Ask HN: Who is hiring? (February 2025)

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Remote work, location, and visas

  • Many roles advertised as “remote” had significant constraints: US-only, EU-only, specific states, or strict time-zone overlap. Commenters often asked for clearer labels (e.g., “Remote (US only)” or regions like “Western hemisphere only”).
  • Several startups clarified they were open to LATAM or Canada if time zones aligned, but not to Asia or broader global remote.
  • Visa sponsorship came up repeatedly; some companies explicitly offered it (e.g., for EU roles), while others confirmed they could not sponsor, which candidates probed for early.

Compensation transparency and application friction

  • Some companies were called out for omitting salary ranges where local law requires them (e.g., Minnesota pay-transparency rules and US-remote roles). Posters linked to legal summaries and implied non-compliance.
  • Candidates complained about being forced to create accounts or logins just to apply, saying this discouraged them from submitting (especially for roles with uncertain fit).
  • “Support@” or generic emails for applications were criticized as unprofessional; suggestions included dedicated hiring addresses.

Interviewing and candidate experience

  • A few companies received strong praise for fast, fair, and technically focused interview processes, plus good communication even when candidates were rejected.
  • Others were criticized for unexpected interview tasks (e.g., mock sales calls for engineering roles without prior notice) or unclear definitions of “paid” take-home work.
  • One consulting firm posting monthly drew accusations of “data mining” and ghosting; the founder responded at length, citing huge applicant volume, LLM-generated spam, and a desire to give bespoke feedback versus mass rejections. Some remained skeptical.

Thread meta and platform suggestions

  • Multiple users requested adding a “4DWW” tag to highlight four-day-work-week roles.
  • There was appreciation that job posts and their comment threads now stay attached, but also feedback that the dynamic reordering of posts makes it hard to track new entries.

Company- and product-specific notes

  • Some technologies and products drew enthusiasm (e.g., AI chips, data tools, observability platforms, transit apps), with users expressing admiration or sharing prior involvement.
  • Several candidates used comments to follow up on earlier applications, ask about remote eligibility, junior roles, or internships; some company reps responded promptly and constructively, others not.