This is why I won't ever work for a FAANG company. I am too old for such shenanigans, and I am not underpaid at my current gig. Plus, I'm spoiled -- every single job in my career (even the first one, LOL) has been a trusted referral. So I usually just sit down with the hiring manager and one of their tech leads (if I'm not interviewing to be the tech lead...) and it's pretty relaxed. Sometimes we just go to a local pub and meet over beers. I'm no 10x developer, but I'm pretty good at cutting out the bullshit, unfucking existing projects, and getting them out the door. A solid track record makes it really easy to get referrals.
This is where I'm ending up too. Word of mouth from people I trust is really the only way to go any more. Too many companies have dogshit cultures, and I'm happy where I am. Unless my current job suddenly goes downhill, why dance through this insane bullshit for some comp that will barely make me any happier?
