[kethinov]

Offering to pay for it probably puts people off.

You're suggesting a quite legitimate (if not common) method of assessing your skills. You're already paying for it with your time, as are they.

If they think it's a novel idea and worth their time to give it a shot, they might go for it. Or possibly give you homework as a decent compromise.

But the upfront suggestion of money exchanging hands does add a certain ridiculousness to the idea on the face of it.

Just ask for a coding assignment or a trial day at the office on an actual problem to work on without cash and it might work better.