Corp: "We only hire the very best"
Programmer: "What's the salary?"
Corp: "Market average. Also, we're looking for people who aren't just motivated by money"
We Only Hire the Best
11–20 of 209 posts
Re: We Only Hire the Best
#12One other aspect of "we only hire the best" that wasn't explored by this article is the practice -- especially common among unicorn companies -- of purposely casting a far wider net than needed, so that their hiring yield on applicants is dauntingly low.
The recruiting process is deliberately set up to yield a lot of false negatives -- i.e., applicants who are qualified on both skill and fit who are rejected for some arbitrary bullshit reason.
I suspect it's largely an effort to mindfuck the employees who do make it through the process. I'm so lucky to be here! Only 3% of applicants even make it to a five-minute founder interview, and only half of them get hired!
Re: We Only Hire the Best
#13Corp: "We only hire the very best" Programmer: "What's the salary?" Corp: "Market average. Also, we're looking for people who aren't just motivated by money"
We want people who are motivated by the mission.
Re: We Only Hire the Best
#14It's signaling 101. What are you supposed to say; we hire mediocre developers? Give me a break. "Best" is such a loaded, nothing term that it doesn't really mean anything without a ton of context. This is a waste of outrage.
It's also a signal to potential hires that "we only use the same hiring phrases and buzz words everyone else uses"
At best that can indicate "we copied and pasted the top part of this job description from every other job we've posted", at worst it can mean "we have a very corporate culture, so I hope you're going to bring your 'team player' rock star ninja game"
It's not good or bad, but it can tell you something about the company - just like the company will scrutinize resumes and job histories to find clues for what potential hires are like. Signals all around.
Re: We Only Hire the Best
#15It's signaling 101. What are you supposed to say; we hire mediocre developers? Give me a break. "Best" is such a loaded, nothing term that it doesn't really mean anything without a ton of context. This is a waste of outrage.
He's just poking fun at some HR jargon. A few years ago, a common thing to say was: "We work hard, and we play hard." I guess some hiring managers still say that, and maybe they even mean it, but to me it's a sign not of innovation but of an overly controlling, paternalistic management style: "Playtime's over, kiddies!"
Re: We Only Hire the Best
#16It's signaling 101. What are you supposed to say; we hire mediocre developers? Give me a break. "Best" is such a loaded, nothing term that it doesn't really mean anything without a ton of context. This is a waste of outrage.
That wasn't outrage... more disdainful mockery.
Re: We Only Hire the Best
#17Re: We Only Hire the Best
#18> but recognizing the difference between what you’d like to be true and what actually is serves as a prerequisite for closing that gap
...and not recognizing it is a prerequisite for running a company.
Re: We Only Hire the Best
#19The best line I heard "we don't hire a$$$holes". That's a check-mate statement. I think to myself what if I don't get selected :-( . I did get selected only to realise they hired people down the line whom I'd consider rectal orifices. Can't catch a break really...
Re: We Only Hire the Best
#20It's signaling 101. What are you supposed to say; we hire mediocre developers? Give me a break. "Best" is such a loaded, nothing term that it doesn't really mean anything without a ton of context. This is a waste of outrage.
> What are you supposed to say; we hire mediocre developers?
They’re not that great, and they know it, and you like it like that.