Why are interviews harder than the job?

Many software job interviews involve grueling technical challenges that are far more difficult than actual day-to-day work, creating a frustrating mismatch for candidates and employers. This happens because interviews operate under severe time constraints, forcing hiring managers to use intense "100-meter sprint" tests like complex coding problems to assess candidates who will actually be doing "10-kilometer" work. While alternatives exist like contract-to-hire arrangements, take-home assignments, or pair programming sessions, each comes with significant drawbacks that make the traditional high-pressure interview the "least bad option" for most companies.