Engineers should act however they like. Companies, on the other hand, should be limited to using the open market to fill each post individually. They should be able to approach people (headhunting them) but only to bring people in to an application process that is open and equal to everyone else.
Don't forget that Uber have screwed every robotics researcher who doesn't work at Carnegie Mellon with this. These are probably some of the best paid, best funded, most exciting robotics engineering jobs going, and Uber handed the posts to their preferred group rather than using the free market. That's not fair or reasonable.
What? So companies cant hire whoever they want in whatever way they want? They all have to have a set process open to everyone?
I've hired people before on the spot because of who they are and what they know. Is that somehow wrong?
Life isn't fair and sometimes the right team is who they already know. Do you want them to interview every robotics researcher on the planet in a massive interview round instead of getting work done with a pretty great group that's already proven themselves?
... Uber handed the posts to their preferred group rather than using the free market.
Why should they? It's their money and they can choose to spend it (within reason) however they choose to. That actually is how a free market should work, with independent actors doing ludicrous things with their money, irrespective of what you or I think.
That's not fair or reasonable.
Not sure those ex-CMU engineers/researchers would agree with that statement.
This is an existing team who has already shown they can work and accomplish things together. Buying the best individual labor on the free market may not create as strong a whole as just hiring a team outright - this seems like a pretty good economic decision, considering risk/reward.
What is a company? A company is a group of people who are providing a product or service. Why should each post be filled individually? What’s wrong with offering a team of people whom have proven themselves capable as a group a position? Why does there need to be an application? This position was open to anyone else on the planet, and Uber chose the talented people at CM. “Uber screwed every robotics researcher who doesn’t work at CM” I’m not sure I follow your logic on that part, mind expanding?. “Uber handed the position to their preferred group rather than using the free market”, the free market is by definition people consensually transacting with each other. Uber’s preferred group is their choice out of all the robotics engineers on the entire planet, and using their best judgement they offered a position to this particular group of people, and they consensually accepted. How is that not a free market? No one was coerced. Please define ‘fair’ and ‘reasonable’ in this context. Forgive my structuring, I'm on mobile ATM.
Don't forget that Uber have screwed every robotics researcher who doesn't work at Carnegie Mellon with this. These are probably some of the best paid, best funded, most exciting robotics engineering jobs going, and Uber handed the posts to their preferred group rather than using the free market. That's not fair or reasonable.