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It’s just a possible signal. When you have 30 equally qualified candidates, you will take any signal you can get. Homelessness could indicate drug addiction, m

It’s just a possible signal. When you have 30 equally qualified candidates, you will take any signal you can get. Homelessness could indicate drug addiction, mental health issues, poor history of financial decisions, lack of social support network (below average social skills). In a 200 resume pile, SOME of those people will have bad personal lives that could negatively affect their work performance, maybe not always, but perhaps episodically. And there’s a Goldilocks zone of financial need. If you are too rich, then we might as well be paying you Monopoly money. Those people can act in unexpected ways since they live in a different incentive world than their team members. If someone is in dire financial straits, they might suddenly have their car repossessed or begin stealing from you. It’s standard to do a credit check for certain financial roles to make sure the candidate isn’t a theft risk.

pfannkuchen 3y ago
> If you are too rich, then we might as well be paying you Monopoly money I’ve wondered if this is a significant factor in the industry’s ageism. For the past maybe 15+ years, software engineers who would have had a really solid resume at age 25 often have significant financial flexibility by the time they are in their 40s. Some of them check out of the industry, some of them focus on more cause-like efforts, and the remaining ones might be less dependable for the company in terms of overworking than they used to be back when they were still more financially motivated.
- futureshock 3y ago
  Yes, this is absolutely interrelated. Cognitive decline is not a real issue before typical retirement age. I suspect the following : Younger, less experienced managers being uncomfortable managing older more experienced workers. Life experience means older workers are less likely to put up with abuse, can recognize toxic situations, and have the personal skills to make proactive changes. Busier, fuller lives, and having already been burned out a few times means they won’t overwork themselves. And financial independence means they can stand up to bad situations and that getting fired is a speed bump, not an earthquake.

pfannkuchen 3y ago

> If you are too rich, then we might as well be paying you Monopoly money I’ve wondered if this is a significant factor in the industry’s ageism. For the past maybe 15+ years, software engineers who would have had a really solid resume at age 25 often have significant financial flexibility by the time they are in their 40s. Some of them check out of the industry, some of them focus on more cause-like efforts, and the remaining ones might be less dependable for the company in terms of overworking than they used to be back when they were still more financially motivated.

futureshock 3y ago
Yes, this is absolutely interrelated. Cognitive decline is not a real issue before typical retirement age. I suspect the following : Younger, less experienced managers being uncomfortable managing older more experienced workers. Life experience means older workers are less likely to put up with abuse, can recognize toxic situations, and have the personal skills to make proactive changes. Busier, fuller lives, and having already been burned out a few times means they won’t overwork themselves. And financial independence means they can stand up to bad situations and that getting fired is a speed bump, not an earthquake.