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Should Younger Developers Be Paid More?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the you-deserve-a-raise dept.

jammag writes "A project manager describes facing an upset senior developer who learned that a new hire — a fresh college grad — would be making 30 percent more than him. The reason: the new grad knew a hot emerging technology that a client wanted. Yes, the senior coder was majorly pissed off. But with the constant upheaval in new technology, this situation is almost unavoidable — or is it? And at any rate, is it fair?"

8 of 785 comments (clear)

  1. Keep up or shut up by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    While I agree that experience should, of course, count towards salary--I've also encountered a *LOT* of IT staff in general and programmers in particular who stubbornly refused to learn anything new after they left college (or shortly afterward). They fell further and further behind and became more useless every day. I have absolutely no sympathy for someone who works in a field as fast-changing as a computer-related field and refuses to learn new skills (including, *GASP*, on your OWN time). These are not professions in which it is cute (or acceptable in any way) to be the old curmudgeon.

    Would you want a doctor who still exclusively used surgical techniques from the 50's to perform your open-heart surgery? Would you want a mechanic who hasn't learned anything new in 20 years to work on your Prius? Well, the IT world changes *way* faster than either of those fields.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Keep up or shut up by somersault · · Score: 5, Insightful

      the IT world changes *way* faster than either of those fields.

      Things change fast sure, but by that token, not all of the changes are permanent or important. I'm not averse to learning new stuff if it's proven, but I don't go running after new stuff simply because it's there. Old programming languages still work fine for new tech if they have appropriate libraries, etc.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    2. Re:Keep up or shut up by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Well, ask yourself this. If your boss came to you and said "We're working on a new project and I want you to learn how to program for the iPhone" would you argue with him for an hour on how the iPhone sucks, or would you embrace it as a new opportunity to learn something new?

      That's the difference between someone who's intellectually curious (and always looking to better themselves) and someone who's dug their heals in and is becoming more a liability every day.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    3. Re:Keep up or shut up by turbidostato · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Nobody needs to know what you make, and honestly it causes nothing but trouble."

      Specially for the company.

      Information is power. The company knows what each and everyone makes, you do not. More bargaining power for the company, less bargaining power to you, little bee.

  2. maybe? by bhcompy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If the senior programmer knows the language or shows an aptitude for picking it up quick(which many quality programmers can do), then I think it's a slap in the face, particularly if the rookie has no realworld experience and no portfolio.

    Otherwise, if the senior programmer knows BASIC with no ability to learn C# and the rookie knows C# and is hired for C#, I don't see the problem.

  3. This isn't an obviously easy question by Omnifarious · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There are a lot of interesting issues here. First, the developer could've trained themselves in the new technology outside the company. Would the company have believed they had the skill? I know I routinely teach myself new things when they look interesting to me. I also know that it can be hard to get anybody to believe I actually know it.

    And I don't really feel the developer has complete responsibility for doing this either. A good company will encourage its employees to learn new things and provide training. If they don't, they are basically calling their people disposable. They would rather hire new young college grads, even at a premium salary, than train their existing employees, even if it cost less in the long run.

    Lastly, I really think this betrays a bias for youth over everything. And, to some extent, it's a bias I can understand. When I was younger, I wrote more code and faster than I do now. It wasn't as good, and I'm a much better programmer than I was. But companies frequently prefer code that's 'finished' to code that works well. I think it stinks, and I think companies are selling themselves short and limiting their own lifetimes by doing things that way.

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    Need a Python, C++, Unix, Linux develop
  4. Here is how you handle this by fishbowl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This, and many similar workplace situations:

    1. Have zero debt.
    2. Have, in a money market account, distinct from your investments, one year of your carefully budgeted living expenses.

    When these two conditions are true, conversations with your boss will tend to take a very different tone from most people's expectations.

    --
    -fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
  5. Re:The Real question is... by seebs · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't agree. The good programmers I know are better in a new language after a week than a "fresh grad" who's studied the language for a full year. The bulk of what makes for quality software is not domain-specific. People who have learned five or ten programming languages already are usually fine in a new one on very short notice.

    Age doesn't matter. Experience does, in terms of the actual quality of output you get.

    --
    My blog: http://www.seebs.net/log/ --- My iPhone/iPad app: http://www.seebs.net/seebsfrac/