4 ms·

Companies are already wasting 10x more money and emotional capital with their ridiculous interviewing processes. I definitely appreciate the sentiment that eve

Companies are already wasting 10x more money and emotional capital with their ridiculous interviewing processes. I definitely appreciate the sentiment that everyone should negotiate in good faith, but until you are in front of your future manager and they explain very clearly what the job entails (whether virtual or in person), nothing is to be believed. Wasting a company's time and money is something they already accept. If they didn't, they would optimize their process for minimal time spent.

dijit 8y ago
If you could, how would you change the interviewing process? It's not ridiculous in my opinion to want to talk to (and ask questions of) a potential candidate. If you don't like interviews, I would look into contracting, as companies generally take on contractors very easily.
- anoncoward111 8y ago
  Totally agree with what you have said. I've been through W2 job interviews that lasted a total of 2 hours. One phone conversation and one in person, offered job on the same day with no waiting games played. This is 100% the exception to the rule. I would remove multi round interviews with 7 different people and multiple calls backs. The in-person interview should be one and done, just like a music audition. Why? Because a company can fire me on day one if they want. The idea that we should put $10,000 worth of man hours into screening someone before they begin working, when employees are still legally interchangeable seems kind of like a charade to me. Employees don't like to see their colleagues fired quickly, but if it's for a deserving reason (candidate couldn't do the things they said they could do in interview) then the team really will move on quickly. When you're paying out $120,000 a year for people to flip bits, the team accepts that turnover might occur a little bit more frequently that corporate middle management.
  - dijit 8y ago
    Ah, my context is different, I live/work in Sweden where "same-day" firings are completely illegal. Job safety is insanely strong here, if you pass probation it's extremely unlikely you can be fired. Even if your job is not required anymore there is a "first-in-last-out" policy which would mean anyone hired after you would have to go first. So there is huge financial incentive to ensure you only hire the right people.
    - xaqfox 8y ago
      Are you saying the probation period in Sweden occurs before you ever start working? The OP likely meant: fire them during the probation period because that is why it is there.
    - anoncoward111 8y ago
      Wow!! Such civilized culture :) In the US, unless otherwise negotiated, all employees are under the legal term "at will", which means firing/quitting can happen anytime and for any reason. Fortunately I have walked off the job on day one when I thought it was not as described :) But have also been fired plenty of times for assinine bullshit. Maybe programmers in Cali are able to negotiate different contracts. But like 95% of non-state workers can be fired instantly I imagine in the US. Cheers!!
- P_I_Staker 8y ago
  You don't. Well, you do, but not without losing stuff. Basically, you shoot from the hip, with less information. Some orgs already do this. They glace at resumes, talk to a few people briefly, and make a gut decision. Or you hire more known quantities (friends, and former colleagues). There are huge drawbacks to either approach, but those are the other options. You get less information if you shorten the process, however there's always a great deal of uncertainty when hiring someone new, no matter what you do.

dijit 8y ago

If you could, how would you change the interviewing process? It's not ridiculous in my opinion to want to talk to (and ask questions of) a potential candidate. If you don't like interviews, I would look into contracting, as companies generally take on contractors very easily.

anoncoward111 8y ago
Totally agree with what you have said. I've been through W2 job interviews that lasted a total of 2 hours. One phone conversation and one in person, offered job on the same day with no waiting games played. This is 100% the exception to the rule. I would remove multi round interviews with 7 different people and multiple calls backs. The in-person interview should be one and done, just like a music audition. Why? Because a company can fire me on day one if they want. The idea that we should put $10,000 worth of man hours into screening someone before they begin working, when employees are still legally interchangeable seems kind of like a charade to me. Employees don't like to see their colleagues fired quickly, but if it's for a deserving reason (candidate couldn't do the things they said they could do in interview) then the team really will move on quickly. When you're paying out $120,000 a year for people to flip bits, the team accepts that turnover might occur a little bit more frequently that corporate middle management.
- dijit 8y ago
  Ah, my context is different, I live/work in Sweden where "same-day" firings are completely illegal. Job safety is insanely strong here, if you pass probation it's extremely unlikely you can be fired. Even if your job is not required anymore there is a "first-in-last-out" policy which would mean anyone hired after you would have to go first. So there is huge financial incentive to ensure you only hire the right people.
  - xaqfox 8y ago
    Are you saying the probation period in Sweden occurs before you ever start working? The OP likely meant: fire them during the probation period because that is why it is there.
  - anoncoward111 8y ago
    Wow!! Such civilized culture :) In the US, unless otherwise negotiated, all employees are under the legal term "at will", which means firing/quitting can happen anytime and for any reason. Fortunately I have walked off the job on day one when I thought it was not as described :) But have also been fired plenty of times for assinine bullshit. Maybe programmers in Cali are able to negotiate different contracts. But like 95% of non-state workers can be fired instantly I imagine in the US. Cheers!!
P_I_Staker 8y ago
You don't. Well, you do, but not without losing stuff. Basically, you shoot from the hip, with less information. Some orgs already do this. They glace at resumes, talk to a few people briefly, and make a gut decision. Or you hire more known quantities (friends, and former colleagues). There are huge drawbacks to either approach, but those are the other options. You get less information if you shorten the process, however there's always a great deal of uncertainty when hiring someone new, no matter what you do.