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That's not true at all where I am. Yes, I can post on twitter and get tons of CVs, but most applicants aren't that good. I may only want to interview 40% of the

That's not true at all where I am. Yes, I can post on twitter and get tons of CVs, but most applicants aren't that good. I may only want to interview 40% of the candidates I get, and I would really only want to hire about 1 in 5 people I interview. Interviewing takes time. Then after that, onboarding people on the job takes time too, it can take people several months to become effective on the job. Skilled, effective employees that you get along with are not easy to replace.

deadmutex 5y ago
Everything you said about most applicants not being hireable, and the amount of time needed for onboarding, etc. is true. And yet, from where I sit, it's not obvious that managers (at multiple companies) show that they care that much. I think the exception was when I was at a startup, but I think that was due to combination of two reasons: The amazing manager, and the fact replacing a specialist on our team was even harder. Disclaimer: My views are my own.
onion2k 5y ago
If you're hiring in tech and 40% of applicants are worthy of an interview then that's amazing. It's closer to 10% in my experience.
scaramanga 5y ago
Never underestimate the effectiveness of total denial. You can hire in people who are barely competent to hold a pair of scissors. Sure they'll erode and ultimately destroy whatever technical edifice you've built this far. But by the time your ability, as a manager, to put a positive spin on the most abject of failure comes to an end, you'll have moved on to an even higher paying job at another FAANG, or retired. Look at any failed multi-decade war waged by any unbeatable superpower past or present to see the highest levels of military and civilian command employ these exact same methods to build careers so successful that they'll be immortalized in statues for centuries after their deaths :)
- sundvor 5y ago
  That might just help explain certain recent events...

deadmutex 5y ago

Everything you said about most applicants not being hireable, and the amount of time needed for onboarding, etc. is true. And yet, from where I sit, it's not obvious that managers (at multiple companies) show that they care that much. I think the exception was when I was at a startup, but I think that was due to combination of two reasons: The amazing manager, and the fact replacing a specialist on our team was even harder. Disclaimer: My views are my own.

onion2k 5y ago

If you're hiring in tech and 40% of applicants are worthy of an interview then that's amazing. It's closer to 10% in my experience.

scaramanga 5y ago

Never underestimate the effectiveness of total denial. You can hire in people who are barely competent to hold a pair of scissors. Sure they'll erode and ultimately destroy whatever technical edifice you've built this far. But by the time your ability, as a manager, to put a positive spin on the most abject of failure comes to an end, you'll have moved on to an even higher paying job at another FAANG, or retired. Look at any failed multi-decade war waged by any unbeatable superpower past or present to see the highest levels of military and civilian command employ these exact same methods to build careers so successful that they'll be immortalized in statues for centuries after their deaths :)

sundvor 5y ago
That might just help explain certain recent events...