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U.S. Employers Struggle to Match Workers with Open Jobs

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Re: U.S. Employers Struggle to Match Workers with Open Jobs

#181

Post by watwut »

expertentipp wrote: post #16
watwut wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have source about post communist programmers being exploited by American companies and presumably unable to change job?

The other opportunities are not any better. Better opportunities are in more developed EU countries. It's a perfect environment for corporate America to thrive in. You will not find any exploited programmers there because the signs of underperformance are picked up early (mid level management is so efficient!), the employee labeled as "unhappy", and let go. There are only fulfilled and happy people working there.

The super efficient middle management in EU companies is even more extraordinary claim then the exploited poor eastern European programmer.

Re: U.S. Employers Struggle to Match Workers with Open Jobs

#182

Post by dabockster »

expertentipp wrote: post #124
molestrangler wrote: post #2

Go and read "Weapons of Math Destruction" by Cathy O’Neil. This has an excellent chapter of the use of ATS software the majority of recruiters use these days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applicant_tracking_system

Resume optimization to get the foot in the door, take home assignments, automatic platforms verifying programming skills, algorithm and data structure teasing. This is getting inpenetrable. I wonder how many of those smartasses inventing another question or an assignment would be able to get a job again.

> automatic platforms verifying programming skills

Somewhat related, I withdrew from an entry level physics course in college after only two weeks since the professor insisted on using an automated homework platform that cut your grade in half if you couldn't figure out the problem on the first try.

This problem isn't exclusive to tech.

Re: U.S. Employers Struggle to Match Workers with Open Jobs

#183

Post by tunetine »

stale2002 wrote: post #161
TuringNYC wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a shortage of workers in as much as there is a shortage of BMW 7-series sedans for under $30k. I looked everywhere at that price. Massive shortage.

If going to the doctor for a checkup costed you 20K out of pocket, would you consider there to be a "shortage" of doctors? How about if it costs a 100$ per loaf of bread? I'd considered that to be a shortage. Even if supply is technically meeting demand.

No, and I'm not sure why. Maybe because doctors have unlimited demand and are considered more highly skilled?

Re: U.S. Employers Struggle to Match Workers with Open Jobs

#184

Post by Mediterraneo10 »

expertentipp wrote: post #168
Mediterraneo10 wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Mind you - cars, clothes, petrol, electronics there are more expensive But housing is much cheaper, and that leaves a lot of money left over to buy all those other stuff. In my Eastern European city, I can rent a three-bedroom house with garden for 300€/month. I probably would struggle to do the same with an IT job in Western Europe. Furthermore, it’s strange that you talk about cost of petrol, because IT firms her…

> three-bedroom house with garden for 300€/month This is not a major eastern European city, certainly not one where IT jobs are available. > here attract employees with nice private healthcare. These private health insurances are hoax. The only thing they cover is a consultation and high five with the doctor, for anything serious involving a stay in the hospital one fallbacks into public health insurance.

> This is not a major eastern European city, certainly not one where IT jobs are available.

Cluj is Romania’s second city and home to buzzing IT sector. Granted, my house is a little farther away than the most popular suburbs for those wanting a whole house, but it is still possible to easily and fairly quickly commute into the city centre each day. Rents will rise even here at some point, but they haven’t yet, and for the IT sector (though unfortunately not for most local people) rises in rents tend to keep pace with rises in salaries.

> These private health insurances are hoax. The only thing they cover is a consultation and high five with the doctor

Getting even a consultation here from the public sector is unpleasant enough that an opportunity to freely visit the much nicer private clinic is a wonderful thing.

Re: U.S. Employers Struggle to Match Workers with Open Jobs

#185

Post by alexanderstears »

WalterSear wrote: post #128
alexanderstears wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And workers seek higher salaries. Through both entities acting in their self-interest, the market discovers an equilibrium.

Until the entity with more power starts bending the rules of them game in their favour.

If the market clears that's the equilibrium.

Re: U.S. Employers Struggle to Match Workers with Open Jobs

#186

Post by UK-AL »

notyourday wrote: post #48
tim333 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Though with unemployment around 4.3% you may be paying up for mediocre employees you are then stuck with for a long time.

That's simply pay inflation.

Which over a long term can attract more people to the field.

Re: U.S. Employers Struggle to Match Workers with Open Jobs

#187

Post by WalterSear »

alexanderstears wrote: post #185
WalterSear wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Until the entity with more power starts bending the rules of them game in their favour.

If the market clears that's the equilibrium.

If the market is free, eventually it gets sold. In this case, that means legislating artificial surplus in the form of increased H1 visas.

Re: U.S. Employers Struggle to Match Workers with Open Jobs

#188

Post by dogruck »

This article has little relevance to the kinda professionals on HN. They're talking about relatively low paying labor.

I think the problem boils down to vanity. Companies want to post glamorous jobs, and figure they'll hire if the glass slipper fits. Conversely, job seekers aren't too hungry.

Re: U.S. Employers Struggle to Match Workers with Open Jobs

#189

Post by thrownblown »

TuringNYC wrote: post #97
jdavis703 wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is true in certain cases, but not all. I just offered an unemployed family member (and recent computer science grad) a freelance opportunity worth $100 an hour to build out a simple e-commerce site. They didn't want the work. I think part of the problem is that you can have a lot of "fun" these days for very cheap (video games, YouTube, etc). Maybe it's time for us to reexamine why people don't even want high-pa…

Its all fun and games until you have a family...then it is difficult to have 3 roommates to an apartment, you have massive healthcare premiums, deductibles and you find that 70% of the tech jobs are in a metro area where your salary doesn't pay for more than a 1br apt for your family. ...but yes, our entertainment costs are fairly inexpensive. Too bad there are so many other things to pay for.

This.

Now i'm divorced, but I got to keep the rent controlled apartment in Russian Hill, with the roommates. Ex and kid moved to Sacramento and commutes in to her grad school classes at SF State.

Re: U.S. Employers Struggle to Match Workers with Open Jobs

#190

Post by dhimes »

Frondo wrote: post #173
altotrees wrote: post #91

Recently had a recruiter call me, interview me over the phone once, in-person once, and via skype once. The job seemed to be a great fit, the pay was there, everything seemed to be lined up. The recruiter called me again to tell me that they were going to be taking the next steps with me very shortly. A week of silence goes by, then another. I email, inquiring about the position. "Oh, we gave that to someone we had b…

That's it in a nutshell. There are people here who'll do the work, do any work, for the right money. Employers don't want to pay, though. You've seen those charts about productivity graphed against worker pay, and how for the last 40 years, the productivity has gone up while the worker pay has stayed mostly flat? That's the problem. And why pay more, when you can sink a tiny fraction of what you would be spending on…

And the "everybody needs to learn how to code" meme taking hold in society will ensure that this doesn't change.
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