This is a great point that gets lost because of the widely held “shortage of engineers” myth.
The hiring market is strongly an employer’s market. There is far more talent out there seeking relatively few jobs, so employers can dictate terms pretty much absolutely. If they require a 5 day homework, then it’s “homework or GTFO”. If they require whiteboard hazing, it’s “whiteboard or GTFO”. The last real employee’s-market we had was in the late 90’s!
> The hiring market is strongly an employer’s market. There is far more talent out there seeking relatively few jobs, so employers can dictate terms pretty much absolutely.
Wow, are you in the U.S.? This is pretty much the exact opposite of my experience and perception. I'm sure it must vary somewhat based on your specialty and what kind of work you do.
Depends on where you live and how much you ask for.
There are entire deserts where there isn't a tech company in a hundred miles around.
Even in the most active tech hub, it may be difficult to find a new job, assuming you care about things like work hours, health coverage or a moderate commute.
Even in areas seen as having many employment opportunities, the employers can be very picky, and their criteria are often arbitrary and opaque. I think even on the Bay Area, companies are more picky about who they hire than candidates are picky about what company they join.
Companies usually want people who are cheap, malleable and competent enough. That's a safe profile.
I couldn't agree more on companies being picky. My wife interviewed for a company last year, they said that they interviewed more than a hundred candidate so far in the year and they didn't hire anyone.
It's fair to say that they are not recruiting for real.
The hiring market is strongly an employer’s market. There is far more talent out there seeking relatively few jobs, so employers can dictate terms pretty much absolutely. If they require a 5 day homework, then it’s “homework or GTFO”. If they require whiteboard hazing, it’s “whiteboard or GTFO”. The last real employee’s-market we had was in the late 90’s!