> people who can't do 2+2 and ones that can't understand the question without rephrasing it three times

We resorted to filtering candidates in-person with 5 basic technical questions on pen and paper. And I mean _really_ basic questions.

This was surprisingly effective because it filters for many non-technical skills like being able to read and write English, follow instructions, and show up to the office, on time, and appropriately dressed.

The number of candidates that failed these basic skills was astounding. We had candidates show up 20 minutes late, or email 2 minutes before the "interview" asking for a Teams link even though the invitation stated the meeting was in-person (highlighted in yellow). Others couldn't write their own name legibly on the paper.

A candidate that cannot answer basic technical questions has no hope of being able to prompt an AI effectively or review the code it produces.