Here is a personal anecdote on the cost of not hiring a right person.
I have a very strong background in low level (embedded as well as device driver) software development. I have a long and visible track record in U-Boot development, including being a sub-repository "lieutenant".
Canonical advertised for a "Ubuntu Mobile Developer - ARM" developer for which I felt (and still feel) I was a very strong candidate. I submitted my resume and got no response. I did some searching and found the contact within Canonical who was responsible for the position and got an immediate response when I contacted him.
I did a phone interview with a Canonical employee, not the person hiring but another who was a technical expert. I thought the interview went well overall, but he seemed disturbed that I had not actively used Bazaar even though I had used other DVCSes, including evaluating several of them for U-Boot - I ultimately recommended git for U-Boot. I've also used Mercurial extensively in my job, so I would say I have more than passing familiarity with DVCSes.
Anyway, I didn't "make the cut" with Canonical. I've since gotten a new job and am no longer in the market, but Canonical is now advertising for three software engineers for that position http://webapps.ubuntu.com/employment/canonical_SE%20PS%20HB1....
The kicker? Canonical did not have "familiarly with uBoot" [sic] as a desirable qualification for candidates before I applied. They added it immediately after I entered their interview process. In other words, Canonical did not even know they were looking for me before I applied, discovered that at least one of my qualifications were important because I applied, and yet did not hire me. A year and a half later, not only have they not filled the position, they now have three copies of the unfilled position.
I have a very strong background in low level (embedded as well as device driver) software development. I have a long and visible track record in U-Boot development, including being a sub-repository "lieutenant".
Canonical advertised for a "Ubuntu Mobile Developer - ARM" developer for which I felt (and still feel) I was a very strong candidate. I submitted my resume and got no response. I did some searching and found the contact within Canonical who was responsible for the position and got an immediate response when I contacted him.
I did a phone interview with a Canonical employee, not the person hiring but another who was a technical expert. I thought the interview went well overall, but he seemed disturbed that I had not actively used Bazaar even though I had used other DVCSes, including evaluating several of them for U-Boot - I ultimately recommended git for U-Boot. I've also used Mercurial extensively in my job, so I would say I have more than passing familiarity with DVCSes.
Anyway, I didn't "make the cut" with Canonical. I've since gotten a new job and am no longer in the market, but Canonical is now advertising for three software engineers for that position http://webapps.ubuntu.com/employment/canonical_SE%20PS%20HB1....
The kicker? Canonical did not have "familiarly with uBoot" [sic] as a desirable qualification for candidates before I applied. They added it immediately after I entered their interview process. In other words, Canonical did not even know they were looking for me before I applied, discovered that at least one of my qualifications were important because I applied, and yet did not hire me. A year and a half later, not only have they not filled the position, they now have three copies of the unfilled position.
Go figure.