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Comment by lbriner | Hacker News Reader

What's the alternative? As a Hiring Manager, do I need to spend multiple hours with 20 candidates to get a really valuable insight into who they are really like or should I just screen them with a basic exam so I only need to interview the 4 who can do it?

What insults me is when someone wants to be paid more than a doctor based on no qualifications and the fact that they tell me they are worth it. If you cannot do the exam but can discuss it with the company who accept your argument then great, if you can't then you probably don't want to work for them anyway so just chalk it up to experience and move on.

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> What insults me is when someone wants to be paid more than a doctor based on no qualifications

What's stopping you from selectively removing exams from people who actually do have the qualifications?

> If you cannot do the exam but can discuss it with the company who accept your argument then great

I could flip it around and say, if you cannot hire strong engineers without exams, discuss with your company to make someone else the hiring manager.

If I was your employee and I saw positions remain open for years (burdening existing employees), I would question your ability to set good processes.

> As a Hiring Manager, do I need to spend multiple hours with 20 candidates to get a really valuable insight into who they are really like or should I just screen them with a basic exam so I only need to interview the 4 who can do it?

Why is your time more valuable than mine? Why should I invest my personal time in to your hiring process when you can't bother to spend the same amount of your on the job time, to hire someone whos going to add far more value to your company than your company is going to add to their profile?

What’s your hiring process?

> Why is your time more valuable than mine?

No one is forcing anyone to apply for a job at any company. As the seller of labor, you get to choose how much to invest in any one opportunity. Just like someone selling apples can choose to open a roadside stand, try to get into a grocery store, or sell direct to consumer.

The buyer, of course, gets to choose the process by which they evaluate the labor (or the apples). If you don't like how the buyer evaluates what you are selling, find another buyer.

How often does a candidate interview, maybe 1–3 companies every 2–5 years? My manager probably has a hundred candidates every year because someone in the org is always hiring.

Contact some references? Surely a good candidate would have some previous managers that could speak to their job performance.

I would never give out references without a contingent offer that I intend to accept. I don't want 10 different hiring managers harassing my former co-workers.

I would much rather take a short coding exam.

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