Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Why incompetent people get paid more at big companies and continue?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 22 posts

Re: Ask HN: Why incompetent people get paid more at big companies and continue?

#11

Post by pshyco »

I had the same thought but after closely working and observing what they do on day to day basis, here I have come up with few reasons:

1. They understand the day to day Operations of the company better.

2. Non-IT people find it easier to deal with them.

3. They're easy going, less demanding in terms of the Company culture and technologies used.

4. They tend to stay for long time in the company - that means Loyalty. Most companies appreciate and reward Loyalty.

5. They aren't Incompetent. They are just good at what they do, for long time, which new comers might dispute as being lazy, not passionate about technology.

Lastly, most of the jobs don't require you to be genius.

Re: Ask HN: Why incompetent people get paid more at big companies and continue?

#12

Post by cesarbs »

pshyco wrote: post #11

I had the same thought but after closely working and observing what they do on day to day basis, here I have come up with few reasons: 1. They understand the day to day Operations of the company better. 2. Non-IT people find it easier to deal with them. 3. They're easy going, less demanding in terms of the Company culture and technologies used. 4. They tend to stay for long time in the company - that means Loyalty. M…

> 5. They aren't Incompetent. They are just good at what they do, for long time, which new comers might dispute as being lazy, not passionate about technology.

I'm fairly sure I would fall in OP's "incompetent" bucket, but this point of yours nailed it. I'm not among the oldest people around and I haven't been that long at the company I work at, but I definitely don't have the passion and drive of the single, early 20s guys in my team.

Give me a task and I'll do it well. But don't expect me to be 100% of the time on social media promoting the product, and don't expect to see me voluntarily working nights and weekends just because the product is really cool (which it really is, but it's still work). I have 1) a family and 2) multiple other interests outside of work.

Re: Ask HN: Why incompetent people get paid more at big companies and continue?

#13

Post by cesarbs »

codeonfire wrote: post #7

It's called corruption. As engineers we can see real work that each person is doing. When someone who is a diversity hire hasn't written any code for months after starting it is obvious but management will look the other way. People want money and tech pays more than almost every other job. Once a bad seed criminal type gets into management they can do a lot of damage. They will slaughter anyone who might expose them…

> When someone who is a diversity hire

What are you trying to imply here?

Re: Ask HN: Why incompetent people get paid more at big companies and continue?

#14

Post by [deleted] »

codeonfire wrote: post #7

It's called corruption. As engineers we can see real work that each person is doing. When someone who is a diversity hire hasn't written any code for months after starting it is obvious but management will look the other way. People want money and tech pays more than almost every other job. Once a bad seed criminal type gets into management they can do a lot of damage. They will slaughter anyone who might expose them…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Why incompetent people get paid more at big companies and continue?

#16

Post by codeonfire »

cesarbs wrote: post #13
codeonfire wrote: post #7

It's called corruption. As engineers we can see real work that each person is doing. When someone who is a diversity hire hasn't written any code for months after starting it is obvious but management will look the other way. People want money and tech pays more than almost every other job. Once a bad seed criminal type gets into management they can do a lot of damage. They will slaughter anyone who might expose them…

> When someone who is a diversity hire What are you trying to imply here?

I'm not implying anything. It means what is says.

Re: Ask HN: Why incompetent people get paid more at big companies and continue?

#17

Post by partyingcat »

codeonfire wrote: post #16
cesarbs wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> When someone who is a diversity hire What are you trying to imply here?

I'm not implying anything. It means what is says.

indeed sir there is implication here with the added adjective of "diversity"

Re: Ask HN: Why incompetent people get paid more at big companies and continue?

#18

Post by partyingcat »

cesarbs wrote: post #13
codeonfire wrote: post #7

It's called corruption. As engineers we can see real work that each person is doing. When someone who is a diversity hire hasn't written any code for months after starting it is obvious but management will look the other way. People want money and tech pays more than almost every other job. Once a bad seed criminal type gets into management they can do a lot of damage. They will slaughter anyone who might expose them…

> When someone who is a diversity hire What are you trying to imply here?

I second this comment

Re: Ask HN: Why incompetent people get paid more at big companies and continue?

#20

Post by cesarbs »

codeonfire wrote: post #16
cesarbs wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> When someone who is a diversity hire What are you trying to imply here?

I'm not implying anything. It means what is says.

That "diversity" you put there is really snarky. You seem to be implying that non-diversity (which you're very likely thinking of as white males) hires all perform well and only diversity hires underperform.
Post reply on HN