
Ask HN: Do companies ever request test solutions to build solution benchmarks? - p4wnc6
After an initial 1-hour telephone interview, I was recently asked to solve a 2-hour data analysis code test. It went very well, but shortly after submitting my solution, an HR representative had a phone call with me that focused exclusively on side issues, such as what were my preferences regarding open offices or how I work in teams.<p>I was not asked about any of these topics in the first interview, and only a few hours after the first interview I had received an excited email inviting me to take the code test.<p>At the end of the second phone conversation, less than 24 hours after submitting my solution, the HR rep suggested that it was probably not best to continue the interview process since my feelings about certain things did not match the company&#x27;s current policies.<p>I don&#x27;t necessarily disagree with that decision, but here is the unusual part:<p>Just hours after this happened, I saw a new job listing from the same company for a position with nearly the same job description. But the title had been altered slightly to say it was a temporary position with the possibility for permanent hire. The revised ad also made it sound like the position was far more junior than when I initially interviewed.<p>I&#x27;m reasonably highly ranked on Stack Overflow for the main tech used in the test. Is it possible the company just wanted to see what my performance would be as a benchmark for a baseline? If companies do this, what steps should a candidate take to avoid completing such tests and investing personal time that results only in giving the company free performance data?
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andyjdavis
>what steps should a candidate take to avoid completing such tests and
investing personal time that results only in giving the company free
performance data?

Probably nothing different. I suspect that investing additional time and
energy is not going to be a net win for you.

>The revised ad also made it sound like the position was far more junior than
when I initially interviewed.

It is possible that there was discussion internally and they decided against
paying whatever it would cost to hire someone like you. "We're not paying
that, get a new grad" is not an uncommon refrain in some circles. If it helps,
places that like are usually not nice places to work.

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liquidcool
Agree, it's unlikely they used you as a benchmark, because most companies
simply don't believe they need to. Though they should at least test with their
own employees.

Also, on multiple occasions I've been told, "don't worry about salary, focus
on getting us the right candidate." When I do so: "Oh, we can't afford more
than $X." I now try to test the waters with, "Developers with that experience
often make north of $150K, is that still in range?"

