I'm not entirely disagreeing with your argument, but isn't it kind of like saying "if the industry demands that people write job applications to get a job, they

I'm not entirely disagreeing with your argument, but isn't it kind of like saying "if the industry demands that people write job applications to get a job, they will be flooded with bad applications"? While that's true, it doesn't change the fact that you need data to evaluate applicants on. I don't see how people will think that writing crap code will improve their chances. Besides, there is absolutely no difference between "counting something as a bonus" and "not holding it against someone". Hiring is a zero-sum game, your advantage is necessarily the others' disadvantage.