Ask HN: Who is hiring? (October 2024)

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall themes in the thread

  • Broad range of roles: lots of AI/ML, infra/platform, developer tools, fintech, health tech, climate/energy, robotics, and crypto.
  • Many early‑stage or seed/Series A startups alongside some large, established companies.
  • Tech stacks mentioned heavily feature TypeScript/React, Python, Go, Rust, Java, cloud (AWS/GCP/Azure), and various data/ML frameworks.

Remote vs. onsite, location, and visas

  • Repeated confusion over what “fully remote” means when restricted to the US (or a region); several commenters suggest clearer phrasing like “Remote in USA only.”
  • Some companies are asked to clarify whether “remote” includes non‑US residents or specific countries; answers vary, often tied to time zone overlap or legal/employment constraints.
  • Multiple posts explicitly state no visa sponsorship; others highlight visa support as a selling point, which draws questions from candidates abroad.

Hiring practices and transparency

  • Complaints that certain companies post month after month but appear not to hire or respond, or reject quickly despite seemingly strong alignment.
  • Some applicants report submitting detailed applications and receiving either no acknowledgment or an instant automated rejection.
  • Moderators occasionally detach strongly negative comments but also note that companies should follow better practices.
  • One candidate asks if a company sends acknowledgment of receipt; the company is prompted to respond.

Compensation and geo‑arbitrage

  • A small debate erupts around a founder’s candid statement that non‑US engineers are hired partly due to lower cost; commenters push back on tone and fairness.
  • Counterpoints argue that same‑pay for international talent can be competitive and that dismissing them as “cheaper labor” risks missing strong candidates.

DEI / mission‑alignment questions

  • A nonprofit’s application question about centering racial equity and anti‑racism in work feels confusing or off‑topic to some developers.
  • The organization explains they want awareness of how technical decisions affect underserved groups (e.g., “Matthew effect” in ed‑tech).
  • Further discussion notes that the wording may unintentionally favor candidates skilled at “spinning a story” over those with limited direct experience but honest answers.

Technical and process issues

  • Several job posts contain broken emails or dead job links; commenters flag these, and some companies acknowledge and fix them.
  • One company’s career page says “not hiring” while they are posting roles, causing confusion.
  • An applicant calls out Workday as having poor UX; asks why companies continue to use it.