David Heinemeier Hansson

37signals is hiring a new junior programmer with a surprising yearly salary of $145,849. They are seeking someone with exceptional potential, not just existing knowledge. The company believes that hiring individuals fresh from school or early in their careers allows for a steeper growth trajectory compared to those with five years of experience whose improvement paths are more predictable.

Why we won't hire a junior with five years of experience

Let’s see:
“…a programmer who’s been working professionally for five years has likely already revealed their potential”
Looks like age discrimination to me.

I don’t get them. Sounds to me like a lot of “ingenuous HR bullshit”.
What about the Sr. Devs already in the company? Did they already “reached their potential”?
Not that 150K is astonishing salary to SF region. Good luck, I hope this does not turn as bad as it looks in my head 😀👍

Juniors are great for bringing in a different perspective on things because they are not tied to the boring truths senior devs already know.
Unfortunately, most of the time, as you are their first work experience, you are just a training ground for them, a place for them to make there first mistakes.
And as soon as they get a better offer - or when their mistakes catch up to them - they jump ship.
And guess who gets to clean up all that technical debt? Yes, your senior devs. Those “without potential”.

Sounds like hr speak for “we don’t wanna have to pay the senior deva what they are actually worth”
And they wonder why people don’t work for them long term