What this means for you
Don't spend time practicing obscure brainteasers; tech companies are moving away from them. Instead, prioritize preparing for technical challenges, system design, and behavioral questions that assess your real-world problem-solving and collaboration skills. A TikTok maths educator has revived one of Google's most infamous interview brainteasers, the 'prisoner hat' riddle, just as the tech giant's former HR chief's verdict on such puzzles comes back into focus.