Comment by Michael Gilley on "Advices for interviewing front-end developers? Should it involve practical tests?"

Feats of strength! Interview is not over until they pin you. :p

Ok, the best thing I have both implemented and done in interviews is code. Do two things: 1) give them some code from an example app and have them reason through it for you. Don't be afraid to probe or ask clarifying questions. 2) Have them talk through how they would build an example application. Focus on the big picture as well as some nitty details like what certain logic or markup might look like. Have them talk through this with a piece of paper or white board. Throw in some curve balls and see how they react to the changes.

There are other things you could do but honestly I've found this to be the best use of your and their time. You'll get an inside look at their creativity and logical reasoning and they'll be given a chance to show what they know and "geek out".

Last, have fun!!

@fibric They want to make sure you know how to translate your thoughts into code. No slick IDEs are going to do that for you. I don't think it's helpful to have a candidate write out a block of code long hand (that's just awkward anyway). To see how a candidate can code you should take a look at their previous work and have them explain it. The white board is more about thinking through a problem and diagramming how they might build a system to meet the requirements, not so much about hand-written code. Working with them in doing this will also help you see how they are capable of articulating their thoughts and working with others, which is just as important as being able to use the syntax.

@AlmaAL Another idea to give people, like me, who have test anxiety is a simple take-home project. Expect them to explain why they implemented it the way they did. This will allow them to take their time away from a "judging eye" and use the tools they love. I've done this as well and found it fun.

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