---
title: "Whiteboard Interviews: Testing for Competency, not Memorization"
url: https://daily.dev/posts/whiteboard-interviews-testing-for-competency-not-memorization-v3g8hbsm5
source_url: https://spin.atomicobject.com/whiteboard-interviews-competency
type: article
source: "Atomic Spin"
published: 2026-05-24T12:05:01.313Z
updated: 2026-05-24T12:05:20.918Z
tags: ["interview", "company-culture"]
reading_time: 3
upvotes: 16
comments: 1
language: en
---

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# Whiteboard Interviews: Testing for Competency, not Memorization

**[Atomic Spin](https://daily.dev/sources/atomicobject)** · 3 min read · 16 upvotes · 1 comments

## Summary

Whiteboard interviews are widely dreaded because LeetCode-style questions reward memorization over real competency. A more effective approach uses easier problems that give candidates room to demonstrate communication, big-picture thinking, and collaboration. Interviewers should ask open-ended questions without right/wrong answers to spark discussion and reveal how candidates think. Problems should be tailored to the actual skills the role requires, and the interview should feel like a collaborative working session rather than an algorithmic gauntlet.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://spin.atomicobject.com/whiteboard-interviews-competency>

## Community discussion

Top comments from developers on daily.dev.

**@elmarchavez** · 2 upvotes

> This article is a breath of fresh air. Personally, I would highly rank companies doing this instead of making job applicants go through hoops like a lion in a circus. The idea of sharing what the participant thinks through discussing the solution is golden. At the end of the day, great communicators is always a good addition towards the team.

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---

Tags: [#interview](https://daily.dev/tags/interview), [#company-culture](https://daily.dev/tags/company-culture)

[View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/whiteboard-interviews-testing-for-competency-not-memorization-v3g8hbsm5)