# Hiring Processes are a Joke By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2023-01-16 Most companies have the same kind of hiring processes. They post vaguely worded job descriptions, candidates submit their vaguely worded resumes, and then both parties talk to each other for a few hours. Then, just like that, someone is hired. What are the odds that both parties are fully informed about each other? It's basically zero. There will always be some surprises. Maybe the employee is a great interviewer but a horrible worker. Maybe the company's negative culture is hidden behind smiling faces. It's unreasonable for either party to expect that they fully know what they are getting themselves into. Yet, this is the way hiring works. We think one thing is the case until it's clear that we were wrong or very wrong. After the fact, we search for the warning signs to see how we could have avoided the situation altogether. But, with such an information-poor process with asymmetrical power dynamics and intentionally hidden motives, there is no chance that both parties will be satisfied. So, stop trying to work the process to find a hidden methodology to guarantee outcomes. If you are the employer, pay people to do real projects on a trial basis. Seeing how someone works is the best way to see how they work. If you are the candidate, the options are much more limited as you need a job, and most companies dictate the hiring process. Step 1 is to understand and play the game, step 2 is to be skeptical, and step 3 is to be ready to find the next job. Alternatively, start your own business. #### Related Items [[Business]] [[Hiring]] [[Interviewing]] [[Power Asymmetry]] [[Power]]