As an interviewer I've given you a heads up before the meeting what is being tested for. Some time to practice, do pre-work, research the company, etc.
Dumping at the start of that meeting out of the blue this criteria, is not a two-way street equal reciprocation of that respect. If you'd kill for ten candidates, you can have him. I've had ~230 for 2 position this week and I'm testing for EQ also. Maybe changing requirements on people at the last minute fits in your work culture.
~250 Candidates? Sure mate, I'd be surprised if at the end of your application process 5 of them remain and are still available.
Companies are having a very hard time finding software engineers. For the first time in the history of the market, employee retention budgets are skyrocketing because recruiting is so expensive and hard. It's not rare to hear software engineers getting a sudden 30% raise out of the blue.
Because they know we're in high demand, and they know that if we switch jobs we'll get a 30% raise, at a minimum.
If you truly have a position that is averaging 100 applicants, you are hiring on the margins.
You either have a position that is so elite and aspirational that it is paid accordingly and people are flocking to it - and good luck filtering out the majority of resumes that Dunning-Krugered their way into your inbox before the elite candidate moves on. Or, you have a position with requirements so low that you can easily get candidates by the bucketful and take your time to sift through to find a diamond.
Dumping at the start of that meeting out of the blue this criteria, is not a two-way street equal reciprocation of that respect. If you'd kill for ten candidates, you can have him. I've had ~230 for 2 position this week and I'm testing for EQ also. Maybe changing requirements on people at the last minute fits in your work culture.