I've been thinking this for a while now, but I feel like especially with the rise of crazy salaries in AI research, it's time for software development to have its agency moment. Just like athletes and actors, I think the industry might be better off if there were reputable agents with a portfolio of people they represent, and something the equivalent of a casting director at companies instead of the current "cram leetcode" mode of evaluation.
I’ve seen a setup like this in software for some specific high-demand SAP (ERP) consultancy roles. The nature of SAP migrations are per-project in nature (you wouldn’t want to migrate your company’s ERP all the time). The person had such a skillset that they had what is effectively an “agent” who would negotiate their next job assignment. The agent was even baked into the contract with the client as a party, I don’t recall how much of the hourly this agent would get, but they were invoicing the company separately.
At least this is what I recall.
Meta: this is probably the first time this year where I use the word agent to refer to a human. Feels odd even.
> Just like athletes and actors, I think the industry might be better off if there were reputable agents with a portfolio of people they represent ...
This is what recruiters in quality staffing firms do. Granted, there are many staffing firms which are worthless body-shops. But those are not reputable. :-)
> ... and something the equivalent of a casting director at companies instead of the current "cram leetcode" mode of evaluation.
The equivalent has traditionally been hiring managers who work with approved staffing companies, both to ensure those companies provide value as well as to foster an understanding of the people/skills needed by the organizations.
Wise organizations use multiple staffing firms and perform internal audits in order to minimize complacency/corruption.
All else being equal, the return of high-touch recruiting work is of course a reduction in industrial productivity and a negative contribution to economic growth. But it does generate more jobs! Put that in your predictions of AI’s economic impact and smoke it …
If someone who contributed to the Linux kernel has their resume on par with a spammer who lied about it how do we know who is correct unless there is a verification system?
Oddly enough, the solution lies in what was previously replaced; staffing firms.
Staffing companies have recruiters which vet candidates to varying degrees of success. At minimum, they establish the candidate:
- is a human
- lives where they claim to live
- has worked where they claim to have worked
- has eligibility to work for one or more of their clients
If nothing else, the above eliminates much of the "99% resume fraud" problem companies are dealing with now.
I've been thinking this for a while now, but I feel like especially with the rise of crazy salaries in AI research, it's time for software development to have its agency moment. Just like athletes and actors, I think the industry might be better off if there were reputable agents with a portfolio of people they represent, and something the equivalent of a casting director at companies instead of the current "cram leetcode" mode of evaluation.
I’ve seen a setup like this in software for some specific high-demand SAP (ERP) consultancy roles. The nature of SAP migrations are per-project in nature (you wouldn’t want to migrate your company’s ERP all the time). The person had such a skillset that they had what is effectively an “agent” who would negotiate their next job assignment. The agent was even baked into the contract with the client as a party, I don’t recall how much of the hourly this agent would get, but they were invoicing the company separately.
At least this is what I recall.
Meta: this is probably the first time this year where I use the word agent to refer to a human. Feels odd even.
Already sort of exists in the high end contracting/consulting software dev business in Australia at least
> Just like athletes and actors, I think the industry might be better off if there were reputable agents with a portfolio of people they represent ...
This is what recruiters in quality staffing firms do. Granted, there are many staffing firms which are worthless body-shops. But those are not reputable. :-)
> ... and something the equivalent of a casting director at companies instead of the current "cram leetcode" mode of evaluation.
The equivalent has traditionally been hiring managers who work with approved staffing companies, both to ensure those companies provide value as well as to foster an understanding of the people/skills needed by the organizations.
Wise organizations use multiple staffing firms and perform internal audits in order to minimize complacency/corruption.
All else being equal, the return of high-touch recruiting work is of course a reduction in industrial productivity and a negative contribution to economic growth. But it does generate more jobs! Put that in your predictions of AI’s economic impact and smoke it …
It's not a decrease of productivity?
If someone who contributed to the Linux kernel has their resume on par with a spammer who lied about it how do we know who is correct unless there is a verification system?