It's reliable. However, it's not competitive. You're assuming that I have nothing better to do with my time than to work for you on a freelance contract for a month, with no guarantee of a full time position, probably no benefits, etc.
If I'm job hunting, I've got other offers on the table. Ones that do guarantee a salary for more than a month. Ones that include benefits. Ones that expire long before your trial hire would be over.
If you try using this method, I don't know of a top notch programmer that you would be able to attract, simply because the hiring process is too painful.
Exactly , this isn't something that would work either if somebody already has a job unless it's something they can do part time (but even that depends allot on their work hours and other commitments).
You can't really expect someone to quit their existing job just for a chance to work with you.
I imagine David is savvy enough to present it as a mutually beneficial arrangement.
As a prospective employee wouldn't you like to kick the tires before making the leap into a new job that you might find yourself wanting out of six weeks in? There's so many things you just can't know about a company until you're on the inside.
Edit: Remember that 37s has a lot to offer: Remote work with great people, top-tier name recognition in the tech world, and a long history of building and releasing open source tools. That's a really compelling package compared to some of the bigger names in tech.
If I'm uncertain enough to want a trial period, I'd also want to keep my options open. If the position wasn't a good fit, then by the time I find out, I've been forced to turn down my alternatives.
No matter how you look at it, you're asking me to take on significantly more risk with this process.
For developers that are in demand, it's a tough sell.
I'm sure you would like to , but it's not always practical.
Even organizations like the military who have fairly rigorous selection procedures do it in a way that can be fitted into a long weekend.
If I'm job hunting, I've got other offers on the table. Ones that do guarantee a salary for more than a month. Ones that include benefits. Ones that expire long before your trial hire would be over.
If you try using this method, I don't know of a top notch programmer that you would be able to attract, simply because the hiring process is too painful.