> What is it with incumbent old companies far past their prime paradoxically having much more stringent high standards for hiring? Is it a coping mechanism to b

> What is it with incumbent old companies far past their prime paradoxically having much more stringent high standards for hiring? Is it a coping mechanism to believe that they are still at the caliber they once were by treating getting a job at their company like some necessarily arduous odyssey? I don't think it's some grand mystery; they're past their prime, not in a phase of aggressive growth. Layoffs at these places are far more likely than new hires. If a new hire is made, it's exceptional, and naturally involves a lot of deliberation/friction.