This was frustrating to read, and I feel pretty bad for the candidates. The only mitigating thing I can think of here is that it does cost the company money to

This was frustrating to read, and I feel pretty bad for the candidates. The only mitigating thing I can think of here is that it does cost the company money to spend so much time on interviews as well (though the cost to the candidate is typically personal, whereas interviewers themselves usually don't foot the bill from their own paychecks). The thing that really rankles me (discussed in an earlier HN thread) is the "homework" assignment. It sounds like they asked this guy to produce a sample video. The reason I don't like this is that it places a large burden on the applicant with no corresponding investment of energy from the interviewer. I've been in a similar spot where I was asked to write a sample program (the "rule" was to spend no more than 7 hours on it - almost a full workday). I did this and sent it in, waited 2 months, and then finally got a call from a recruiter telling me that they had decided not to pursue me as a candidate anymore. I can only guess that they didn't like my code, and I can guess as to why, but I'll never really know. What I do know is that they found a way to place all the inefficiency of a long, drawn out interview process on me with no cost to themselves. If they'd given me a detailed analysis of the code, I'd feel less irritated, even if I'd done it all wrong. I understand why they might not want to do this, for legal and other reasons. But I really do hope employers see the problem with asking for a full workday from a candidate, followed by two months of crickets chirping and a one line brush off from a recruiter. I know, I know, if you really need a job, you'll put up with almost anything. That's why this kind of thing happens.