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Why do people simply assume big tech companies are dumb and they haven't thought their hiring process through? Amazon literally has a research team focused in

Why do people simply assume big tech companies are dumb and they haven't thought their hiring process through? Amazon literally has a research team focused in hiring, and they run A/B experiments to continually improve the process. The current interview format is not a cargo cult, is a high refine process through the years. Is it perfect? hell no, but it isn't the mindless copycat people make it to be. They have actual data to back up what works and what doesn't, although it might take several years to happen (like when Google finally dropped brain teasers).

8ytecoder 5y ago
How many formats have they tested? For AB testing to work, A and B should be at least distinguishable. Every single tech company has the exact same process. Sometimes even the same questions. And that applies even to any point in the ladder. And to every single role as well. (Only PM interviews are slightly different but in tech companies even they have to go through the same process until that differentiating round)
- passivate 5y ago
  When people complain about hiring practices, often, but not always, the concern is a false negative - missing out on hiring a talented and qualified candidate. Ultimately, if the point is "you guys are doing it wrong", they're going to look back at their financial success, shrug and say "seem to work for us". They have had problems with treatment of employees and other issues, but I'm assuming we're talking about hiring in the context of people being hired to do a job that financially benefits the company. Just my $.02
Redoubts 5y ago
> Why do people simply assume big tech companies are dumb and they haven't thought their hiring process through? Amazon literally has a research team focused in hiring ... Well it's been a while for me, but "we just do what the other guys do" was the impression I got when I interviewed there. Except they added a lot more "here's a terrible workplace situation, how would you handle it". I'd love to know what their research is revealing, beyond questions like the latter case being emphasized.
BeetleB 5y ago
> Amazon literally has a research team focused in hiring, and they run A/B experiments to continually improve the process. The current interview format is not a cargo cult, is a high refine process through the years. The median time an employee stays there is now under 2 years. Clearly Amazon isn't hiring the calibre of people they need.
- auntienomen 5y ago
  Maybe they are?
- Dudeman112 5y ago
  Alternative hypothesis: they did hire the correct people, but working there is so unpleasant that very few people decide to stick around.
  - trashtalking99 5y ago
    Which means their hiring practices are flawed.
    - NaturalPhallacy 5y ago
      I agree, but not in the way which I think you mean. They burn up engineers. What good to them is a burnt out engineer? Who cares, hire another one? It's eerily like the military using up soldiers, and I doubt it's an accident. They're maximizing output for their money and they don't care if it makes the engineers suicidal or quit. They can always get more.
  - BeetleB 5y ago
    > they did hire the correct people, but working there is so unpleasant that very few people decide to stick around. There are plenty of Amazonians who can handle the culture and stay much longer. It's clear they are not hiring those who can do. It's not an "alternative" hypothesis, but the same one. They haven't figured out how to identify those who can handle it. And this, given how heavily behavioral their interview is.
csomar 5y ago
> Amazon literally has a research team focused in hiring, and they run A/B experiments to continually improve the process. The current interview format is not a cargo cult, is a high refine process through the years. Yeah, sure. We got all these smart people in a room. They can't be wrong. /s I'd actually say the opposite. These researches are probably making hiring worse.

8ytecoder 5y ago

How many formats have they tested? For AB testing to work, A and B should be at least distinguishable. Every single tech company has the exact same process. Sometimes even the same questions. And that applies even to any point in the ladder. And to every single role as well. (Only PM interviews are slightly different but in tech companies even they have to go through the same process until that differentiating round)

passivate 5y ago
When people complain about hiring practices, often, but not always, the concern is a false negative - missing out on hiring a talented and qualified candidate. Ultimately, if the point is "you guys are doing it wrong", they're going to look back at their financial success, shrug and say "seem to work for us". They have had problems with treatment of employees and other issues, but I'm assuming we're talking about hiring in the context of people being hired to do a job that financially benefits the company. Just my $.02

Redoubts 5y ago

> Why do people simply assume big tech companies are dumb and they haven't thought their hiring process through? Amazon literally has a research team focused in hiring ... Well it's been a while for me, but "we just do what the other guys do" was the impression I got when I interviewed there. Except they added a lot more "here's a terrible workplace situation, how would you handle it". I'd love to know what their research is revealing, beyond questions like the latter case being emphasized.

BeetleB 5y ago

> Amazon literally has a research team focused in hiring, and they run A/B experiments to continually improve the process. The current interview format is not a cargo cult, is a high refine process through the years. The median time an employee stays there is now under 2 years. Clearly Amazon isn't hiring the calibre of people they need.

auntienomen 5y ago
Maybe they are?
Dudeman112 5y ago
Alternative hypothesis: they did hire the correct people, but working there is so unpleasant that very few people decide to stick around.
- trashtalking99 5y ago
  Which means their hiring practices are flawed.
  - NaturalPhallacy 5y ago
    I agree, but not in the way which I think you mean. They burn up engineers. What good to them is a burnt out engineer? Who cares, hire another one? It's eerily like the military using up soldiers, and I doubt it's an accident. They're maximizing output for their money and they don't care if it makes the engineers suicidal or quit. They can always get more.
- BeetleB 5y ago
  > they did hire the correct people, but working there is so unpleasant that very few people decide to stick around. There are plenty of Amazonians who can handle the culture and stay much longer. It's clear they are not hiring those who can do. It's not an "alternative" hypothesis, but the same one. They haven't figured out how to identify those who can handle it. And this, given how heavily behavioral their interview is.

csomar 5y ago

> Amazon literally has a research team focused in hiring, and they run A/B experiments to continually improve the process. The current interview format is not a cargo cult, is a high refine process through the years. Yeah, sure. We got all these smart people in a room. They can't be wrong. /s I'd actually say the opposite. These researches are probably making hiring worse.