[ta1234567890]

At one of my companies we pay SF/BayArea market salaries and the way we hire (pretty much everyone, not just programmers) is: 1) short (10-20 min) phone interview, 2) if it seems like a good candidate we invite them for a paid test run, usually 2 weeks of actual real work, either remotely or in person, 3) if it works out, they get hired.

Pretty much nothing will accurately predict how well someone is going to do on the job. The best approximation is for them actually doing the job.

Also, the two most important things that we look/test for throughout the process are: 1) how good of a fit the candidate is for the team/company (do they get along with their team?) and 2) how enthusiastic they are about working with us (did they do some research on us ahead of time? are they excited about the opportunity?)

[MisterOctober]

"Pretty much nothing will accurately predict how well someone is going to do on the job."

^ this is a doggone well-phrased and accurate summation of the challenge of team-building. Raw capability is by no means a predictor of how well someone'll work with the organization.

[MrPowers]

I'm sure this is effective, but are folks really willing to agree to this? Do you pay for the 2 weeks of work? Do candidates ever say no to this arrangement?

[robjan]

Does this not reduce your pool to people who are actively looking? That excludes most people, especially the top candidates who are never out of work.

[diminoten]

There are drawbacks and advantages to every hiring process, it's possible they've determined this set of advantages/drawbacks works best for them.

Besides, it's possible to take 2 weeks off of your current job.

[vtainio]

Is the 2 week paid work done only for candidates that aren't currently employed or how does it work?

[akho]

You can’t use this process to hire someone who already has a job. So you’re limited to college grads and the otherwise unemployed. That is a pool not everyone can be content with.

[m0llusk]

Employees ready to move on often have substantial time off built up and also have the ability to negotiate additional time flexibly.

[deathtrader666]

I am actually game for this 2-week trial. How do I contact you?