Summary
Bending Spoons, a $21 billion tech company that owns Eventbrite, Vimeo, and AOL, received 800,000 job applications last year but only hired 286 people. That is an acceptance rate of just 0.04%, making it 100 times harder to get a job there than to get into an Ivy League college. The company uses a unique hiring process that includes reasoning tests, interviews, and algorithm-based scoring. This story shows how tough the job market has become, especially for young workers.
Main Impact
The main takeaway is that getting a job at Bending Spoons is now extremely difficult. With only 286 hires out of 800,000 applicants, the company is more selective than top universities. This reflects a broader trend in the U.S. job market, where competition is fierce and many companies are cutting back on hiring. For job seekers, especially recent graduates, this means they face much tougher odds than in the past.
Key Details
What Happened
Bending Spoons, based in Milan, Italy, shared details about its hiring process for the first time. The company received 800,000 job applications in 2025. Out of those, 60,000 candidates passed the first round of screening. Those candidates then took tests that measured their reasoning, judgment, and ability to learn quickly. After that, they had interviews. Finally, the company used special algorithms to score each candidate based on both numbers and personal qualities. Only 286 people got job offers.
Important Numbers and Facts
The acceptance rate at Bending Spoons is 0.04%. That is 100 times more selective than Ivy League schools, which typically accept about 4% of applicants. The company has fewer than 1,000 employees. The number of applicants was larger than the populations of cities like Seattle, Boston, and Las Vegas. Less than 9% of people who got an interview ended up with a job offer.
Background and Context
The job market in the United States has become much harder in recent years. In 2025, job openings fell to 6.54 million, the lowest level since September 2020. In June 2026, employers added only 57,000 jobs, which was less than half the number from the month before. Many companies are using artificial intelligence to automate tasks, and they are making targeted cuts to their workforces. This has hit young workers especially hard. Companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Google have slowed hiring for entry-level roles. At the same time, the number of applicants for available jobs has gone up.
Public or Industry Reaction
Bending Spoons CEO Luca Ferrari said that if people saw how the company hires, they would think it is crazy. He believes that regular job interviews are almost useless and compared them to flipping a coin. Other companies are also seeing huge numbers of applicants. Match Group received more than 30,000 applications for just 27 internship spots. Goldman Sachs accepted less than 1% of applicants for its summer internship program for the third year in a row. Gecko Robotics, a smaller company, got 40,000 applications for 32 internship roles.
What This Means Going Forward
The trend of ultra-competitive hiring is likely to continue. As companies use more technology and automation, they may need fewer workers. Young people entering the job market will face even tougher competition. For businesses, this means they can be very picky about who they hire. But for job seekers, it means they need to stand out in new ways. The old method of sending out many resumes may not work anymore. Candidates may need to prepare for tests, interviews, and other screening steps.
Final Take
Bending Spoons' hiring numbers show just how hard it is to land a job at a top tech company today. With an acceptance rate of 0.04%, the odds are worse than getting into any Ivy League school. This is a clear sign that the job market has changed. For workers, especially those just starting out, the path to a good job is now much more difficult than it used to be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Bending Spoons so hard to get a job at?
Bending Spoons uses a very detailed hiring process. It includes tests for reasoning and learning speed, interviews, and algorithm-based scoring. The company is also a popular place to work, so it gets a huge number of applications. In 2025, it received 800,000 applications for only 286 jobs.
How does Bending Spoons' hiring process work?
First, candidates go through an initial screening. About 60,000 people passed this step in 2025. Then they take tests that check their reasoning, judgment, and learning speed. After that, they have an interview. Finally, the company uses algorithms to score each candidate. Less than 9% of people who get an interview end up with a job offer.
Is it harder to get a job at Bending Spoons than to get into an Ivy League college?
Yes. Bending Spoons' acceptance rate is 0.04%, which is 100 times more selective than Ivy League colleges. Ivy League schools typically accept about 4% of applicants. This means it is much harder to get a job at Bending Spoons than to get into a top university.
