4 ms·

It's time recruiters start paying engineers directly to take their phone calls

All engineers know what it's like to be bombarded by recruiters wanting some of their time. So pay us for our time to do your interviews.

leed25d 5y ago
I think that if companies expect a day of your time to do some kind of coding challenge and another day for an in-person interview then they should pay the going consulting rate with a 2.5 multiplier.
- throwaway158497 5y ago
  Well, company want you to hear your sales pitch so they can buy your product (software development) for an yearly rate of $200k. How many sales professionals can close recurring $200K/yr contract with just 8-9 hours of work?
  - leed25d 5y ago
    I don't see it that way at all.
    - careerengineer 5y ago
      Leed is getting an invite!
bruce511 5y ago
Eh? I don't get it? They offer you an interview, however long it is, for no money. If you are interested in changing jobs, think the new company is a fit, and you're prepared to invest some time for a shot at the job then go for it. If the opportunity is not worth your time, then don't. It's not like you have to go... This acts as a good filter for employers. If you as a candidate don't think it's worth the time invested then that's time I'm not wasting, and it's a win for both of us. If I switch to paying people I remove the filter, hence get to do more interviews, and a bunch of those will just be there for the cash. The employer is out time and money, and the honest applicant is hard to spot. Lose lose. It sounds to me like you are looking for a job, have been on a number of interviews (ie invested in much time) with no return so far. The solution to this is figuring out why you were unsuccessful, and working on that, not becoming a professional interviewee. Incidentally some companies will give feedback after a rejection so it's worth following up, but for legal reasons some won't.
careerengineer 5y ago
It's supply and demand at it's most basic. Engineers, are heavily solicited. Not just by company recruiters but also by independent recruiters everyday, it's not a gripe it's a real problem and an opportunity. If I gave attention to all the people hitting my inbox with the fourth and fifth email, I would never get anything done. However if I had a place that I could put my approach rate. Like if you want to engage me it's $200. Then that makes it a more serious proposition for me to pay attention to a recruiter's email. It allows me to focus on that opportunity and invest a bit of time to look into the person and company I'm talking to. Win for me, win for them, because we're both taking the interaction more seriously. Like an ante in a round of poker, you're either playing or not. (who plays poker with no antes?) Of course whoever builds this website and let's all the hottest engineers list their engagement rate gets to take a cut of each transaction. Think of it like the Raya of recruiting. Bruce you're not getting an invite...
- bruce511 5y ago
  I hear what you are saying, but it sounds to me like you are the one seeking a position. I mean, I get recruiting emails as well, but I'm not seeking so I just press delete. There's no time or attention. It sounds like you are actively looking, but you also need a filter to decide where to interview so that you can cut down the list a bit. And them paying you would act as that filter for you, so fair enough. I'm not sure it's a good filter (they need interviewees so badly they pay for them? Does this suggest no one would interview there on other merits?)
  - careerengineer 5y ago
    Thank you Bruce for being a solid antagonist. Some recruiters are incredibly persistent. They may send 5-6 emails trying to get my attention. I'm a passive candidate like most highly sought after engineers and normally I would delete the emails but persistence stands out. So here's the light bulb.. if they're going to be that way why not make it serious. Instead of sending the 6th email asking for me to jump on a phone call. I as a highly sought after engineer say, this is what I'll accept to let your efforts cut through the noise and get to me.
trinovantes 5y ago
Would be interesting feature on Linkedin. Pay $x to get a forwarding number to my personal phone
ThePhysicist 5y ago
Not sure if this is intentional trolling, that attitude appears quite arrogant to me in any case.
- careerengineer 5y ago
  In unbalanced markets supply and demand, create behavior. Try to buy a house in a hot market lately? It's pretty rough. Try and sell a house lately? You tell all your bidders, "Highest and best" and you only pay attention to the ones that are serious, waive contingency, allow you to stay in the house for free for 6 months while you look for another place and on and on. Yes you can call those sellers arrogant but what's really going on is that there are fewer homes for sale than what's demanded.
  - ThePhysicist 5y ago
    What I find arrogant is that you assume "all engineers" are constantly getting bombarded by recruiters.

