Technical interview performance is kind of arbitrary
Take home tests FTW. The thinking goes as follows:1. If the candidate can't be bothered to complete a 2-4 hour (depending on claimed seniority) code test in the language of their choice, we can't be bothered to talk to them.2. If the candidate does reasonably well by completing the code test somewhat on time (with a fat margin allowed for them, well, having a life) and within parameters of the task, they're invited for a mostly non-technical onsite meet-and-greet.3. During the meet-and-greet we make sure that the candidate isn't an axe murderer, is able to hold a quasi-technical conversation, and that both sides aren't immediately scared of each other.4. The meet-and-greet can also include some low-key architecture discussion. Any nerds worth their salt will be able to conduct this line of questioning without making it obvious that an interview is taking place. Hopefully this isn't a critical step, as a good take-home code test will require the candidate to spend a little time designing or architecting their solution.After the above has taken place, it should be pretty clear whether the candidate in question is a fit or not. Note that this process is by design missing the useless traditional CS questioning component, contrived problem solving exercises, or a whiteboard code beatdown.