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I interviewed for a job at a company where they said their policy is to make sure that at least 2 people understand any piece of code, just in case one of them "goes on vacation". They also said that some people don't last more then a few months at this company, although many have stayed for years.

I think I get the message: They are inclined to fire people right away who don't like the work culture or who don't integrate into their cliques. But is there another interpretation?

Thanks.

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It's prudent to cover your code with more than one developer if you can. During the interview, feel free to ask why your job is available and any feedback they can give you for the turnover rate. Otherwise, how would we know? – JeffO Aug 25 '11 at 21:35
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They also said that some people don't last more then a few months at this company -- Did you ask why? That would almost be a reflex action for me. – Robert Harvey Aug 25 '11 at 21:38
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@Robert Harvey: Also ask if they serve Soylent Green in the cafeteria on Tuesdays. – FrustratedWithFormsDesigner Aug 25 '11 at 21:56
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Flannakopilis: Yes. There is another interpretation. There is never only one, ever. – Jonathan Hobbs Aug 25 '11 at 23:12
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I wouldn't worry much: the part about 2 people is just safety, to avoid losing time if the key developer is away (for any reason, planned or unplanned) which is a good thing: trust me it sucks if you can never be away when none of the other devs can pick up the project and continue it, you can't advance further in your career. – wildpeaks Aug 26 '11 at 3:53
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5 Answers

up vote 2 down vote

Possibly... Maybe they want you to work harder. It may just be a new employee joke. Or it may be exactly what they said. We can't read minds. Especially if we can't see the person :-)

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up vote 9 down vote

I'd be inclined to think they are thinking about the "Bus factor"

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...and if some people don't last more than a few months, maybe the company is located across the road from the bus depot? ;) – FrustratedWithFormsDesigner Aug 25 '11 at 21:49
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This - one of the things I am trying to do is ensure other people have a notion of my code and what's going on with it. Frankly, those buses are brutal, and one never knows when one will swoop down on you... – Paul Nathan Aug 26 '11 at 0:14
up vote 0 down vote

I have a problem with the whole concept. They should do team code reviews where everyone on the team understands the code, not just two.

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That would be ideal. If the code-base is huge, it's hard for everyone to understand everything, so maybe they try to break the program down in such a way that for each "chunk", at least 2 people can be experts in that section. – FrustratedWithFormsDesigner Aug 25 '11 at 21:48
If the codebase is too big for a single person to grok, perhaps this explains the "some people don't last more than a few months" statement. – Christopher Mahan Aug 25 '11 at 22:03
up vote 4 down vote

I don't normally saying the policy is to have 2 people that are expert on any piece of code would be trying to send a message. They just want to be sure they can continue operating if any one person leaves (or goes on vacation, actually), which eventually will happen at any company.

However, not having people last more than a few months, or generally having high turnover, is a red flag.

I'm not sure from the question why you took their policy as an implied threat, or why you already believe they have cliques, but it doesn't sound like you are feeling good about working there.

If you have any way to speak informally to some current or former employees it sounds like it would be good to know more about the work environment. Maybe you can find former employees on a social networking site?

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up vote 0 down vote

You interpreted that everyone who leaves is fired, and that might be accurate but people may also leave because they don't feel that they fit the job. In Ontario it's standard (it may be law) that in the first 90 days of a new employment either party can terminate the employment for any reason. Not everyone is a good fit and not every job is as interesting as the ad for it.

As for the 2 people part of your question, it's undoubtedly the bus factor that was pointed out in this answer. You can safely substitute "go on vacation" for "die", "quit" or "leave the company or not be available to consult on a programming role for any other reason".

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