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Ask HN: Tools or sites you use to scope out a workplace before taking a job?

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Re: Ask HN: Tools or sites you use to scope out a workplace before taking a job?

#151

Post by tasubotadas »

lynnetye wrote: post #14

If you're a software engineer (or will work closely w/ engineers), I built Key Values ( https://www.keyvalues.com ) to help w/ this. Before building KV though, my research process included looking for and reading: - the company's career and about us pages - an active blog w/ recent posts (w/in the last 2 months) - LinkedIn / Twitter / GitHub of founders and existing team members (I'd also look for any old blogs writt…

I found it a bit strange that adding more criteria, it matches more companies. What kind of method do you use for filtering?

Re: Ask HN: Tools or sites you use to scope out a workplace before taking a job?

#153

Post by diN0bot »

titanomachy wrote: post #82
whalesalad wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is absolutely fascinating. I don't know how folks are earing this kind of cash when you can go to a recruiter, with more than decade of hands-on startup experience, and when you want more than 200k a year they look at you like you just kicked their cat. Then you see someone at a place like Lyft with four years of real world experience and one year with the company pulling 300-400k a year without breaking a sweat…

If you're serious: get a job at a well-known tech company. You might have to move for this unless you're already in a top-tier tech city (NYC, SF, and Seattle, definitely qualify; maybe Zurich, London, Toronto, and Sydney). Work there for two years. Move to a better tech company. You are now worth $300-400k per year. If you're not already considered top-tier talent, I think Amazon is the easiest way into this right n…

Yes, this! I can second this as an engineer who is now a professional consultant, working directly with engineers on both interview and negotiation prep, as well as technical and people leadership coaching.

You want to make the most of not only the various kinds technical interviews you might encounter, but also the behavioral conversations, founder/exec chats, even cover letters are a chance to set an intentional narrative. When you're in the loop with specific companies you can even prepare for specific interview loops and negotiation expectations, and thus have particularly targeted results.

Re: Ask HN: Tools or sites you use to scope out a workplace before taking a job?

#154

Post by cimmanom »

mpeg wrote: post #143
cimmanom wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like there must be some opening there for companies willing to pay 25% more to poach great talent.

It just doesn't work like that in the UK, even FAANG pay peanuts because they can get away with it.

But why can they get away with it? Is there a glut of talent? Or a market full of developers who have zero interest in making more than $100k?

Re: Ask HN: Tools or sites you use to scope out a workplace before taking a job?

#155

Post by mpeg »

cimmanom wrote: post #154
mpeg wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It just doesn't work like that in the UK, even FAANG pay peanuts because they can get away with it.

But why can they get away with it? Is there a glut of talent? Or a market full of developers who have zero interest in making more than $100k?

There's just no other options; it's still one of the best markets in the EU and going to the US is impossible for most developers so they have to accept the lower salaries.

Re: Ask HN: Tools or sites you use to scope out a workplace before taking a job?

#156

Post by cimmanom »

mpeg wrote: post #155
cimmanom wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But why can they get away with it? Is there a glut of talent? Or a market full of developers who have zero interest in making more than $100k?

There's just no other options; it's still one of the best markets in the EU and going to the US is impossible for most developers so they have to accept the lower salaries.

You would think that some startup in NYC would decide to start hiring in London, then. Instead of struggling to recruit senior developers with a middle of the pack NYC salary at $125–150k, they could offer the same salary in the UK and be standouts in the market.

Re: Ask HN: Tools or sites you use to scope out a workplace before taking a job?

#157

Post by troydavis »

Here's a few ways to get a peek at a company's culture, particularly how they interact with customers and how customers perceive them:

1. The company's responses to public issues/tickets/discussions (on GitHub issues/pull requests, a support forum, whatever). Do employees provide thoughtful replies or frustrating form letters ("Great idea! Please vote for your feature request here:")? Is the person responding actually qualified to answer? Where appropriate, does the individual's personality come through or does the reply feel perfunctory or rushed? Do issues ever get closed, and when they do, is a useful explanation provided?

2. Twitter interactions between the company and users. Search Twitter for "to:companyname" for replies and "@companyname" for all mentions. Depending on the company, searching Reddit for the company or product name(s) may also turn up interactions.

3. Search engine keyword research/planner tools. What other words/phrases are used alongside the company or product name? Google and Bing both now restrict their tools, but many third-party planners are public and some include things like inbound link pages. (For a less-complete view, check which phrases are autocompleted in Google and Bing's search form input fields.)

Re: Ask HN: Tools or sites you use to scope out a workplace before taking a job?

#158

Post by jacques_chester »

thundergolfer wrote: post #121
balfirevic wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You are now worth $300-400k per year. Are you sure this number still applies if you're outside of US (London, Toronto, Sydney)? My understanding is that numbers in Europe are nothing like those in the US.

It doesn't apply to Sydney for sure. I make $50k-100k AUD less in Sydney compared to Bay Area, with all the same HCOL problems. A very, very good new grad total comp figure in Sydney is say, $150k AUD. That's $106K in USD, which is less than the salary for a new grad at Google or Facebook in the Bay Area. Throw in RSUs, signing bonus, and performance bonuses, and a new grad is making $50-100k AUD more.

The quirk here is that due to the E3 visa, it's about as easy to hire Australians to work in the US as it is to hire them to work in Australia. So why pay more for folks who stay at home?

Re: Ask HN: Tools or sites you use to scope out a workplace before taking a job?

#159

Post by mattrp »

lynnetye wrote: post #14

If you're a software engineer (or will work closely w/ engineers), I built Key Values ( https://www.keyvalues.com ) to help w/ this. Before building KV though, my research process included looking for and reading: - the company's career and about us pages - an active blog w/ recent posts (w/in the last 2 months) - LinkedIn / Twitter / GitHub of founders and existing team members (I'd also look for any old blogs writt…

Really cool website - thank you!
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