Ask HN: Who is hiring? (August 2024)

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Range of roles and technologies

  • Very wide spectrum of roles: backend, full‑stack, frontend, mobile, data/ML, DevOps/SRE, security, product, design, sales, and founding engineer positions.
  • Employers span tiny seed‑stage startups, profitable bootstrapped companies, large VC‑backed growth startups, and big tech / traditional enterprises.
  • Common stacks: Python, TypeScript/React, Go, Rust, Java, Ruby/Rails, C++/C#, Node, various clouds (AWS/GCP/Azure), and modern data/ML tooling.
  • Several specialized domains attracted attention: AI/LLMs, robotics, fintech, devtools, healthcare, climate/energy, and blockchain.

Remote vs onsite and geography constraints

  • Many roles are “remote US only”; commenters ask why non‑US companies often hire globally while US companies restrict to US.
  • Explanations offered: employment vs B2B contracting differences, tax and labor‑law complexity per country, time‑zone coordination.
  • Some argue US companies could easily hire globally via contractor platforms, others warn against undercutting salaries in low‑cost regions.
  • Repeated clarifications that “hybrid with 2+ days in office” is not considered remote by some candidates.

Visas and work authorization

  • Frequent questions about visa sponsorship and work permits (e.g., relocating to EU, Japan, US).
  • Answers vary: some companies can sponsor (especially for “highly skilled migrants” or specific programs), others explicitly cannot.
  • Several EU roles restrict to people already authorized to work in the EU; some US‑government‑linked roles require citizenship or residency history.

Compensation transparency and controversy

  • Many listings include explicit salary ranges; these are appreciated and sometimes queried for clarity.
  • One company’s very low stated range for a US location triggers skepticism and criticism; company later explains it as part‑time, hourly work but communication is seen as confusing.
  • Broader discussion about global salary ranges: some argue low ranges exploit non‑US talent; others argue they match local expectations.

Hiring process and responsiveness

  • Multiple comments note broken links, email delivery issues, or unclear contact details.
  • Several candidates complain about “ghosting” (no reply after applying) or repeatedly reposted roles that look like “ghost jobs”; some companies respond to defend their practices.
  • There is recurring interest in whether “senior‑only” teams will consider juniors or new grads.

HN thread norms and moderation

  • Moderators repeatedly step in to detach subthreads that turn into company‑specific complaints, reminding participants that “Who is hiring?” is not for litigating individual experiences.
  • Readers nonetheless value brief experience reports, especially around interview burden (e.g., long motivation letters, unpaid trials) and perceived culture.