Ask HN: Are leetcode interviews going away?
5 ryandvm 3 8/12/2025, 4:10:34 PM
For years, many companies have leaned heavily on leetcode-style algorithm problems in their interviews. I know many of us have always felt this was a questionable signal for real-world engineering skill, since most software engineers rarely (if ever) write novel algorithms during their day-to-day.
Now, with LLMs performing extremely well on these problems, the gap between “can solve interview puzzles” and “can do the job” seems wider than ever. In reality, a competent engineer today is quite likely to use an LLM to help solve such problems, so now the skill we’re testing in an interview isn’t even how they’d work in practice.
So my question is: Where do you think the software engineering interview process is heading next? Will we move toward more real-world scenarios? Systems design? Pair programming with AI in the loop? Something else entirely?
Curious to hear what trends you’re seeing or experimenting with at your companies.
Comments (3)
gcheong · 45m ago
I don't know where it's going but as of this moment Meta at least is still using them and it doesn't look like they're going to change anytime soon. Source: I have an upcoming interview with them. If I'm to believe what they tell me, you're not just scored on how well you can implement a solution, but how well you can explain in real time what your approach will be before you start coding and how well you communicate during the implementation. I was told to overcommunicate if anything even to the level of correcting typos. I don't think LLM's can do that yet.
shahbaby · 1h ago
Even if the LLM solves the question, you still have to explain the answer as if it were your own in a timed interview setting where there will be another human who will likely ask followup questions to see if you really did understand it.
Ocerge · 1h ago
In my experience: definitely not, still plenty of the same leetcode tech screens I've seen over the past decade. But I could see more in-person interviews + white boarding coming soon, it's the only surefire way to keep people from cheating.