Dear Google Recruiting... • Hacker News Board

Re: Dear Google Recruiting...

#101

Post by jcdavis » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 3:42 AM UTC

nknighthb wrote: post #88

jcdavis wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That doesn't change the fact that tech folk are unique in being so lucky in the current economic climate to be complaining about getting asked about job opporunities. I know plenty of people in other skilled fields who would be happy to hear back from any of the many companies they ask about jobs at

I don't think you fully understood my comment. Contact by a Google recruiter does not constitute a job opportunity. It constitutes a waste of time on a massive scale. Replace them with automated spambots and the effect is the same.

And I don't think you fully understood mine. Regardless of the effectiveness (or lack therefore) of their recruiters, Google is still has over a thousand open positions (look for yourself: https://www.google.com/about/jobs/search/). None of my civil engineer friends are getting spammed by companies.

Re: Dear Google Recruiting...

#102

Post by cperciva » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 4:03 AM UTC

huckyaus wrote: post #64

tptacek wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He doesn't need to be humble. Google would be extremely lucky to have him. Let's stop wasting time pretending that he's lucky to be contacted by them, or that he needs to be careful about how he presents this. He's at the top of his field. Get over it.

I'm not questioning his ability or professionalism. I take issue with the fact that the stated intention of his post - to get Google's attention and prevent similar incidents in the future - is at odds with the tone of his writing. That's all.

The intended tone of my writing is "funny enough that someone at Google might notice and do something about this problem". Sorry if that didn't come through.

Re: Dear Google Recruiting...

#103

Post by cperciva » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 4:04 AM UTC

skwirl wrote: post #49

cperciva wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just ignore Google's recruitment advances and move on If I thought I was the only person being annoyed by them, I would probably do this. But I've spoken to lots of other developers who get similarly annoyed by Google recruiters despite their attempts to tell Google Recruiting to stop contacting them -- so I figured it was worth writing a "ha ha only serious" public piece in the interest of getting Google's attention…

Developers are annoyed by hundreds of companies and professional recruiters who try to recruit them constantly. To single out Google reeks of nothing more than "HEY GUYS LOOK AT ME I'M TOO COOL FOR GOOGLE!"

I'm not singling out Google. They're the only company whose recruiters keep on ignoring "DO NOT CONTACT".

Re: Dear Google Recruiting...

#104

Post by cperciva » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 4:09 AM UTC

ggreer wrote: post #75

I also turned Google down after interviewing [1]. They contacted me every six months to see how I was doing. Eventually, I asked them not to contact me again, and they haven't. Other recruiters haven't been so nice, but it's important to remember that recruiters are people too. Their jobs can be very stressful, since much of their compensation comes from successful hires. I ended up writing a rather conciliatory post…

They asked me to do a post-mortem to talk about out why I turned them down.

I had the same experience, although for me it was a web survey rather than a face-to-face interview (probably because I wasn't local). Whether they actually paid attention to what I told them, I'm not sure; 99% of the problems in the interview process were due to my recruiter screwing things up, but she got promoted a few months later.

Re: Dear Google Recruiting...

#105

Post by cperciva » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 4:10 AM UTC

eksith wrote: post #99

People seem to be missing the crucial point here. It isn't that they keep ignoring the "DO NOT CONTACT", it's why Google wants his services so badly in the first place. What does Tarsnap do? Think about it. Google wants to be bullet proof. Probably internally at first, but then maybe roll out the benefits to other services.

I highly doubt any of the recruiters who have contacted me know what Tarsnap is.

Re: Dear Google Recruiting...

#106

Post by nostrademons » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 4:16 AM UTC

haberman wrote: post #100

tlrobinson wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

humblebrag I see you're new here. Let me refer you to this classic HN thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35068

Wow, please remind me if/when I succeed beyond my wildest dreams never to use my accomplishments as a rhetorical weapon to beat people with. I've always been a fan of Colin from the little that I've been exposed to his work, but that thread instantly made me like him less (though this post tempered the feeling some: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35096 ) And yet I'm more of a fan of Richard Sherman (in the NFL)…

It's weird reading that thread and coming across a comment written by my 6-years-younger self on the very day that I founded my startup and thinking "Man, I had my head screwed on better back then. The 5 years I spent at Google just makes me a blowhard. I hope I have the opportunity to be small again."

Re: Dear Google Recruiting...

#107

Post by rmrfrmrf » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 4:22 AM UTC

d23 wrote: post #68

benihana wrote: post #39

I think about my friends from high school and college who are struggling to find meaningful work when I read things like this. I try to imagine what it be like from their point and it comes off like an entitled prima donna is complaining about being recruited by what one of the coolest companies on earth. Honestly I think as an industry we should try to keep some perspective here.

To me it comes across as the reverse of sour grapes: "Oh woe is me, I'm being solicited by diamond salesmen to add extravagant adornments to my golden palace. Can't they just understand that my platinum plated safe contains more diamonds than they could ever offer? Why is life so hard?"

see also: #humblebrag, #whitegirlproblems

Re: Dear Google Recruiting...

#108

Post by JeremyMorgan » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 4:26 AM UTC

Eh, I've been contacted by them too. Probably a large portion of the HN audience has. It's called throwing out a big net, it's not like they're personally begging you.

Re: Dear Google Recruiting...

#109

Post by rpdillon » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 6:09 AM UTC

jcdavis wrote: post #76

nknighthb wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The odds of a job coming out of contact by a Google recruiter are nearly indistinguishable from 0. They constantly carpet-bomb everybody.

That doesn't change the fact that tech folk are unique in being so lucky in the current economic climate to be complaining about getting asked about job opporunities. I know plenty of people in other skilled fields who would be happy to hear back from any of the many companies they ask about jobs at

How about companies they specifically asked not to contact them?

Re: Dear Google Recruiting...

#110

Post by glurgh » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 9:59 AM UTC

cperciva wrote: post #102

huckyaus wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not questioning his ability or professionalism. I take issue with the fact that the stated intention of his post - to get Google's attention and prevent similar incidents in the future - is at odds with the tone of his writing. That's all.

The intended tone of my writing is "funny enough that someone at Google might notice and do something about this problem". Sorry if that didn't come through.

It comes through just fine. It's possible your detractors have just had the good fortune of not experiencing the 'pesky recruiter' problem, Google or otherwise. You can take heart in the near certainty that, if they work in the technology field at all, they will.