[samtho]

A good whiteboard problem is geared towards understanding how the candidate thinks and how well they can communicate ideas rather than total correctness. I’ve been the interviewer on a few whiteboard problems, all of which I’ve prefaced with something like, “we want to see how you solve problems and communicate ideas, there are no specific answers we’re looking for. You do not need to go into great detail or even know exactly how to build what you’re suggesting, just how it fits in to the system you’re designing.” Also when I’m designing a rubric for these interviews, the technical competency maybe represents 15% of the total score, 25% for problem solving/adaptability, and 65% communication.