If you have so little spare time, something is running completely wrong. I understand that people don't want to spend their spare time on these kind of projects but not even considering it because lack of time really should ring your bells to cut down with work.
That is deceptively easy to write when you're not having to do so in order to "keep up" because your work culture is so toxic that there is clear-cut hypocrisy between "work-life balance" and "we want you to be at the customer 300Km away tomorrow morning".
I am a single dad with custody of two kids and I would be able to take the six hours. I've consciously created this life. There are other parts of my life I'm sure that I do not do as well as you (for example my workout regime has gone to shit) but it's entirely doable.
That being said I also haven't needed a job for a very long time so...
I think taking the 6 hours _once_ can be done by pretty much everybody, that should not be a serious problem.
What kind of gets me thinking is that, in my experience, people will take a look at multiple options before committing to a career change. This is where this concept seems to fray a bit.
Still I think it is a valid concept to minimize your exposure to false hires so it’s ok.
At my shop we opted for a similar approach but exchanged the project with a pair programing task that candidates get up front (and yes, we created reference code bases in many, many languages).
One other departure is that we don’t subscribe to the hard comparisons mantra. Candidates get to code with someone from their future team(or two sometimes) and it’s just a thumbs up or thumbs down signal. Thumbs down would usually mean that the process also gets cut short.
another question is: do I care enough about your company in order to invest this time? there are many job opportunities, why should I choose to invest my free time into this?
you guys are forgetting that this is a partnership, you also have to sell me your company.
if you're ok with that, I think you're missing out some good candidates.
Spare time - and time in general - is managed by priorities. While I did (on both sides of the interview process) a take-home technical test, it was always AT MOST a 2 hours test. A six-hours test is cutting away a lot of potential candidates which have higher priorities in their spare time (kids/parents above all).
Wouldn't you actually be motivated to take the 6 hour assignment to get away from high-stress workplace that is taking also weekends and with long commute, to land a position that has proper work-life balance, higher salary and maybe closer too?
Sorry, you are describing a candidate who's working life is hell and sounds to me they would be willing to do whatever it takes to get out and get on.
i mean, if they want me to do a 6 hour take home test for a chance at interviewing, that would be a strong indicator that they DON'T very much value work life balance.
Now, consider if they instead said, we don't need you to come onsite for 4 hours at all, just take this 6 hour at home test at your own leisure at your own time, and we will give you an offer based on it. That would speak volumes about the type of company and culture that they are.
I would very much doubt that a company that demands 6h of overtime even before we sigh a contract actually offers good work-life balance. If I was cynical, I would wonder whether this test's purpose is to filter for that reason.
