As a company grows, there comes a point when engineering managers need to bring up junior developer talent. It can be daunting for both the manager and the junior dev. But with proper planning, it doesn’t have to be. Here are 6 tips you can use to make sure your junior developers are well-trained and successful.
Conduct 1 on 1’s
One of the best ways to bring up junior developer talent is to schedule regular 1 on 1 meetings with them. This gives you direct access to their progress and allows you to provide feedback in real time. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for you to check in with your junior devs and see how they’re feeling about their performance, workload, and overall job satisfaction.
Set Clear Objectives With Scorecards
It’s important that your junior devs have clear objectives that they can easily understand and measure progress against. Creating scorecards for each of your projects will help you keep track of what needs to get done and how close the team is getting to completion. The scorecard should also include specific goals such as weekly or monthly milestones so that everyone knows what needs to be achieved in order for the project to succeed.
Assign Only 3 Responsibilities On A Project at a time
As a manager, it’s important that you don’t overwhelm your junior developers with too many responsibilities at once. Instead, assign them only three main tasks on each project so that they don’t feel overwhelmed or like they are responsible for the entire project themselves. This will give them the confidence they need to work efficiently and effectively without feeling like they are in over their heads.
Set Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly Goals
Setting goals is key if you want your junior devs to be successful in their roles. Having weekly meetings with each of them will give them direction and focus while allowing you as a manager to stay updated on their progress towards those predetermined goals . Furthermore, having quarterly meetings will allow you all set new goals together – this helps keep everybody motivated and productive throughout long-term projects or initiatives .
Spend More Time In The Office To Build Camaraderie With Your Team
It’s essential that your engineers feel comfortable around one another in order for cohesive development processes occur . Spending more time in the office talking with other engineers (not just juniors) will help build camaraderie amongst team members which is helpful during debugging sessions because it encourages collaboration between different skill levels.
Additionally , being physically present can make all the difference if someone has a question or needs help troubleshooting an issue – something which would otherwise take ages over emails or Slack messages!
Hold Weekly Meetings To Check In On Progress & Address Issues Quickly
Finally , regular check-ins are important for any project but especially when managing junior developers! These weekly meetings should not just be about reviewing progress but also addressing any issues quickly before they become bigger problems down the line . It’s also a great way for everyone involved (juniors included) to express opinions , offer suggestions , ask questions , etc – which helps create an open communication environment where everyone feels heard!
Bringing up junior developer talent requires careful planning and dedication from both engineering managers and senior developers alike. By setting clear objectives , assigning manageable tasks , providing adequate guidance through meetings & 1 on 1s , spending more time in office building camaraderie amongst team members driving collaboration , regularly checking up on progress & addressing issues quickly – managers can ensure that their junior devs have everything they need to succeed!
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