Why Tech Companies Start to Hire based on YOE

If you are a tech leader, you might have noticed that some of the companies you work for or want to work for are starting to hire based on year of experience (YOE). You know, the number of years you have been in your current role, or the number of years you have been in the industry. Sounds familiar, right?

The good (or maybe not) old days are gone when no one really cares about years of experience. Everyone is grilled with rounds of technical interviews to measure the skill and impact.

Well, it turns out that this is not a new trend. In fact, it has been going on for a while. But what has changed recently is that some tech companies have decided to make YOE a mandatory criterion for hiring new talent. And they are not just talking about themselves. They are also spreading the word to their peers and competitors.

Why are they doing this? Well, there are several reasons. Let me explain them to you.

Some Hiring Managers are HM only because of their own YOE

You see, some tech leaders only become leaders in the company because of their YOE. They stay their long enough, not approached by other companies, refusing the temptation of higher paying jobs and get their rewards of becoming a leader. They care about it and they think it reflects their value and contribution. They don’t want to lose their status or prestige by hiring someone younger or less experienced than them.

So, if you have been working in the same company for 10 years, or even 5 years, you might be eligible for a promotion or a raise. Or maybe even a new role with more responsibilities and authority. Sounds great, right?

HM don’t want to have ‘younger’ people who will challenge the status quo

You have to become older while accumulating your Years of Experience. That is another reason why tech companies are hiring based on YOE — they don’t want to have younger people who will challenge the status quo. You see, some tech leaders are very comfortable with the way things are done in their company. They like the culture, the processes, the products, and the customers. They don’t want to change anything or try something new.

But if they hire someone younger than them, they might feel threatened or insecure. They might think that the new hire will bring fresh ideas and perspectives that will disrupt their way of doing things. They might think that the new hire will question their authority or challenge their decisions.

So, if you are younger than them, you might not get along well with them or fit in with them. You might face resistance or hostility from them or other senior leaders. You might not get the support or recognition you deserve.

YOE is a lazy but politically correct way to measure qualification

A third reason why tech companies are hiring based on YOE is that YOE is such a simple measurement to measure qualification. You see, some tech leaders don’t care much about skills or impact when it comes to hiring new talent. They just want someone who has been in the industry for a long time and knows what they are doing.

They don’t want to spend too much time or resources on assessing candidates’ technical abilities, soft skills, problem-solving skills, communication skills, teamwork skills, leadership skills, etc. They don’t want to deal with complex interviews, tests, case studies, presentations, etc.

They just want someone who can show up on time, do their job well enough, follow instructions without questionning them too much (or at all), and stay loyal and obedient to them (or at least not cause too much trouble).

So, if you have been working in your field for 10 years or more (or even 5 years), you might be qualified enough for any role in any company.

Conclusion

So there you have it: three reasons why tech companies are hiring based on YOE. Here are two action items

• If you are enjoying life at your company being a leader, please add YOE to all your JD,
• If you are applying for a job and looking for real challenges, avoid those YOE-enforced companies.

But seriously though: I think this is a bad idea for both tech companies and tech workers.

Tech companies should stop relying on YOE as a criterion for hiring new talent and start looking at other factors that matter more in today’s dynamic and competitive market. Tech workers should stop worrying about YOE as a measure of their worth and start focusing on developing their skills and impact instead. Because at the end of the day: what matters most is not how long you have been doing something but how well you do it. And what matters most is not how many years you have been doing something but how much value you create with it.

Thank you for reading my blog post and please share it with your friends (or enemies) who might benefit from it (or hate it).