Reply to: Firing Fellow Contractor

[d000hg]

Even if it's made up, it's an interesting discussion. If sockpuppets put thought into their made-up problems I have no problem with that, real people can still give advice or share their experiences of actual situations for everyone's benefit.

[DaveB]

MODS : Please close and/or lock this thread.

We have established that it is by a Sockie Troll, and as such, it is not a valid post, and is wasting people's time in responding to it. It's bogus.

If they started doing that we'd never get anything done around here

[Board Game Geek]

MODS : Please close and/or lock this thread.

We have established that it is by a Sockie Troll, and as such, it is not a valid post, and is wasting people's time in responding to it. It's bogus.

[Clippy]

I was trying to remember... was he the one who got 'raped' by his agent?

Yup.

In one post he was on something like £400 - £500 pd in another he seemed to suggest he was on the dole and wanted to know if he could claim JSA.

[d000hg]

I thought we had established ages ago that joey was a sockpuppet - a very poor one at that.

I was trying to remember... was he the one who got 'raped' by his agent?

[Clippy]

I thought we had established ages ago that joey was a sockpuppet - a very poor one at that.

[BrilloPad]

You have to be honest : or will backfire on you.

[vetran]

Management skills are different to technical skills

Hopefully they are asking you because they value your opinion. I'm assuming you wanted the team leader role?

Either its up front and honest or a test either way you need to give honest feedback.

If you carry him then he will drag you down.

If he is bad and shows no promise can him. If you think he can be salvaged then set a deadline with them & him and work to improve him. Tell them I have just started as his boss I think I can turn him around. At the end of the period re-evaluate and get him to make the decision to go if possible. Remember he is a contractor it goes with the territory.

Success or failure you will be seen as a good manager.

One assumes you will interview his replacement? So you can find one that fits and doesn't have aspirations to become the boss.

[d000hg]

BTW, how bad is 'terrible'? Like he doesn't know how to program, or is just slow?

[d000hg]

If you want to be nice, why not talk to the individual honestly about it? Just because they're a contractor doesn't mean you shouldn't see if there are ways to help them improve their productivity... at least you can see if they know they are failing or are oblivious and could be prodded into action.

You can then tell management 'He's not performing brilliantly but I am discussing with him ways to fix it before recommending more extreme steps'.

[Pogle]

Have been in a similar situation - Clientco asked my opinion of fellow contractor. It was his first contract and he was utter utter shyte. I was honest and his contract was not renewed.
The fact that client was asking what I thought of this chap was an indication they were not too impressed.
I don't like contractors who are not up to the job, it paints us all in a bad light.

[cojak]

I want to make sure I am clear

If he stays then I am pretty much guaranteed a job for a long time because before I go he will have to and I am heaps better

On the other hand if a really good developer joined then I might be bottom of the pile.

I am the lead developer by choice - It is not my job remit - I was asked to do it and accepted.

Irrelevant.

As Menelaus says - if you tell the manager that he's fine and 10 other people tell him he rubbish, you're going to be viewed as having poor judgement.

And I don't like having to carry incompetents.

And a really good developer still wouldn't have what you've got - experience and knowledge to the project.

[joey122]

Yes. Tell it how it is.

You'll find that people like that will manage to take the credit for the work that you did for him in the mistaken belief that you were doing him a favour.

I want to make sure I am clear

If he stays then I am pretty much guaranteed a job for a long time because before I go he will have to and I am heaps better

On the other hand if a really good developer joined then I might be bottom of the pile.

I am the lead developer by choice - It is not my job remit - I was asked to do it and accepted.

[cojak]

I work at a bank where one contractor is just completely useless. This is a tech team and he has told me categorically he has no interest in IT.

His analysis of systems is poor and communication skills also poor.

I am the lead developer on the team and my manager has asked me for feedback on this contractor.

Should I be honest and tell him how useless he is (My manager is not techy but more of a businness facing project manager)?

Or should I say he is fine and showing potential because it will make me look better?

Basically is it good to have medicore people on the team so your job is quite secure ???

Yes. Tell it how it is.

You'll find that people like that will manage to take the credit for the work that you did for him in the mistaken belief that you were doing him a favour.

[AtW]

NO! DON'T DO IT!

If you can him, then sasguru will no longer be able to wield an army of sockpuppets on here as he is too cheap to have the Net at home.

Off to my office do some work - need to rewrite one of a few single threaded now very long running processes in SKA and I only got 12 hours to do it