The main case that 1-3 month trial periods don't work for is when the person you're considering hiring already has a good job, esp. one that they like. This is often/usually the case when you're talking about top tier talent. Want to try selling a stud on coming to work for you for a bit for a chance at a real job?

The event was "Startup Hiring: I've hired all my friends - now what?"

http://www.finance4founders.com/2009/10/19/startup-hiring-i%...

But it was an excellent post, and the slides are worth looking at too.

In my defense, it was a pun too obvious to resist.

And honestly, I think of a hack as a quick and/or dirty technique to get the job done (even if its ugly or imperfect, or falls apart under scrutiny). A hack is a shortcut of some sort.

Hiring seems like a situation where cutting corners is a bad idea with little to no payoff.

While the article was good, I don't see how these observations are hacks. Unless taking your time and being thorough is the hack. (By my definition, it is an anti-hack.)