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Magazine + Sections + Fashion + Art & Design + Travel + Food + Culture Search [ ][Search] Share * Facebook * Twitter * LinkedIn * Copy Link * Business * Journal Reports: Technology Tech Companies Say They Can't Find Good Employees. The Companies May Be the Problem. The hiring process could be weeding out able workers--especially women and minorities [im-308028] The technical interview process--which involves putting people on the spot to solve a problem--can leave candidates so flustered that they flop. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto By Cheryl Winokur Munk March 8, 2021 9:00 am ET Many technology companies bemoan how difficult it is to find good employees. A new study suggests the companies themselves might be partly to blame. At issue is a widespread reliance on what is known as the technical interview process. In addition to the usual vetting of credentials seen in many industries, technical interviews typically subject job candidates to layers of intense testing. Generally, such tests evaluate critical thinking and problem-solving skills. They can include brainteasers and complicated technical problems unrelated to actual on-the-job roles and responsibilities. The trouble is this: Candidates often get so flustered from the pressure and the mechanics of the interview that their performance is significantly hindered. Companies that rely on these stressful tests are eliminating potentially qualified candidates--to their own detriment, says Christopher Parnin, assistant professor of computer science at North Carolina State University and senior author of the study, which was published in November. This is particularly unfortunate, Dr. Parnin says, given the availability of other, less stressful and perhaps more appropriate testing metrics. Relying on technical interviews can also have a disproportionate impact on minorities and other underrepresented groups, and discourage job seekers from applying, Dr. Parnin says, noting that even senior-level employees can be afraid to transfer within their own organizations for fear of failing such tests. To Read the Full Story Subscribe Sign In [wsj-logo-b] Continue reading your article with a WSJ membership View Membership Options Sponsored Offers * TurboTax: TurboTax service code: 50% off for Deluxe version * Target: 20% off entire order - Target promo code * Macy's: Macy's coupon - Sign up to get 25% off next order * Saks Fifth Avenue: 20% off first order - Saks Fifth Avenue coupon * Old Navy: Save 30% on Quilted Puffer Vest with Old Navy coupon * SHEIN: SHEIN coupon - Save 20% on everything Most Popular News * MacKenzie Scott, Ex-Wife of Jeff Bezos, Marries Teacher MacKenzie Scott, Ex-Wife of Jeff Bezos, Marries Teacher * He Got $300,000 From Credit-Card Rewards. 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