The high-tech market is experiencing a certain upheaval these days, with the declines in the markets and the slowdown in investments, but alongside efficiency measures that are expected to take place, the demand for talent will probably continue. And so is the discussion of how legitimate it is for job applicants to request payment for a job interview or perform tasks as part of the job placement process.
In an interview with Bezeq’s VP of Human Resources, which we published here in early April, she told of her colleague who came across a candidate with a price list for stages in the job recruitment process, and at the height of demand this issue was at the center of social media discussions. I respect you very much and I am very interested in the job but I am no longer in the place of homework? “, Someone asked. Other questions touched on the proper time to devote to such an exercise and whether it is possible to demand payment for it.
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Employers, for their part, are in no hurry to pay for a professional exercise performed by the candidate in the company offices or in his free time at home, at most they reward the candidates with a gift card or ice cream to the house. Is this about to change?
“$ 200 per assignment? Candidates do not understand recruitment processes”
Aviv Canaani, VP of marketing at an Israeli start-up, says that when he interviewed content writers for a position at a previous company he worked for, one of the candidates asked for a $ 200 fee for a homework of writing an article, which he says requires a two- to three-hour job. Says, “Of course companies should not exploit employees through tasks, but on the other hand, if she asks for money for a task, it means she does not understand what recruitment processes and interviews are and why they are important to both parties. For me it is important, but no less important is the process for her as well. It is important that she sees what in my eyes is considered good content. Maybe after an hour she would realize that my perception is different? Maybe she would have been happy to know that we see things differently and that cooperation between us would be unsuccessful for both parties? After all, her goal should not be side income through interviews.
“Anyone who encourages candidates to demand payment for a short assignment gives Achitophel advice. I also knew candidates who asked not to do an assignment in this way, and we found another solution, for example an oral assignment during the interview.” According to Canaani, he encountered other candidates who asked if the mission was paid for. In the case of the candidate who demanded $ 200, this is also where her recruitment process for the company ended.
“Perhaps candidates are afraid that the company will use the products of their mission. This is the classic Israeli concept of ‘not going out to be a sucker,'” he explains. “As with any interview, you need to make sure that the company you want to reach is moral, and I believe that 99% of companies do and will not use the homework of candidates for other purposes. Must trust each other. Nasty cases of individual companies should not affect the discretion of Candidates. “
“The candidate also has an interest in getting to the right place for him”
Yael Der and Keren Saruk, VP of Human Resources and Chief of Staff (respectively) at startup Syblum, which specializes in identifying security vulnerabilities in the vehicle, say they did not encounter a demand for payment but did encounter candidates who resign as soon as they are assigned a task. A task, I do not continue the process, “says Der,” but it happens mostly among talents. “However, in Seyblum, paying for a task is out of the question.
“The most complex tasks, for example, investigator roles, take three hours and are performed in our offices,” says Saruk. “Candidates for development positions perform a task of an hour and a half to two hours, and if they ask, it can be completed at home. We have no problem with that.”
“The task is part of the admissions process. The candidate also has an interest in getting to the right place for him,” says Dr. “I can understand a candidate sitting alone at home for three days on a task and feeling knocked out. I can understand someone like that expecting payment. But for a short process less suitable to pay.”
“In the last year we have reduced the task time”
Or Kamara, Director of Engineering at Scenic, a start-up that specializes in securing open source components, says that in the past, the company used to give tasks that required candidates to spend 3-4 hours at home. “Then we sat down with them and tested the exercise (‘fringe’), and if the candidates in Europe – it was done in zoom. In the last year we have already built a new exercise that requires an investment of about half an hour, followed by ‘fringe’ in zoom, which lasts about an hour and a half.
“We focused on reducing time, with the understanding that strong candidates receive a lot of offers and a lot of exercises. We have an orderly process, in which we received candidates within two weeks but also within two days. Flexibility in the process is important and tailored to the candidate, and to us. “
Are there countries where it is customary to request payment for such an exercise?
“The difference is mainly in the recruitment process. In Israel, it is easier to schedule an interview with a candidate from today to tomorrow, and in London it is different – the process begins first by sending an email.”
Kamara says he has not encountered candidates who have asked for a fee for an exercise. “I can imagine it when the exercises are extra long, for example requiring a day or more. I came across candidates who refused to perform an exercise, but it’s on the margins.”
According to Kamara, the situation in the market will not affect the recruitments. “It should continue to be effective both in a situation where the market is flooded with developers and in a situation where every developer is being fought for. I estimate that in companies where there is a significant drop in recruitment, the process will remain similar. “.
“Spread rumors aimed at producing poison”
Eyal Solomon, CEO of the placement company Ethosia, also testifies about candidates who refuse to perform tasks and exercises given as part of the recruitment process. “These are mainly talents who refuse to perform a task at all, and in some cases the company offers to do it for a fee.”
Solomon also encounters the notion that this is how companies get “free development”, but he says these are rumors “whose purpose is only to produce poison, because the goal is to see capabilities and not to develop a module”.
Tasks and exercises characterize high-tech recruitment, however they are not just in it, he adds. “In the marketing world you sometimes ask for a presentation on a particular scenario, to be impressed by the thinking abilities. There are of course the classics of assessment centers and cognitive tests, but I have not heard of anyone asking for a reward for that. If there are any, they are extreme cases.”
Are we about to see a change due to the slowdown in recruitment in high-tech?
“The chores method crosses issues of market situation. If there are companies that pay for the chore, it will continue so as not to miss the talent and also reduce friction. After all, the employees in the organization also look at it, so there is also something valuable in offering a chore for his time.”
“We believe candidates’ time is worth money”
Eitan Levitt, co-founder of the start-up Mixtiles, which makes it possible to turn mobile photos into pictures on the wall, also emphasizes that the exercises and tasks in the recruitment process are important to both parties, but in his company they have taken this approach a step further.
Ethan Levitt / Photo: Mixstills
“In the case of candidates we are ‘serious about’, after the interviews, we want to impress them with a Work Sample, work experience with us. This means that they come to perform the exercise with half a day to two days, attend a kick-off session, meet the people Working together”. For this experience, depending on the position and choice of the VPs who can also decide if they use this option (“70% choose yes”), the candidates will receive a salary ranging from NIS 500 to NIS 1,000.
“You can see it as consultants coming in for one day. People who will give a work day for fun, and see that we believe their time is worth money. The idea is to get a sense of ‘being with us’ in all parameters. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely something.” Levitt emphasizes that they take the move seriously, “and it’s a line in HR’s budget.”
He said, “This is a different dynamic than the one you get in an interview because it’s of a job, and it’s an opportunity for candidates to experience the company’s staff and vibe, see what and how to have lunch, and if the chairs are comfortable. I believe the staff you work with is one of the most important factors. “And here he is getting authentic exposure. We are looking for long-term relationships.”
Is there much left over after this experience?
“You know it’s good when there are people who do not go through this screening. If everyone went through it I would know it’s just noise. In any case, the feedback we get from the candidates is very positive.”
Will the current market situation have an impact on this process?
“We do not. It’s just a method that helps to know candidates better and make more informed decisions, so we want to continue to use it, whether the market is on the rise or not.”