[zaphar]

    Letting the applicant dictate the terms of the evaluation 
    

That sounds vaguely biased toward the employer. An interview is a a two way process. The candidate in this case will likely have no problem finding a job. In a way, it sounds like he's doing his own pre-screening and the hacker rank request is a non-positive signal for him.

Our profession is somewhat bifurcated. There are the developers who only ever do glue code between systems and never progress beyond java 1.4 and work places where that is a valued trait.

This candidate however is in the other camp. He's creative, and self driven in his learning. He's also driven to get better. He won't be satisfied at the kind of place that doesn't look at him as a unique and creative developer.

This was a negotiation not letting an applicant dictate the terms of the evaluation.

[UncleMeat]

How can I, as an employer, provide a fair interview process if every interviewee gets to pick terms? A uniform process isn't because we think it is the optimal process, but because it is the best process that ensures fairness.

[zaphar]

Picking the terms is a negotiation. I think sometimes we forget that the interviewee is also interviewing us as a prospective employer. This isn't a school exam. Hiring is a business negotiation. Pretending that it's not is counterproductive.

[hysan]

Here's the thing. Not every interviewee is going to care. You do it on a case-by-case basis where you weigh the importance of the position you're trying to fill with your time. Looking for a productive, average developer? Then say no to their terms. Looking for the best of the best? Then you may want to spend that extra 5 minutes looking over their CV and consider if they might be worth your time.