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Sep 29, 2013 · The idea of a rockstar programmer is a myth, but that doesn't mean you can't get programmers who are 10x more productive than others. If you read through Peopleware (DeMarco and Lister) they ran studies many moons ago looking at programmer productivity and they found the oft posited 10x difference.
- Hiring Companies
- Developers
- Agency Recruiters
Programmers tend to ignore job ads with unclear titles.
The data team at Workopolis have analysed450.000 job postings. One of their findings was that job ads with regular titles performed significantly better than the eccentric ones. For example, the ad for a “Data Analyst” performed 14% better than the one for a “Data Ninja.”
“Rockstar” ads won’t help companies filter out less experienced candidates.
First of all, you should keep in mind the Dunning-Krueger effect. Instead of getting the top talent applying for your “rockstar” ad, you might get a bunch of mediocre developers who have a way too high opinion of their abilities. Secondly, those who fit the qualifications of a “rock star” wouldn’t probably look at your opening. They will be interested in working for a business with a cult status, such as Alphabet or SpaceX.
Your company wouldn’t want to pay “rockstar” developers a “rockstar” salary.
In 2010, Nathan Hurst compared the differencein the median paychecks of programmers vs rockstar programmers and musicians vs rock stars. The trend has not changed since then. Image credit: Nathan Hurst for Hirelite
Non-specific job titles only confuse developers.
Candidates need clarity when it comes to job descriptions. They need to understand what the company does, who it is looking for, and what the job responsibilities are.
“Weird” job titles can foster high expectations from developers and lead to anxiety.
Jo Franchetti of Samsung writes that perfectionism-related anxietyis frequent among tech industry employees. One of the key reasons: the hype around “tech celebrities” (read: gurus, ninjas, rockstars, geniuses). While less self-reliant engineers might feel shut out by the demanding industry, some will drive themselves to a burnout by trying to master many different technologies.
Eccentric ads might lead to the distortion of the career and learning goals.
Many young engineers focus not on how to find optimal solutions, but on how to be cool in solving the problems. It becomes not about excelling one’s craftsmanship anymore, but rather about fame. Just google “How to become a rock star developer” and see it for yourself.
“Creative” job titles often hurt the client company’s brand.
It is a responsibility of agency recruiters to be marketers and brand advocates of their client company. “Rockstar” ads usually don’t help the company’s brand too much. On the contrary, they can significantly damage the client’s reputation as an employer (unless they are called Rockstar Games).
Weird ads do not help companies define their recruitment goals.
As mentioned before, they suggest the company’s inability to articulate what or who it is looking for. If the client is not sure about its talent strategy or recruitment goals, it’s your task as recruiters to educate and consult the client. This involves convincing them to give up pointless job titles.
“Rockstar” titles diminish the importance of soft skills.
Recruiters must understand that soft skills are as vital for developers as hard skills. So what does a superstar have to do with being a loyal part of a team? What does a guru have to do with being able to learn? These titles send quite the opposite message.
Mar 4, 2015 · “Rockstar Developers” are a dangerous myth. Recently I’ve run across several uses of the phrase “rockstar developer” or “rockstar programmer” (“code ninja” is another hip variant). The term shows up on slashdot, for example.
Feb 24, 2018 · A “rockstar developer” is a myth. So let’s not nurture myths. “Save the ninjas, rock stars, and geniuses for cartoons and costume parties; they could be costing you real star talent.”
But the real Rockstar programmer is the one who you call on when your team is completely stuck. Thus guy comes in looks around, thinks for a bit, and then pulls a solution right out of his ass. Often a solution that they start with a bit of code but then hand it back to the team to happily run with.
Nov 10, 2009 · The Singular Secret of the Rockstar Programmer. by Max Kanat-Alexander. November 10, 2009. Before all the laws of software, before the purpose of software, before the science of software design itself, there is a singular fact that determines the success or failure of a software developer.
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Is a rockstar developer a myth?
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Are Rockstar developers more productive than good developers?
The most important reason we have to insist on the "rockstar programmer" being a myth is that it takes attention away from the CEO that wants to be the rockstar. Rockstars also have more leverage, which chaffs the suits who want you to be just another drone that they can shuffle around like an office chair.
