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SSCertifiable
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Absolutely. If it looks like a fit and they'll pay me for my time, I think it works to good advantage for both parties. As a potential employee I get to see how they work, how organized, have lunch with the team, get a feel for the workplace vibe. As a hiring manager I'll get to see them under time stress, find out how they do at lunch, do they fit it? Do they communicate?
This works even if the employee is still working, they schedule a couple days off and get paid (assuming in the same relative area).
Ideally I'd follow this by a contract to hire scenario or a probationary period. As a manager I prefer contract to hire, but this often doesn't work unless they go through a staffing company (adding cost) because they would not have health care during the contract.
Andy
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SSCrazy Eights
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Sounds like a pretty standard "contract-to-hire" situation to me. Lots of companies do that.
- GSquared
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
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SSC-Enthusiastic
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I like the idea... it's a two way street. Not only does it give the company a chance to see if you will work out but gives you chance to find out if the company fits you. I would think that most places will be flexible in scheduling that two, three, etc days because of how important it is. If they took the time to pick you chances are they will be willing to wait a week or two to get you on staff for a couple days for a test run. If it works then your back in two weeks and you both are that much more comfortable in starting what could be a long term relationship.
The hiring company could always schedule two or three of these trials with different people if they felt there were that many candidates that would fit well.
Maybe I'm biased since I thought something just like this would be cool for the last place I interviewed. I ended up not taking additional interviews even though they requested because I thought the change in environment would be too big (only way I would have known would have been with a week or two trial). After working somewhere for 13 years you want to be darn sure any change is for the better.
My .02
Carl
EDIT:
I would add that I think anytime spent for the "test" work days would need to be compensated for (basically contract work).
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Forum Newbie
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I'd only do it if I was going to get paid for the two days of work.
I used to work at a small company where the CEO would place an ad in the paper advertising his job was open. He'd get lots of applicants and he'd take them through the company and ask them how they would improve things. In the end, he would hire no one, but would enjoy several days of free consulting work.
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Grasshopper
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I can just picture companies deliberately bringing in people for a few days at low wages and no benefits and doing it over and over and over again to get a project done.
Not a good idea for the employees.
But lots of employers would just love it!
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Ten Centuries
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Mike in Michigan (8/19/2009)
I can just picture companies deliberately bringing in people for a few days at low wages and no benefits and doing it over and over and over again to get a project done.
Not a good idea for the employees.
But lots of employers would just love it!
Maybe for a simple project or task. But might take a few days just to get up to speed on something complex.
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SSChasing Mays
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One week seems a bit short. The problem is the person knows he/she is under the microscope and will make an extra effort to shine. Once the the trial period is over and the company decides to keep the person, the employee's effort may fall off. 3-6 months seems like a more reasonable period. It allows the employer to see how the person performs in varying conditions that is typical for the company, plus it gives time to see how well he/she works with the existing team (as others have already mentioned).
The key is for the employer to takes the review period seriously and not flake when it comes to the decision of whether or not to keep the person. It has been my experience that employers have taken the attitude "Well...he has been here for six months already, may as well keep him", and settle for only average performance level.
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SSCertifiable
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SSC-Addicted
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There are really two parts to this... There is the continuation of the interview process and then there is the 'is their work up to snuff' process.
Contract to hire is the 'is their work up to snuff' while a 1-2 day onsite evaluation of work ethic and capabilities is the continuation of the interview process.
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SSCrazy Eights
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Mike in Michigan (8/19/2009)
I can just picture companies deliberately bringing in people for a few days at low wages and no benefits and doing it over and over and over again to get a project done.
Not a good idea for the employees.
But lots of employers would just love it!
No time to document, no coordination, no hand-off from one dev to another, etc? Sounds more like a really good way to go over-budget and over-deadline in a way that might be able to get into the Guinness Book.
- GSquared
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
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