4 ms·

Commitment in online dating is much more incremental than in job hiring. With a dating app (as I understand it, I haven't used them), the process is like: 1. G

Commitment in online dating is much more incremental than in job hiring. With a dating app (as I understand it, I haven't used them), the process is like: 1. Get matched. 2. Chat online back and forth. 3. Go on a date. 4. If that works well, maybe another, etc. At any point, either party can call it off or just ghost. There are many easy exit points, so it makes sense for the top of the funnel to be as wide as possible in the hopes that a candidate makes it all the way through. There is little harm in taking at least the first step or two with many participants. With hiring, interviewing uses valuable employee time. Once an offer is extended and someone is hired the company is effectively fully committed to them. The employee is even more committed since they likely quit their previous job.

tempsy 7y ago
I think the thing is people don’t necessary have infinite free time either. And if there’s an efficiency factor then wouldn’t more people think the quality of a potential match is higher with a friend of a friend rather than someone completely random?
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
Kinrany 7y ago
I wonder if jobs will also move in this direction. Open source seems to be the closest thing. It's possible to shift one's time between projects gradually. I suspect the main obstacle is that it's hard for a salary to be gradual. We need a more sophisticated scheme. Something like automatic per-issue bounties.
- rubidium 7y ago
  “ Something like automatic per-issue bounties.” I physically shuttered at that thought. I get the intent, but having labored qualified and paid for in that way is sure to lead to a terrible issue system gamed by those “in the know” to exploit the rest.
- lozaning 7y ago
  Just need to be careful that you don't end up with even more snakes in Delhi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect
- pharke 7y ago
  Maybe we just need a better way of doing short term contracts. If both parties can sign on to something that won't have huge negative consequences if it goes poorly then there's more room for experimentation. Dating already has these unwritten rules, meeting for a non-committal coffee, going out to dinner, going to a show, a bar, one night stands, and the gradient of casual relationships to marriage prospects. I think there used to be equivalents for these gradations in employment but so much formalization has built up around the hiring process that it's choked most of them out.
- dragonwriter 7y ago
  > I wonder if jobs will also move in this direction. They already have, where there is any commitment at all; that's what formal probationary periods, earned tenure, and temp/contract-to-hire arrangements are. Of course, much work has moved past even the idea of commitment on either side. > I suspect the main obstacle is that it's hard for a salary to be gradual It's not hard at all, plenty of jobs that are paid salary at the nearest approximation of a committed level can be acquired after a temp/contract-to-hire period which is paid hourly based on hours worked, without guaranteed hours and at a total rate that, even of full time hours are available, is less than post-hire salary+benefits.
  - wombatpm 7y ago
    Yes, but the rest of your life is a step function. I don't get to gradually pay my health insurance or mortgage.
nugget 7y ago
I've hired numerous remote developers on an hourly basis and the process can be similarly incremental: 1. Screen for skills and experience 2. 15-30 minute technical interview over voice chat 3. Give them a 10-15 hour project (paid) that doesn't require much previous knowledge of the code base or other context 4. If that works well, escalate their responsibilities 5. If both parties are happy and the work is excellent then after awhile it naturally tends to turn into full time work This is another benefit of remote teams: bad hires are cheaper and therefore your hiring funnel and talent pipeline can be more aggressive.
- shoo 7y ago
  It may not be as incremental for the developer going through your hiring pipeline -- e.g. they would likely have to resign from a full time job that restricts them from working on other things before they can proceed to step 4 (perhaps before step 3 as well).
lcall 7y ago
I spent much time thinking about this, and planning the process for dating (didn't feel good at it, as I don't intuit social situations quickly but have to think things over more, and have been a jerk before). But met my now-wife online, and there are things I could have done better (like specific things to be better to people during the process), but these "process" notes I made from study helped me tremendously to have confidence, especially the "document" with its steps (about 1/2-way down): http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854586947.html http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854586947.html (a simple site). It has some religious things, but I hope it and the links, if explored, can be useful to anyone. The point is to pursue happiness in things that last, even across our generations.

tempsy 7y ago

I think the thing is people don’t necessary have infinite free time either. And if there’s an efficiency factor then wouldn’t more people think the quality of a potential match is higher with a friend of a friend rather than someone completely random?

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

Kinrany 7y ago

I wonder if jobs will also move in this direction. Open source seems to be the closest thing. It's possible to shift one's time between projects gradually. I suspect the main obstacle is that it's hard for a salary to be gradual. We need a more sophisticated scheme. Something like automatic per-issue bounties.

rubidium 7y ago
“ Something like automatic per-issue bounties.” I physically shuttered at that thought. I get the intent, but having labored qualified and paid for in that way is sure to lead to a terrible issue system gamed by those “in the know” to exploit the rest.
lozaning 7y ago
Just need to be careful that you don't end up with even more snakes in Delhi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect
pharke 7y ago
Maybe we just need a better way of doing short term contracts. If both parties can sign on to something that won't have huge negative consequences if it goes poorly then there's more room for experimentation. Dating already has these unwritten rules, meeting for a non-committal coffee, going out to dinner, going to a show, a bar, one night stands, and the gradient of casual relationships to marriage prospects. I think there used to be equivalents for these gradations in employment but so much formalization has built up around the hiring process that it's choked most of them out.
dragonwriter 7y ago
> I wonder if jobs will also move in this direction. They already have, where there is any commitment at all; that's what formal probationary periods, earned tenure, and temp/contract-to-hire arrangements are. Of course, much work has moved past even the idea of commitment on either side. > I suspect the main obstacle is that it's hard for a salary to be gradual It's not hard at all, plenty of jobs that are paid salary at the nearest approximation of a committed level can be acquired after a temp/contract-to-hire period which is paid hourly based on hours worked, without guaranteed hours and at a total rate that, even of full time hours are available, is less than post-hire salary+benefits.
- wombatpm 7y ago
  Yes, but the rest of your life is a step function. I don't get to gradually pay my health insurance or mortgage.

nugget 7y ago

I've hired numerous remote developers on an hourly basis and the process can be similarly incremental: 1. Screen for skills and experience 2. 15-30 minute technical interview over voice chat 3. Give them a 10-15 hour project (paid) that doesn't require much previous knowledge of the code base or other context 4. If that works well, escalate their responsibilities 5. If both parties are happy and the work is excellent then after awhile it naturally tends to turn into full time work This is another benefit of remote teams: bad hires are cheaper and therefore your hiring funnel and talent pipeline can be more aggressive.

shoo 7y ago
It may not be as incremental for the developer going through your hiring pipeline -- e.g. they would likely have to resign from a full time job that restricts them from working on other things before they can proceed to step 4 (perhaps before step 3 as well).

lcall 7y ago

I spent much time thinking about this, and planning the process for dating (didn't feel good at it, as I don't intuit social situations quickly but have to think things over more, and have been a jerk before). But met my now-wife online, and there are things I could have done better (like specific things to be better to people during the process), but these "process" notes I made from study helped me tremendously to have confidence, especially the "document" with its steps (about 1/2-way down): http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854586947.html http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854586947.html (a simple site). It has some religious things, but I hope it and the links, if explored, can be useful to anyone. The point is to pursue happiness in things that last, even across our generations.