
Cost Cutting Algorithms Are Making Your Job Search a Living Hell - pmoriarty
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pkekvb/cost-cutting-algorithms-are-making-your-job-search-a-living-hell
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icedistilled
These effectively blacklist people who aren't the 'average ideal' candidate in
any way shape or form.

Since many firms use the same or similar algorithms, and will likely to
continue converging, this amounts to a global employment blacklist.

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TheOperator
Which would imply that people with "average ideal" resumes are overpriced and
you can get a steal on people who, for instance, are unusually qualified in
specific ways but lack some common HR filter like a bachelor's.

Or the algorithms are actually accurate and people who aren't "average ideal"
candidates are lousy hires on average.

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monsieurgaufre
This imply that cost-cutting measures have not been applied to these
algorithms, which they probably were. This also imply that algorithms are
accurate.

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NohatCoder
These systems all favour one specific skill over any other: Lying.

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jimbob45
Seems like no one wants to admit that modern job-seeking is a living hell
because it would mean that you're not skilled enough to be part of the
"booming" software engineering market/economy that everyone else is seemingly
a part of.

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seem_2211
I work in sales recruiting (agency) with various tech companies in SF.

Compared to the people in this story, it's a totally different world, where
candidates have a lot more power (partly evidenced by the fact that companies
will pay for external recruiting help).

That said, I've run a few LinkedIn & Indeed job posts. It's frustrating when
you see the same people apply for wildly different jobs over and over again.
Whenever I hear about someone who's angry that they've applied to thousands of
jobs but get no callbacks, I think about the candidates I see with no relevant
experience, who've applied for a mid/sr level position only a week after they
applied for a graduate level position. I get that candidates are frustrated,
but as someone who's screening for people, it won't get you moved forward.

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quacked
From their perspective, they've probably heard nothing from your company.
Rejection notices would help; however, if companies continue to use the
standard practice of "never tell anyone if your resume has been accepted or
rejected", job-seekers will continue to try to apply to as many jobs as
possible.

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meristem
I find rejection notices do wonders for people. Even better, rejection phone
calls that allow for questions. The downside is that, being based in the U.S.,
there is a litigious danger lurking in every word written or spoken in those
setups.

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quotemstr
My read of the HN zeitgeist on this issue is that algorithms would be
objectionable even if their predictions were perfect matches to reality. This
mindset is totally alien to me: we're better off when we know more than less.
Deliberate ignorance is an incredibly dangerous attitude to adopt. It's
premodern and antiscientific.

~~~
LorenPechtel
I disagree. The problem is that the skills to get hired are very different
than the skills to do the job.

I'm reminded of a thing I read about not too long ago--an organization trying
to help those who had stumbled in life to get hired. They had a guy who seemed
qualified but nobody would hire him. They tried asking a company to give him a
practical test before an interview--then didn't hear back about the interview.
A followup call revealed they had hired him on the spot based on the practical
test.

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BXLE_1-1-BitIs1
There's a huge market waiting for:

1\. AI apps to tailor resumes and cover letters to openings

2\. Handle the tests and phone interview bots.

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lonelappde
These HR test firms should form a standards body so that you can test anywhere
and use results at all jobs. Then they could start offering training for the
tests, and certifications that you can put on your resume.

I think this idea has legs, to a degree.

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oarsinsync
Bachelors from the University of HR? I'll pass on that degree, thanks.

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jrbuhl
Isn't that already the main value of current bachelor's degrees?

