[tn_]

> If they seem like a good prospect then you can signal your seriousness by granting a face to face interview / test.

Yup, that's what I will do occasionally too. If the phone-call goes well, I'll invite them onsite for that coding task... no algorithms. I like being flexible with them, if they are more comfortable doing it at home due to scheduling, they can hack away at home.

>By throwing out homework assignments (which cost you 0) you are signaling either that they do not seem like a good enough prospect to be worth your time or that you simply view their time to be worth vastly less than yours.

I generally stick with working at start-ups. I need to know that the engineer I'm bringing on can handle high-pressure situations when we have to deliver milestones. Which I can totally understand why some potential employees that I've handed this assignment to become upset / flustered. But it's a good indicator if they don't complain at all and do an exceptional job, that they'll generally do well and at the very least be open to critique so they become a better engineer.

These requirements are absolutely not appropriate for more established/larger corps just as start-ups aren't for everyone.