What Is HR Even Checking?

The tech industry's greatest mystery: how someone who thinks "JavaScript" is a fancy coffee order gets hired with a higher salary than you. That awkward moment when your new coworker's technical interview must have consisted of "Do you know what a computer is?" "Yes." "HIRED! Here's a six-figure salary!" Nothing quite matches the existential crisis of discovering the person making 20% more than you thinks "Docker" is just a brand of khaki pants. The hiring algorithm seems to be: (buzzwords ÷ actual knowledge) × confidence = salary