[tomxor]

> What is high? Unless you've defined what that means, and everyone involved understands and agrees what that means, it's just a word.

Yes, this is the right question. I think the reason there is no generic definition is because it's subjective. The most generally applicable part of this is the differences in hiring practices at large-scale vs tiny-scale (there was an article on HN previously explaining this particular area):

The main points were google-scale can afford high salaries and can afford to cut out good candidates from the hiring process in the name of automation, so easy to automate and standardise empirical testing works for them, but not for small-scale, because you wont be able to afford the same candidate. Instead small-scale either hire for the people who fall through the cracks of large corporate structures or they hire for potential.

In answer to your question, this difference affects (or should affect) the qualities being measured... for large scale it's whatever the job requirements are, measured there and then; for small-scale it's the potential for whatever the job requirements are e.g enthusiasm, drive, domain specific interest. That's just one dimension of a company, there are all kinds of other aspects that will also affect qualitative measurement of a candidate.