[mpdaugherty]

This is definitely the relevant point when it comes to hiring programmers. FizzBuzz is already so close to pseudocode that if you had to write it more clearly, it wouldn't take any more time to just write the code yourself. A programmer who can only work at that level is not a benefit to your team.

You really want people who will improve your team's output by an amount greater than the value of the extra time it takes to communicate with them.

FizzBuzz can be an effective filter to very quickly get rid of the lowest level of applicants and start having a real discussion with the ones who are left.