The Ask HN: Who is hiring? post outlines mandatory location tags, remote status, and affiliation rules.
HACKER NEWS THREAD SETS STRICT RULES FOR HIRING POSTS
*The Ask HN: Who is hiring? thread lays out hard‑line posting guidelines. It forces transparency on location, remote status, and company affiliation. Violations are barred by community etiquette.*
The Hacker News community has turned its Ask HN platform into a regulated hiring board. In November 2026, a moderator‑style post titled “Ask HN: Who is hiring?” laid out a strict checklist for any company wishing to advertise a vacancy. The guidelines are blunt: state the location, flag remote options, and confirm personal affiliation with the hiring firm. The thread also bans recruiting agencies and job boards, limiting entries to one per company. By imposing these constraints, the community seeks to cut noise, ensure authenticity, and give job seekers a reliable source of openings. The post further outlines comment etiquette and points readers to external aggregators that compile the listings for easier consumption.
What are the posting requirements?
The thread demands a clear location tag. Posters must include REMOTE, REMOTE (US) or ONSITE when remote work is not an option. Only individuals who are part of the hiring company may post; recruiting firms and job boards are excluded. Each company gets a single post. If the firm is not a household name, the poster must explain what the company does. The post must indicate an active vacancy and a commitment to reply to applicants. These rules aim to keep the thread factual and actionable.
How does the community enforce etiquette?
Commenters are instructed not to reply to job posts with complaints; such replies are deemed off‑topic. Readers are told to email only if they are personally interested in the job. The thread’s moderators and veteran users police these norms, removing posts that violate the posting or comment guidelines. The strict tone keeps the thread focused on genuine hiring signals rather than debate.
Where can seekers find aggregated listings?
The post lists several third‑party aggregators that scrape the thread. Options include https://gethnjobs.com/, https://hnwork.app, https://dheerajck.github.io/hnwhoishiring/, http://nchelluri.github.io/hnjobs/, and https://hnjobs.emilburzo.com. Each site republishes the raw postings, giving job hunters a consolidated view without navigating the original thread. The links are provided directly in the source text.
What related thread does the post reference?
At the end of the message, readers are pointed to another discussion titled “Who wants to be hired?” with a direct link to https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50338726. That thread flips the script, inviting candidates to advertise themselves. The cross‑reference suggests a broader ecosystem of hiring and job‑seeking threads on Hacker News.
Frequently asked questions
How should I format the location in a Hacker News hiring post?
Posters must state the location and include REMOTE, REMOTE (US) or ONSITE when remote work is not an option.
Can recruiting firms post in the Hacker News hiring thread?
No. Only individuals who are personally part of the hiring company may post; recruiting firms and job boards are prohibited.
Where can I find a compiled list of Hacker News hiring posts?
Aggregators listed in the thread include gethnjobs.com, hnwork.app, dheerajck.github.io/hnwhoishiring, nchelluri.github.io/hnjobs, and hnjobs.emilburzo.com.
The enforced structure of the hiring thread reflects Hacker News’s broader commitment to signal integrity. By demanding location tags, personal affiliation, and a single entry per firm, the community filters out spam and speculative listings. The ancillary links to aggregators and the reference to a candidate‑focused thread create a self‑contained hiring ecosystem. As the tech talent market tightens, such disciplined, community‑run channels may become a model for other platforms seeking to balance openness with quality.
Sources: [Hacker News – Ask HN: Who is hiring? (November 2026)]