I interviewed with both Canonical and Meta 6 months ago. The Canonical process is far more intense, and yes, it's a big time investment "on spec" for a candidat

I interviewed with both Canonical and Meta 6 months ago. The Canonical process is far more intense, and yes, it's a big time investment "on spec" for a candidate (I'd estimate it at 7 man-days, 4 for the written essay alone), along with 10 interviews. They do read the essay carefully, which is what the OP's article is all about. I'd rather a company take time to do a thorough assessment of a candidate rather than cavalierly hire one with a high likelihood of dismissal during the trial period, as they may have left an existing job to join.