<![CDATA[I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces.]]>I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. If they can't lace their shoes securely, they can't do anything else.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/9dcbf8d7-f868-4ab0-aaba-3d54a8b69780/i-look-at-job-candidates-shoes-to-see-how-they-ve-tied-their-laces.RSS for NodeThu, 09 Apr 2026 01:46:16 GMTWed, 01 Apr 2026 12:20:05 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:43:14 GMT]]>@narpoleptic @fesshole

In addition, @Mediocreman, I wonder if you're misremembering the study:

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Why Handwriting Is Better for Your Brain Than Typing

Typing may be faster, but research suggests that handwriting is better for your brain. Here’s why.

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Psychology Today (www.psychologytoday.com)

The work showed that handwriting forces one to summarise material and rewrite it in one's own words, because writing is slow, and that this extra cognitive work enhances later recall. It doesn't say anything about the relative abilities of people who prefer a keyboard and those who opt for pen and paper. It certainly doesn't show that good programmers have beautiful handwriting.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.space/users/CppGuy/statuses/116330449761403750https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.space/users/CppGuy/statuses/116330449761403750Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:43:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:08:58 GMT]]>@fesshole illegal interview criteria in the USA for multiple reasons: ableist & not relevant to job performance. If it would be inappropriate in the job description it ain't reasonable hiring criteria

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/papakipos/statuses/116329843141582860https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/papakipos/statuses/116329843141582860Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:08:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:48:08 GMT]]>@Mediocreman @CppGuy @fesshole dafuq kind of job are you recruiting for that involves a software engineer leaving hand written messages for anyone? And why, 6 years into a global pandemic that has proven remote working is no less effective than onsite working, are you defaulting to interviews being onsite/in-person - while boasting about how well you understand cognitive plasticity and its markers?

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.ai/users/narpoleptic/statuses/116329761267248348https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.ai/users/narpoleptic/statuses/116329761267248348Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:48:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:05:28 GMT]]>@fesshole all a bit tarantino in the modern day, but likely saved many from working with a very odd dude.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116093362779202968/statuses/116329593458831279https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116093362779202968/statuses/116329593458831279Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:05:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:58:47 GMT]]>@fesshole I wear slip on sketchers.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/hub/statuses/116329567189349434https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/hub/statuses/116329567189349434Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:58:47 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:45:02 GMT]]>@Mediocreman

No.

I can write a clear and well structured feature spec, a man page that gets people out of trouble, a book-quality user guide or a logical and persuasive email message. But handwriting? I can barely manage a shopping list. Why would that be relevant to my job as a software engineer?

@fesshole

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.space/users/CppGuy/statuses/116329513126447037https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.space/users/CppGuy/statuses/116329513126447037Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:45:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:34:29 GMT]]>@mark @fesshole Laces are a tradition that we appear to cling to for...fashion reasons? It makes no sense.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://s.djehuti.com/users/ben/statuses/01KN4GKGA53P8DDBYBSSCKAVC7https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://s.djehuti.com/users/ben/statuses/01KN4GKGA53P8DDBYBSSCKAVC7Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:34:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:29:38 GMT]]>@fesshole This seems a little ableist.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://dosgame.club/users/lunarloony/statuses/116329452594972987https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://dosgame.club/users/lunarloony/statuses/116329452594972987Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:29:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:26:22 GMT]]>@fesshole don't judge me cos I like velcro

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://c.im/users/blueorangeblue/statuses/116329439747234823https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://c.im/users/blueorangeblue/statuses/116329439747234823Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:26:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:25:49 GMT]]>@fesshole My first industry job: I wore a suit to the interview. My interviewer was wearing torn jeans and Birkenstocks. He became my boss. I told people I wore a suit to the interview "what, and they hired you anyway?"

My second industry job had a dress code. The entirety of which was: "You must wear shoes when entering and leaving the building." It was adopted under protest.

GTFO with that 20th century attitude.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://s.djehuti.com/users/ben/statuses/01KN4G3MZVV7VYW61F6GGYCG3Jhttps://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://s.djehuti.com/users/ben/statuses/01KN4G3MZVV7VYW61F6GGYCG3JWed, 01 Apr 2026 12:25:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:24:46 GMT]]>@ben @fesshole If anything, it really feels like that should be a mark in favor (although of course the real answer is "Stop looking at the candidate's shoes if the job isn't making shoes").

But "shoelaces are old tech so I wear Ons / crocs / elastic slipons / those fancy ones with an individual molded rubber toe for each of my toes" feels very on brand for software engineers. 😉

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.fixermark.com/users/mark/statuses/116329433413879550https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.fixermark.com/users/mark/statuses/116329433413879550Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:24:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:22:44 GMT]]>@fesshole

Dwight Schrute?

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/sqostumato/statuses/116329425464355162https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/sqostumato/statuses/116329425464355162Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:22:44 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I look at job candidates' shoes to see how they've tied their laces. on Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:22:08 GMT]]>@fesshole Counterpoint: Shoelaces are bullshit. I haven't worn shoes with laces for thirty years, and won't buy them.

If you can't evaluate candidates competently, you can't do anything else. Buh-bye.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://s.djehuti.com/users/ben/statuses/01KN4FWWC1R8T7M21MHY3Z1NYAhttps://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://s.djehuti.com/users/ben/statuses/01KN4FWWC1R8T7M21MHY3Z1NYAWed, 01 Apr 2026 12:22:08 GMT