(Untitled)

[argon_vile]

so there's this new hire. working with him, it seems like he can't really program, and he never really contributes when we're writing code. when we're not writing code, he does a good job setting up little technology-demos which i'm pretty convinced won't help us accomplish any work. his main talent is technology buzzwords inserting into his

Comments

[palpablevt]

Be careful he doesn't read this, or else you might be facing the revenge of ghorst! :O

Yeah, I don't know what to say about situations like these. I've been at both ends of it. When the other person clearly knows more than me, I usually stay out of their way. I learn best by having a person explain their finished code, anyway. It's good that you're at least explaining what you're doing - I've worked with people who won't do that.

[argon_vile]

whinneyeey--ey-neeiiighah! (spooky horse noise)

yeah i've been in situations where i was paired with someone who was way more comfortable than me about a subject. Even when they're very good about explaining stuff, it can be difficult to follow.

so it's definitely something i can relate to. one crucial difference being that, if i don't know how to do something, and i'm at the keyboard, i'll pass the keyboard back.

[arichnad]

this sounds like the crux. i'm glad you can relate to this. people get flustered when they're driving and i'm suggesting things for them to do that they don't understand. it's often hard to explain things i understand to people who don't have any frame of reference.

[pessen]

CRON JOB!

I've heard of that before. :-P

[brokenwingx9]

yeah, it might be worth protecting this entry...

But yeah, no doubt. Lots of the tech industry is filled with this kind of person. It's a pretty sad state of affairs, really.

[argon_vile]

it's tough to judge programming. it would be easier if we were all long-distance runners.

[brokenwingx9]

Actually, if you just run em through even a slightly involved programming exam it should become kinda obvious. But yeah, even in some cases it's not cut-and-dry.

Also, I think most good programmers would probably miserably fail at long-distance running.

[sabournine]

I think you were doing the other guy a favor. The one who quit and stuff. He probably did some soul-searching and found a job he is good at and enjoys a lot more.

Or... maybe he never found another job again. But let's be optimistic right? .)

[argon_vile]

well you're right that not all changes are for the worse. maybe he's doing product testing at a play-doh factory or something really fun!

Notes from a bitter ex-tech-lead

[hellamander]

Dunno what the politics are like around there, but you should definitely go to your manager (or whoever decided to pair you with this guy) after a session like that. If your manager's doing his job, he should respond to an honest "I kinda think this guy is wasting my and the company's time" if you give him examples and why you think it isn't just the learning curve.

An engineer should only need to worry about the engineering; management should take care of the people problems. I realize that, as a decent person, you don't want to mess up the other guy's job and self-esteem, but don't sacrifice your own job satisfaction to do so; giving him an honest chance is the most anyone could reasonably expect from you. If he can't hack it, he shouldn't be there to pull you down any longer than necessary.

Re: Notes from a bitter ex-tech-lead

[aparna]

i was refraining from commenting on this post, but i have to agree here. while you are paired with this person, the quality/quantity of your output is directly linked to their ability to actually do the work. if they are not good enough that means that the stuff that's being produced with your name on it isn't good enough, and you shouldn't let that continue to happen. it sucks to either have to do the whole thing on your own or be bogged down with dead weight (especially if they don't seem to be learning anything from you!). definitely talk to your manager.

Re: Notes from a bitter ex-tech-lead

[hellamander]

okay. well he is still very fresh meat, he only got hired like 3 weeks ago. but next time i'm paired with him and he's dragging me down i'll take your advice. thanks.

Re: Notes from a bitter ex-tech-lead

[hellamander]

the politics are clean, i don't really have a good excuse for not bringing it up to my manager except

a. i haven't had to deal with this guy too often and

b. he's only been here for like 3 weeks so maybe it's just a matter of ramping up

you're right, i shouldn't cut him slack at the cost of my job satisfaction... if he gets to me again i'll talk to my manager.