> there were a few instances where I just told people "let's do this problem anyway, don't worry" and the candidates didn't always do a good job
Which should be a clear indicator that interviews aren't only judging problem solving skills, but also the candidate's ability to withstand the pressure of being watched and judged while they solve complicated problems.
For the interviewer, it's just another day and sure, they "want the candidate to succeed" and all that, but for the candidate, their future and livelihood are on the line and that's tough for some of us to just ignore while we focus on the not-easy school quiz problem of merging overlapping intervals or whatever.
Which should be a clear indicator that interviews aren't only judging problem solving skills, but also the candidate's ability to withstand the pressure of being watched and judged while they solve complicated problems.
For the interviewer, it's just another day and sure, they "want the candidate to succeed" and all that, but for the candidate, their future and livelihood are on the line and that's tough for some of us to just ignore while we focus on the not-easy school quiz problem of merging overlapping intervals or whatever.