[pandaman]

It's about the potential payoff for me too. When I am not looking for a job (i.e. I am happy with the job I have) an offer to write some code for some company does not look very enticing. After all, if I already thought that company offers a better job, I'd been asking them for a job myself. The most I can offer in this situation is a chance to sell me on the job.

On the other hand, when I am looking for a job (I am unhappy at the current job ) I go far and wide as I am applying to multiple companies. In this situation I talk to the ones that ask for interviews first, as they appear more committed, and push all the tests after the interviews. From my limited experience, by the time the interviews clear up I have at least a couple of offers on hand. Offers I can identify with people I've been talking to, the environment I've seen, the location, the projects etc. Spending several days on tests, which, at best will bring an interview, which may or may not lead to an offer, which, in its turn, may or may not be better than the offers I already have now looks like plain gamble to me. So I take the best offer instead of doing any tests.