Ask HN: Who is hiring? (January 2025)

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Hiring processes & candidate experience

  • Several commenters report frustration with perceived automated screening and keyword-based rejection, despite employers asserting that humans review all resumes and auto-reject only on gating questions (e.g., visa, background checks).
  • Ghosting is a recurring complaint: candidates mention never hearing back after multiple applications; one company explains volume makes individual rejections difficult, others are urged to at least send rejections if they brand themselves as “lovable.”
  • Some positive notes appear too: a few applicants praise particularly transparent, respectful, or well-run interview processes, citing clear communication and realistic work-sample–style assessments instead of heavy LeetCode rounds.
  • A quant trading firm outlines its interview process (take-home coding, technical phone screens, onsite rounds) and clarifies differences between math-heavy and purely engineering roles.

Remote work, visas, and geography limits

  • Many roles are remote but constrained by geography (US-only, EU-only, Canada-only, LatAm-only); several commenters question why companies can’t hire outside those regions when work is fully remote.
  • Some employers cite tax, labor law, and HR complexity across states or countries as the main reason; others say they’re simply “not set up” for visas or non‑US payroll.
  • There’s nuanced discussion around EU hiring: restrictions based on current residence vs citizenship can be misleading and may conflict with some movement rights; wording in some job posts is criticized as confusing.
  • A few companies leave the door open to exceptions for standout candidates or to explore hiring Canadians (sometimes via TN visas), but most emphasize current limitations.

Compensation, offshoring, and fairness

  • Pay transparency varies: some give clear salary ranges, others avoid disclosing numbers, prompting questions and mild pushback.
  • A junior India-based backend role at a compensation-transparency site sparks debate: the employer calls it “top tier in India,” while commenters highlight the irony of a US-focused salary-transparency brand offshoring engineering to lower-cost markets.
  • Senior leadership roles with relatively modest salary bands draw skepticism, with one commenter interpreting them as signals that the company may not truly be hiring at that level.
  • There’s recognition that cost of living differences matter (e.g., between Tennessee and the US coasts), but some still argue principal-level ranges look low compared to big-tech standards.

Logistics & job-posting quality

  • Multiple people point out broken application links, misconfigured CAPTCHAs, or unclear contact info, and occasionally get quick fixes or clarifications.
  • Some criticize opaque email puzzles or vague instructions, preferring straightforward application paths.
  • A few long‑time recurring posters are questioned about constantly open roles; in response, at least one explains consistent hiring growth and very low voluntary turnover.