>So instead of writing code, consider instead having the candidate read existing code and talk about what it does and how it works.

While reading and understanding code written by others is an important skill, I am not sure it would be totally fair in an interview. The candidate might not be familiar with the particular coding style. The code can be very easy to read or very cryptic. I can write easy to read code, cryptic code or anywhere in between.

So since reading code doesn't solely depend on the candidate 's skills, basing hiring decisions solely on it, might not be the best idea.

I would see no harm, though, if part of the interview consists in testing the comprehension of well written code.