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As mathattack has correctly pointed out in a comment an hour ago, this is a parable (a made-up story). The huge salary by that day's standards should make that
by tokenadult 13y ago
As mathattack has correctly pointed out in a comment an hour ago, this is a parable (a made-up story). The huge salary by that day's standards should make that clear. But the unnamed author makes his hiring methods look stupid, because he should be doing a work-sample test[1] before hiring for such an expensive contract. If he doesn't know what the worker will actually do, he shouldn't put so much money on the line.
[1] My FAQ on company hiring procedures as posted earlier on HN:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5227923 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5227923
I'm now doing research to update that FAQ for posting on my personal website, a suggestion other HN readers kindly gave me.
- 001sky 13y agoWhen was the last time a CEO was (ever) given a work sample test? Serious Question.
- greesil 13y agoDoes his or her previous company count as a work sample test?
- pekk 13y agoDoes previous work experience count as a work sample test for a programmer? That's not what work sample test means.
- discodave 13y agoAll the CEOs who worked their way up through the company they are CEO of. Eg. Tim Cook.
- sillysaurus3 13y agoThis story is fiction? It's come up so many times as if it was fact. It'd be pretty interesting to compile a list of stories which people generally believe are true, but are actually fiction.
- vacri 13y agoThere's a lot of things people should have been doing in 1924, but weren't. I mean, if we're judging by modern standards, allowing women and minorities into senior roles would be one of them. How, exactly, do you do a work-sample test for a chief sales executive anyway? "Hey, can you run our global sales division for a couple of hours, then we can evaluate if your methods really bring in the sales"? Edit: to clarify on the work-sample question, in the story, the employee has been expressly hired to teach the existing staff new methods, which they actively recognise that they don't understand. How do you make a meaningful work-sample test for a sales chief that can be interpreted by a naif?
- bobbles 13y agoHell for a sales position merely the relationships they have from their old jobs would be more valuable than any work-test they could ever complete.
- cf 13y agoSell me this pen.
- vacri 13y agoThat doesn't tell me how the applicant will manage a department or implement new techniques. It's a test for line sales staff, not departmental managers.
- ChuckMcM 13y agoI'm sorry, you thought that parable was about hiring? :-) I read it as a parable about the eternal question value, that is to always ask "Is this valuable or is it expensive?"
- anjc 13y agoThe effectiveness of various hiring methods has been demonstrated pretty rigorously now. But how many companies now take them into account, neverminding 1924? I'd probably be more expecting a Belbin or Myers-Briggs questionnaire to be required, than a work-sample test, to have my suitability tested for certain roles, despite the established effectiveness of various methods. Great post btw, in the link.