Employees should pick a path that makes them happy no matter where they work.
If given grunt work then build an automated tool instead.
Ask your manager to let you work on something super interesting that is related to the company's core business for at least 20% of your time.
Identify your most talented coworkers and make them apart of your social network long term. Usually they end as a VP/CTO/CEO and it is much easier to follow them than to get to the top on your own.
Flat out just ask the VP of whatever group you like lead one day to mentor you.
Keep track of how your company/group might fail and when you're sure it is too late to save it, change to another position that is trending better.
Don't bail until you've gotten everything you can from your current company.
Do your job so you can describe it in your next interview as an example of why they should hire you.
Why some of the best developers keep quitting
11–20 of 172 posts
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#12I'm reading this and I just can't help but laugh. Let's say a company decides to do a "stay working here interview" and then the developer points out the things they would like to work on and the ideas they want to develop - things that they are interested in and excited. These ideas and work projects are going to be prevented because the organizational flaws are inherent in the company and pretty much unsolvable... if the company wasn't structurally awful they would have found a way to make the projects happen.
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#13I definitely try to take the mantra "never be the smartest person in the room" to heart. It has been a fairly decent indicator of how enjoyable I've found working those particular roles.
How do you know when taking a job if you will be working with smart or dumb people? I'm not having good luck and want to work with smart people...
Technical interview is a good place to start gathering intel. Flip it and ask them out about stuff you know. Are they curious, are they knowledgeable. Curiosity is usually a great indicator.
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#14And sometimes there's not even an exit interview.
I left a job voluntarily and they sent me an online quiz.
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#15Employees should pick a path that makes them happy no matter where they work. If given grunt work then build an automated tool instead. Ask your manager to let you work on something super interesting that is related to the company's core business for at least 20% of your time. Identify your most talented coworkers and make them apart of your social network long term. Usually they end as a VP/CTO/CEO and it is much ea…
Company is not your mom, it's a agent of a trade on a job market. If it can demand something from you, then you can do the same.
In fact, not only is your job to provide company with a product of your labor, but it also is a job of the management to provide you what you want and need (interesting tasks, a path for long-term development).
Let me repeat again, it's not a privilege to ask for this, they HAVE to do this.
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#16It's rare to also see these articles point out the immense pay discrepancy that can occur. Companies seem to want loyalty but they don't want to give it. This leads to the merc approach of just selling to the highest bidder.
In my experience while a developer will say it's not about the money, if the gap is big enough it is disrespectful to the developer and they will (easily) find employment elsewhere. Often time's it's not actually about the money. But the low pay (relatively) is a signal to the developer of how much / little you value them.
This is, historically, where I was at. Consistently delivering high-quality stuff that makes my fellow devs able to do their jobs faster and better, and while in the top quartile of salaries, it wasn't remotely reflective of the value being generated. That's why I went into consulting in the first place.
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#17What do hyper-productive teams look like these days? I've always been part of small teams, with only a few true workhorses, joined by other filler bodies. Productivity was mostly a mystery to management.
I do not understand team sizes of 50+ for some web app product. The formula only requires a few (3) workhorses that make up a collaboration of skills in product design and engineering, and finding ways to keep them curious. Add a junior position if a workhorse is keen on mentorship.
Why take on such high risk with a large team?
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#18I definitely try to take the mantra "never be the smartest person in the room" to heart. It has been a fairly decent indicator of how enjoyable I've found working those particular roles.
How do you know when taking a job if you will be working with smart or dumb people? I'm not having good luck and want to work with smart people...
Employers have the same concerns for their potential hires, that's why there are interview processes after all. Leverage these interviews to ask the right questions.
They may get surprised when you turn the table around, just remind them that interviews go both ways.
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#19None of these 4 reasons (TD;LR: you waited until the exit interview, you assume mentors want to manage, you assume the natural ascension of developers is management and not higher-level IC roles, you aren't supporting them and their career) are why they quit. People quit because the modern, zero-loyalty, everyone-for-hire company does not provide a long term strategy for providing intrinsic motivation (autonomy, mast…
> it's best to look at your directs as someone to help them advance for their next job.
I'm happy to say this is my manager's position. I joined this team nearly 2 years ago mainly on the strength of a great discussion with him during the interview process, and our team is clearly excellent thanks to him, with significant investment in growth, responsibility and empowerment (I know they're buzzwords but ick, I don't know how better to say it).
(Just want to stem the tide of inevitable gripes that are going to show up)
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#20None of these 4 reasons (TD;LR: you waited until the exit interview, you assume mentors want to manage, you assume the natural ascension of developers is management and not higher-level IC roles, you aren't supporting them and their career) are why they quit. People quit because the modern, zero-loyalty, everyone-for-hire company does not provide a long term strategy for providing intrinsic motivation (autonomy, mast…
People quit because the modern, zero-loyalty, everyone-for-hire company does not provide a long term strategy for providing intrinsic motivation (autonomy, mastery, purpose)
Rands refers to this as your "shields down" moment.