There is a common misconception that junior developers are a burden and won’t be delivering value for the first months or even years. Yet, observing my own contributions, I realised how my insights were useful for my team from day one. Working with agile methodologies, using pair programming and code review, you can contribute to your team, deliver value and learn on the job. In this talk I will try to explain why hiring Juniors makes business sense for your company and/or team and how to properly get the most out of every team member no matter their level of experience.

1. The Fake problem with hiring juniors
Berta Devant
Madrid | November 30 - December 1, 2018

2. Experience.contains(value)

5. " We need someone
who can actually bring
value to our team "
Actual rejection for a job

6. • Mentorship
• Network
• Ability to learn

7. Good Developer Bad Developer
Images from Eric Elliot post on how to be 10x Developer

8. Code + People + Learning = DEV

9. "Our Team can't afford to hire a Junior
Developer right now"

10. "An implicit acknowledgement that they have
no idea how to manage developers. They can
only hire people who can manage themselves
and work in total chaos. "
https://medium.com/dangerous-engineering/how-to-hire-bootcamp-grads-or-th
e-design-of-engineering-teams-4dd85468faa9

11. A+ Software Team
❏ People Lead
❏ Technical Lead/Mentor
❏ Training Time & Budget
❏ Organized Documentation &
Processes
❏ Clear Specified Roles

13. ❏ Question EVERYTHING
❏ Test your team's knowledge
❏ Promotes exchange of information
❏ Promotes learning
❏ Promotes mentorship
❏ Invested in the team
Why should I hire a Junior Dev?

14. Junior Dev -> Good Dev
NOT understand programming
concepts like abstraction and
architecture
❏ Include your dev into
meetings/conversations about
architecture early on
❏ [Help them write Architecture
documentation]

15. Junior Dev -> Good Dev
Will produce code without keeping
performance or maintainability in
mind
❏ Use code reviews to mentor
and explain why clean code is
important
❏ [Read Clean Code]

16. Junior Dev -> Good Dev
Can use libraries & frameworks,
does not understand how they
work
❏ Pair Program when using said
frameworks and delve into
them together

17. Junior Dev -> Good Dev
Will need occasional guidance on
how to solve a problems and
release features
❏ Make a regular event to share
tech knowledge
❏ Include Tech discussions at the
end of Daily standup

18. Junior Dev -> Good Dev
Afraid to ask for help
❏ Make sure your team ask
questions regularly and set a
good environment
❏ Foster communication even
outside of work

19. Good > Experience
Grow Talent > Hiring
Junior != Useless
Training track for ALL

20. Thank you!
Twitter: @bertadevant