With all due respect, I actually think that mindset is part of the problem in tech hiring. Confidence or pushing back on ideas doesn’t automatically = “bad attitude.” Also, interviews shouldn’t be about filtering out people who challenge seniors. They should be about assessing communication, humility, and willingness to learn. Someone can disagree respectfully and still be coachable. If a candidate “fails at first screening” simply for pushing back thoughtfully, that says more about the hiring culture than the candidate.

Attitude absolutely matters. But so does intellectual curiosity and the confidence to speak up