>To follow the author's analogy, by mentoring someone, we're effectively "adding a fish" to the pond, and if someone else "catches" the fish, that effort is largely wasted.
Even more curious is that IT culture is basically that if you want to get paid what you're worth, you have to quit and go to another company.
So these companies put all this effort into raising a better developer, and then refuse to pay them what they're now worth and basically force them to go elsewhere.
It's not "what if they go elsewhere" under that situation, it's "when".
I'd argue that you don't even have to "pay more than everyone around you". Simply coming close to parity is enough to stop most people from going through the pain of a job search. But these companies don't even get that close.
The last time I switched jobs, I got a 40% pay increase. That's ridiculous. I even told the company I was underpaid and they asked if I could wait a year for a raise. I didn't even answer the question. I just walked away and started looking for a job.
They weren't surprised when I found one and quit.
And a couple weeks before I left, they put in a job ad for 7 developers, offering what I was making at my new job for each of them. I've been at this new job as a senior developer for 8 years now.
Could I make more? Almost certainly. But they gave me decent raises and have a good culture (almost zero overtime in 8 years) and benefits, and I don't feel like leaving.
Even more curious is that IT culture is basically that if you want to get paid what you're worth, you have to quit and go to another company.
So these companies put all this effort into raising a better developer, and then refuse to pay them what they're now worth and basically force them to go elsewhere.
It's not "what if they go elsewhere" under that situation, it's "when".
I'd argue that you don't even have to "pay more than everyone around you". Simply coming close to parity is enough to stop most people from going through the pain of a job search. But these companies don't even get that close.
The last time I switched jobs, I got a 40% pay increase. That's ridiculous. I even told the company I was underpaid and they asked if I could wait a year for a raise. I didn't even answer the question. I just walked away and started looking for a job.
They weren't surprised when I found one and quit.
And a couple weeks before I left, they put in a job ad for 7 developers, offering what I was making at my new job for each of them. I've been at this new job as a senior developer for 8 years now.
Could I make more? Almost certainly. But they gave me decent raises and have a good culture (almost zero overtime in 8 years) and benefits, and I don't feel like leaving.