Google Interview Questions: If algorithmic problem solving is what they want to test why don't they hire top rated TopCoder/Codeforces directly taking only HR and Behavioral rounds ?

1) Competitive programming is a niche group.

If you go to Stanford and ask 100 random CS majors if they've done a programming contest before (not a hackathon, a programming contest), you might get 1 or 2 people who say yes. This is probably the same for other prestigious US colleges. If you go to a random elite company, the percentage might be higher, but probably no higher than 10% or so.

2) Rating colors are not particularly meaningful.

I'm a high yellow coder on TopCoder. I got there largely by solving div1 easy problems very quickly. My teammates whom I will be going to World Finals with are low yellow and unrated, respectively, yet I would argue that they're better at algorithmic problem solving than me. Do I deserve to get a free pass, but they don't? Where do you draw the line? It's easier not to draw a line and just test everyone - the best TopCoders really ought to pass these interviews with flying colors, and it's very low cost to give these interviews anyway.

My definition of a high-rated TopCoder is someone who is red. This is something like the top 2% of the active TopCoder community, or about 200 people. One can be a yellow TopCoder and not really have strong algorithmic problem solving skills - on the other hand, it's very hard to be red and not have above average algorithmic problem solving skills.

3) Algorithmic interviews don't simply assess problem solving skill.

For example, they can test your ability to communicate. Who cares if you can solve max flow in [math]O(VE)[/math] if no one else in the company can understand you? If, all of a sudden, you disappear, there's a lot of code that no one can touch.

4) It's not always about algorithmic problem solving.

I don't want to attack the question itself, but companies are often looking for more than just algorithmic problem solving ability. In my interviews with several companies this past year, I was asked a number of design questions that were completely unrelated to algorithmic problem solving.

5) Sometimes, you do get to skip first-round interviews.

Two companies invited me directly to onsite interviews without a preliminary first-round screening interview, and one company advanced me from a first-round interview directly to onsites, bypassing a number of technical phone interviews.

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