And that one way we can stand out from many other companies is by treating prospective new team members collegially, honestly, and humbly (with some earned confidence and bravery). I suspect this will convey and reinforce a good tone for our culture.
I said that some companies, like a certain FAANG, do the coding tests for everyone, perhaps partly because they're huge enough to want objective metrics and standardization, and maybe in some cases also as an institutionalized power move. And they can do it, because they're otherwise attractive enough to many candidates, and can also afford to alienate some candidates.
Early startups are different: There's an opportunity to get a feel for each candidate, and to discuss among the team. And that we should be able to get a sufficient qualitative feel isn't unreasonable: it's just as fair for the candidate to wonder how competent the team they're considering joining, yet we don't let the candidate give us coding tests. And a startup will usually mean less money and prestige, so we're not paying for the right to have interviews be one-sided.
Then I wondered how universal the coding tests really are, among the FAANGs: at what level (or VIP situation, or other circumstances) do any of them not do the coding tests?
If, for example, one of the few inventors of a super-popular programming language/framework/technology were interviewing (with ample public evidence that they're the desired technical caliber), what companies wouldn't insist that they go through the coding test rituals?
This is why I prefer working for start ups and small orgs the past 8 years and avoid big co's/faang: less of a meat grinder from initial contact to hire and can have a larger impact on product direction while working on the boundaries of an ideas social economic impact. But its hard to find companies like this, and usually the best ones are the most desperate (assuming they can pay any salary [no matter how small relative to the market], not looking at those who cannot or choose not to at all).
Y'know, I look really good on paper. Long history of significant contributions to projects that are household names at major tech companies, I know my stuff, and I can talk a pretty good game if do I say so myself. I am also so utterly burnt out that I can barely put two lines of code together. Your system would fail to avoid hiring me.
Always do the coding test. Even the FAANGs have hiring mistakes, people who get locked in a niche and let their skills rust, and just plain burnouts that you don't want joining your company.