korrents

What NeetCode thinks about hiring

@neetcode · 21 positions · 0 changes of mind

Naveed Singh, the software engineer behind NeetCode, the coding-interview preparation site and YouTube channel; formerly at Amazon and Google.

NeetCode did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

6 dated positions, 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what NeetCode has said — not written or endorsed by them.

  1. Our readingThe data-structures-and-algorithms interview never tested a skill that transfers to the job; what it tested was whether somebody can think.

    Their wordsAnd DSA interviews were never the best for that. Well, thinking, sure. But in terms of like does that skill translate to what you're doing on the job? It never really translated to that. It was more about evaluating like does somebody think?

    ↗Tech interviews with NeetCodeyoutube.com 1st of 21 in this recording

    Interesting

  3. Our readingThe coding interview has survived because companies have no idea how to evaluate candidates, and they probably never did.

    Their wordsAnd the second reason that's stayed sticky is that companies just have no idea how to evaluate. Like And they probably never did.

    ↗Tech interviews with NeetCodeyoutube.com 2nd of 21 in this recording

    Interesting

  5. Our readingWhat blocks big companies from changing their interview process is interviewer training: most interviewers are not good at interviewing and hate doing it.

    Their wordsThe training is really hard to get to get down cuz it's like interviewers are just not good. Like the most interviewers do not like interviewing. They hate it.

    ↗Tech interviews with NeetCodeyoutube.com 3rd of 21 in this recording

    Interesting

  7. Our readingNew interview formats are coming, but the transition away from the coding interview will be slower than most people think.

    Their wordsI think we probably will see different interview formats introduced. I just think it is going to be a slower transition than most people think.

    ↗Tech interviews with NeetCodeyoutube.com 4th of 21 in this recording

    Interesting

  9. Our readingAny hiring process standardised enough to scale will always be gameable; the way around it is watching somebody actually work, the way you would an intern.

    Their wordsAny process that you have that's going to be standardized and super scalable, there's always going to be ways to game that. And the best way to get around that would be like hire somebody who's who's an intern and you saw how they performed.

    ↗Tech interviews with NeetCodeyoutube.com 11th of 21 in this recording

    Interesting

  11. Our readingThe right way to hire is not four rounds of data structures and algorithms but work like the job, plus asking a candidate why they made each choice.

    Their wordsI'm not going to spend four interviews going through and asking somebody data structures and algorithm stuff. I just have them do work that might be similar to something I'd give them on the job or even just have a conversation with them. See how they think. Like can they think through trade-offs? I don't even care about what answer they give me to a problem. I care about like what's like why did they say that?

    ↗Tech interviews with NeetCodeyoutube.com 12th of 21 in this recording

    Interesting