You might be right on point 1, but it doesn't offer an alternative. If you state that you take mediocre developers, better developers won't want to work there e

You might be right on point 1, but it doesn't offer an alternative. If you state that you take mediocre developers, better developers won't want to work there either. Point 2 is also sort of moot; if people can make it on their own in the contract world, then it doesn't really matter what hyperbolized interview process (5-days? What?) stands between them and employment. I'm in the same boat, I work contract now and don't want to go back. The interview process has nothing to do with it. I think you're far from concluding that the process is broken, though. Some companies may want to hire top CS grads straight out of college. In fact, a small company could probably fill their ranks through that alone.