[canthonytucci]

"Design a challenge to evaluate the selected candidates’ skills. Good professionals love challenges. If the candidate refuses to do a challenge, consider this a red flag about their future commitment."

To me a bigger red flag is if someone has the time and desperation to put up with this kind of bullshit. Good professionals love money and respect.

Edit: IMHO the "unicorn" is someone who is both competent and spineless, which to me sounds like the candidate this article is asking you to find.

[debacle]

> both competent and spineless

In 90% of the positions I have ever been in, an employer has needed/wanted just that.

[shubhamjain]

> To me a bigger red flag is if someone has the time and desperation to put up with this kind of bullshit. Good professionals love money and respect.

Ouch, the cynicism here is astounding. Speaking for myself, I would love to delve into a challenge, like, cracking a small program [1], even if it gets me nothing because this, in itself, is so exciting.

[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8331381

[canthonytucci]

I think that we're talking about two different things.

This challenge seems great to get some, as the link refers to "part-time CS student" employees.

I read the original article as aimed at an employer who is trying to find an alternative to just seeking out "miracle" employees, for these people part timers with no experience are probably not what they need.

If you need someone with experience who's likely already working in the field, taking time and concentration energy away from current work/personal projects/family/life is a much harder sell.

[cgearhart]

I like a challenge as much as the next guy, but I'm only willing to undertake them to a certain point -- unless it is incredibly interesting I won't put more than an hour into it. It might be useful as an applicant filter, but you can't entice great engineers away from their current jobs by throwing barriers in their way.