# Recommendations for companies that do "whiteboard" interviews

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- Instead of using questions that bear no resemblance to the role, adapt the question so that it does. A screening question can be easily adapted so that it applies a "real world" requirement
- Take-home exercises can be good. Please try to:
  - pay the candidate for their time
  - time-box them (e.g. under 4 hours)
  - only allow use of the standard library
  - keep it work-related. If their work will primarily be modifying an existing codebase, give them existing code to modify. If it will primarily involve creating new services from scratch, have them build something from scratch.
- Give the candidate options:
  - Some candidates might not have the time necessary to complete a take-home exercise. In those scenarios, allow the candidate to take their laptop in to perform a shorter exercise (e.g. pair program on a small issue)
  - Some candidates prefer the whiteboard when discussing a problem, let them