5 ms·

We pay candidates for interviews, $100 per hour. Companies are starting to adopt this, but it still blows me away that we aren't getting there faster.

wpietri 5y ago
I think it's great that people are trying this. But when I'm looking for jobs, this wouldn't influence me much. It might be a useful signal that they respect my time, but also could indicate a relatively mercenary culture. From the hiring side, I'd also have concerns. At a previous company we paid for a lot of user testing subjects and there were some people who were trying to make a living out of it. They'd say absolutely anything up front to try to get in and get the money. And that was just for $30-$50. If we're talking $200-800, that's a lot of incentive for goofs to lie their way into an interview.
- slap_shot 5y ago
  > this wouldn't influence me much It's not about influencing anybody. It's about valuing people's time and paying them for their time. (this isn't corporate bullshit - I made the policy and that's why I made the policy). > could indicate a relatively mercenary culture. no idea what that even means > that's a lot of incentive for goofs to lie their way into an interview. I'm happy to report we've never let any "goofs" in through the process! But it might actually make us a little too selective.
  - wpietri 5y ago
    > It's about valuing people's time and paying them for their time. Those are two separate things. I think once can do the first without doing the second. > no idea what that even means I used to work for financial traders. Some people tend to treat everything as a commodity. That's not the kind of culture I want to work in. > I'm happy to report we've never let any "goofs" in through the process! But it might actually make us a little too selective. That's a real risk. For me a lot of the best hiring value comes from talking with people who don't fit the profile of a perfect employee. Some of the best people I've worked with are terrible interviewers, for example.
    - slap_shot 5y ago
      > Those are two separate things. I think once can do the first without doing the second. I'm just explaining how we do it at our company? > I used to work for financial traders. Some people tend to treat everything as a commodity. That's not the kind of culture I want to work in. This has become nonsensical.
      - wpietri 5y ago
        > I'm just explaining how we do it at our company? Sure. I'm just explaining my reaction. > This has become nonsensical. You not understanding something is different than it being nonsensical. If you want to understand it, feel free to ask. If you don't, that's also fine. You don't have to understand and address every person's reaction to a comment you make on the internet.
    - VelkaMorava 5y ago
      > Those are two separate things. I think once can do the first without doing the second. How? Because I for sure don't want to spend my time in a room with people I have never seen. The more you pay me, the higher my tolerance for bulls..., I don't care about anything else.
      - wpietri 5y ago
        Consider going to doctor's offices. At one, you are usually seen right on time, and when you aren't, the receptionist lets you know how long the delay will be and sincerely apologizes. At the other doctor's office, they usually run late, never apologize, and when you ask how long it will be they give you an answer that is dismissive and uninformative. The former respects your time. The second doesn't. Neither one pays you.
dudul 5y ago
Do you pay for their time during an onsite interview or for a "take home"? How do you pay them? Do you make sure that this doesn't go against the rules of their current employment agreement? Is there any unpaid step before?

wpietri 5y ago

I think it's great that people are trying this. But when I'm looking for jobs, this wouldn't influence me much. It might be a useful signal that they respect my time, but also could indicate a relatively mercenary culture. From the hiring side, I'd also have concerns. At a previous company we paid for a lot of user testing subjects and there were some people who were trying to make a living out of it. They'd say absolutely anything up front to try to get in and get the money. And that was just for $30-$50. If we're talking $200-800, that's a lot of incentive for goofs to lie their way into an interview.

slap_shot 5y ago
> this wouldn't influence me much It's not about influencing anybody. It's about valuing people's time and paying them for their time. (this isn't corporate bullshit - I made the policy and that's why I made the policy). > could indicate a relatively mercenary culture. no idea what that even means > that's a lot of incentive for goofs to lie their way into an interview. I'm happy to report we've never let any "goofs" in through the process! But it might actually make us a little too selective.
- wpietri 5y ago
  > It's about valuing people's time and paying them for their time. Those are two separate things. I think once can do the first without doing the second. > no idea what that even means I used to work for financial traders. Some people tend to treat everything as a commodity. That's not the kind of culture I want to work in. > I'm happy to report we've never let any "goofs" in through the process! But it might actually make us a little too selective. That's a real risk. For me a lot of the best hiring value comes from talking with people who don't fit the profile of a perfect employee. Some of the best people I've worked with are terrible interviewers, for example.
  - slap_shot 5y ago
    > Those are two separate things. I think once can do the first without doing the second. I'm just explaining how we do it at our company? > I used to work for financial traders. Some people tend to treat everything as a commodity. That's not the kind of culture I want to work in. This has become nonsensical.
    - wpietri 5y ago
      > I'm just explaining how we do it at our company? Sure. I'm just explaining my reaction. > This has become nonsensical. You not understanding something is different than it being nonsensical. If you want to understand it, feel free to ask. If you don't, that's also fine. You don't have to understand and address every person's reaction to a comment you make on the internet.
  - VelkaMorava 5y ago
    > Those are two separate things. I think once can do the first without doing the second. How? Because I for sure don't want to spend my time in a room with people I have never seen. The more you pay me, the higher my tolerance for bulls..., I don't care about anything else.
    - wpietri 5y ago
      Consider going to doctor's offices. At one, you are usually seen right on time, and when you aren't, the receptionist lets you know how long the delay will be and sincerely apologizes. At the other doctor's office, they usually run late, never apologize, and when you ask how long it will be they give you an answer that is dismissive and uninformative. The former respects your time. The second doesn't. Neither one pays you.

dudul 5y ago

Do you pay for their time during an onsite interview or for a "take home"? How do you pay them? Do you make sure that this doesn't go against the rules of their current employment agreement? Is there any unpaid step before?