All engineers know what it's like to be bombarded by recruiters wanting some of their time. So pay us for our time to do your interviews.

leed25d 5y ago

I think that if companies expect a day of your time to do some kind of coding challenge and another day for an in-person interview then they should pay the going consulting rate with a 2.5 multiplier.

throwaway158497 5y ago
Well, company want you to hear your sales pitch so they can buy your product (software development) for an yearly rate of $200k. How many sales professionals can close recurring $200K/yr contract with just 8-9 hours of work?
- leed25d 5y ago
  I don't see it that way at all.
  - careerengineer 5y ago
    Leed is getting an invite!

bruce511 5y ago

Eh? I don't get it? They offer you an interview, however long it is, for no money. If you are interested in changing jobs, think the new company is a fit, and you're prepared to invest some time for a shot at the job then go for it. If the opportunity is not worth your time, then don't. It's not like you have to go... This acts as a good filter for employers. If you as a candidate don't think it's worth the time invested then that's time I'm not wasting, and it's a win for both of us. If I switch to paying people I remove the filter, hence get to do more interviews, and a bunch of those will just be there for the cash. The employer is out time and money, and the honest applicant is hard to spot. Lose lose. It sounds to me like you are looking for a job, have been on a number of interviews (ie invested in much time) with no return so far. The solution to this is figuring out why you were unsuccessful, and working on that, not becoming a professional interviewee. Incidentally some companies will give feedback after a rejection so it's worth following up, but for legal reasons some won't.

careerengineer 5y ago

It's supply and demand at it's most basic. Engineers, are heavily solicited. Not just by company recruiters but also by independent recruiters everyday, it's not a gripe it's a real problem and an opportunity. If I gave attention to all the people hitting my inbox with the fourth and fifth email, I would never get anything done. However if I had a place that I could put my approach rate. Like if you want to engage me it's $200. Then that makes it a more serious proposition for me to pay attention to a recruiter's email. It allows me to focus on that opportunity and invest a bit of time to look into the person and company I'm talking to. Win for me, win for them, because we're both taking the interaction more seriously. Like an ante in a round of poker, you're either playing or not. (who plays poker with no antes?) Of course whoever builds this website and let's all the hottest engineers list their engagement rate gets to take a cut of each transaction. Think of it like the Raya of recruiting. Bruce you're not getting an invite...

bruce511 5y ago
I hear what you are saying, but it sounds to me like you are the one seeking a position. I mean, I get recruiting emails as well, but I'm not seeking so I just press delete. There's no time or attention. It sounds like you are actively looking, but you also need a filter to decide where to interview so that you can cut down the list a bit. And them paying you would act as that filter for you, so fair enough. I'm not sure it's a good filter (they need interviewees so badly they pay for them? Does this suggest no one would interview there on other merits?)
- careerengineer 5y ago
  Thank you Bruce for being a solid antagonist. Some recruiters are incredibly persistent. They may send 5-6 emails trying to get my attention. I'm a passive candidate like most highly sought after engineers and normally I would delete the emails but persistence stands out. So here's the light bulb.. if they're going to be that way why not make it serious. Instead of sending the 6th email asking for me to jump on a phone call. I as a highly sought after engineer say, this is what I'll accept to let your efforts cut through the noise and get to me.

trinovantes 5y ago

Would be interesting feature on Linkedin. Pay $x to get a forwarding number to my personal phone

ThePhysicist 5y ago

Not sure if this is intentional trolling, that attitude appears quite arrogant to me in any case.

careerengineer 5y ago
In unbalanced markets supply and demand, create behavior. Try to buy a house in a hot market lately? It's pretty rough. Try and sell a house lately? You tell all your bidders, "Highest and best" and you only pay attention to the ones that are serious, waive contingency, allow you to stay in the house for free for 6 months while you look for another place and on and on. Yes you can call those sellers arrogant but what's really going on is that there are fewer homes for sale than what's demanded.
- ThePhysicist 5y ago
  What I find arrogant is that you assume "all engineers" are constantly getting bombarded by recruiters.