A few jobs back I was tasked with hiring new developers to bolster a thin front-end team. The job was very CSS/JavaScript heavy, so I asked questions that were pertinent to what the candidate would be doing if hired. Of the five candidates, only one answered all the questions perfectly, and he turned out to be the biggest bust for us.
The other candidates, after answering some of the harder questions incorrectly, seemed very upset with themselves. They knew they were cracking a bit under pressure, but actually showed that they knew the answers when we chatted further. I hired 3/4 of those people because of how well I felt they'd do given the opportunity. All three became leads within a year and a half.
I think personality has a lot to do with outcomes. If you are someone who shows they are hungry to learn and knows how to improve their skills, I will never dismiss you for screwing up a few coding questions.
Personality has a huge amount to do with outcomes. Especially in teams, where the best teams have a mix of complementary talents.
If you're hiring for Generic Developer Skills you're going to get generic developers - and much less development than a more flexible approach would give you.
The other candidates, after answering some of the harder questions incorrectly, seemed very upset with themselves. They knew they were cracking a bit under pressure, but actually showed that they knew the answers when we chatted further. I hired 3/4 of those people because of how well I felt they'd do given the opportunity. All three became leads within a year and a half.
I think personality has a lot to do with outcomes. If you are someone who shows they are hungry to learn and knows how to improve their skills, I will never dismiss you for screwing up a few coding questions.