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You're pointing out an important difference: firing because of experience/performance vs firing because of behavior. Being a bit naive, making mistakes, and ne

You're pointing out an important difference: firing because of experience/performance vs firing because of behavior. Being a bit naive, making mistakes, and needing ramp-up time is to be expected, especially from a junior hire. You absolutely need to give time to correct that sort of thing, and firing fast is not a good move. Some of the best devs I've worked with needed a few months to ramp upbefore they hit full stride. On the other hand if someone is dicking around instead of working, being insubordinate, refusing to try to improve, upsetting coworkers, etc., then you've got behavioral problems on your hands. And those are absolutely good reasons to fire if they persist beyond an initial stern warning.

tajen 9y ago
I just want you to know that I'm a beginner in management (having hired two juniors for my startup), and I'll use this advice (The junior is not productive, but him being reasonably motivated is the reason why I'll keep him).
- noxToken 9y ago
  Conversely, ramp-up time should not be infinite. A junior employee should not be limping along after a year at the company. Either that person just isn't a fit, or there is something terribly wrong at your company.
  - j2bax 9y ago
    As a step before firing for a junior employee that shows any sign of promise, a 3-6 month performance improvement plan with regular check-ins and measurable progress points could make a world of difference. I currently have multiple juniors on PIP's and they are taking them very seriously and improving less than acceptable behaviors.
  - dwaltrip 9y ago
    As always, balance is key. Heuristics and rules of thumb are incomplete by definition, and a deep understanding of these dynamics is incredibly difficult to acquire :)
- hluska 9y ago
  I'm somewhat playing devil's advocate here, but how is your startup's documentation? Sometimes juniors have a hell of a lot of trouble admitting that they don't understand something. Consequently, they won't be productive because they not only don't understand what they're doing, but they don't want to demonstrate their ignorance. If I were in your shoes, I would do a couple of things: 1.) Make improving documentation a big part of their improvement plan. 2.) Make it very clear that you value clarity above all else and actively encourage them to tell you they don't understand something.

tajen 9y ago

I just want you to know that I'm a beginner in management (having hired two juniors for my startup), and I'll use this advice (The junior is not productive, but him being reasonably motivated is the reason why I'll keep him).

noxToken 9y ago
Conversely, ramp-up time should not be infinite. A junior employee should not be limping along after a year at the company. Either that person just isn't a fit, or there is something terribly wrong at your company.
- j2bax 9y ago
  As a step before firing for a junior employee that shows any sign of promise, a 3-6 month performance improvement plan with regular check-ins and measurable progress points could make a world of difference. I currently have multiple juniors on PIP's and they are taking them very seriously and improving less than acceptable behaviors.
- dwaltrip 9y ago
  As always, balance is key. Heuristics and rules of thumb are incomplete by definition, and a deep understanding of these dynamics is incredibly difficult to acquire :)
hluska 9y ago
I'm somewhat playing devil's advocate here, but how is your startup's documentation? Sometimes juniors have a hell of a lot of trouble admitting that they don't understand something. Consequently, they won't be productive because they not only don't understand what they're doing, but they don't want to demonstrate their ignorance. If I were in your shoes, I would do a couple of things: 1.) Make improving documentation a big part of their improvement plan. 2.) Make it very clear that you value clarity above all else and actively encourage them to tell you they don't understand something.