. First, I investigate the barriers candidates face during the hiring process by mining their opinion in online communities. Second, I study particular concerns and try to suggest interventions. Third, I compare the results from applying interventions and report on the extent of their success in practice. As a starting point, I studied the effects of public performance and thinking aloud in whiteboard interviews. Since it is well-studied that eye-movement measurements are capable of revealing cognitive load, I use eye-tracking in my work. Our study showed that conventional whiteboard interviews increase cognitive load and may hinder problem-solving ability.

Presenter:
Mahnaz Behroozi