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Is being the only remaining developer in a department a good reason for promotion if one does everything that a senior developer would do aside from displaying eagerness, passion, and being popular?

Basically the person does not go out of their way to be friends with everyone at work, but he does handle all of the job responsibilities and workload that would normally be required of a someone in a senior position. He handles all the job responsibilities the previous senior developers had. He's just not socially outgoing. That's not really what management likes to see.

Is that enough good reason to move him to a senior position?

Grasper
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    Well, it depends. If everybody left or was invited to leave, are you sure that you are not the next? – dvc.junior Mar 22 '19 at 18:22
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    @dvc.junior, no the senior devs left because they got better offers somewhere else – Grasper Mar 22 '19 at 18:26
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    " except eagerness and crazy passion" "the person is passive in being friend with everyone" "except kissing other people's butts" - there's a lot of undertone in these statements. What's your point here? Does the job description of "senior developer" require some level of interaction or friendliness? – dwizum Mar 22 '19 at 18:37
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    If everyone left for better offers, I would strongly consider how to keep the one left. Removing the "better offer" option might be a good idea. – Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen Mar 25 '19 at 16:14
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    Voting to reopen since it's a unique situation and potential opening. Unlike the duplicate question linked since OP is not feeling underpaid just the only guy left. – Dan Mar 25 '19 at 16:43
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    "Eagerness, passion, and being popular" (and that's post-edit!) may or may not be requirements for a senior developer; but thinking promotions are based on popularity contests, and displaying signs of bitterness about why others are or were considered senior, seem to me to be pretty good signs that someone does not yet have the maturity for a senior role. – BittermanAndy Mar 26 '19 at 08:22
  • Remember that you have more options to reward an employee besides promotion. Consider a monthly bonus for the extra workload now that he's solely responsible while not officially a senior dev. That keeps your options open for the future. – MSalters Mar 26 '19 at 12:07
  • @MSalters that's a nice suggestion but won't work because every employee fits into already set bracket. There isn't such thing like extra bonus or so.. – Grasper Mar 26 '19 at 12:28
  • @Grasper: There is no such a thing as an extra bonus until someone decides that there is an extra bonus.Yes, that takes a decision. But there's a whole class of people in a company that are paid to make decisions. – MSalters Mar 26 '19 at 12:33

2 Answers2

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Is being the only remaining developer a good reason for promotion?

No, but it would be a good position for negiotiating as the company could get in trouble if none of the developers were left.

if a person is the only remaining developer at the department and does everything that a senior developer would (do)

Yes. The person is basically senior if s/he would do all the senior things, so a promotion would be in order. (Assuming the person is working at the company for quite some time. It takes experience to become a senior developer)

mcknz
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Fatal Error
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  • How should he negotiate? – Grasper Mar 22 '19 at 18:25
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    I would ask politely (never threaten to leave or offer an ultimatum) and explain I need to take over the duties of the developer that left. Your boss is probably aware that he's not in a very strong postion and it won't be wise for him to let his last developer go. – Fatal Error Mar 22 '19 at 18:31
  • that didn't help. – Grasper Mar 22 '19 at 18:37
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    @Abigail but that isn't a problem of the remaining developer. If an employer hire new people he will guide and train them. Should he stay demoted because of that until it happens? – Grasper Mar 25 '19 at 19:45
  • who else will guide them? He is the only one left who knows the product and how it's executed. A new hire can't be a senior because a senior dev would never take that position. – Grasper Mar 26 '19 at 12:26
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You can certainly make the case for a promotion if you have been given additional responsibilities.

Whether or not you can be promoted to "senior developer" depends on your company's definition of a senior developer. If all they care about is someone who can complete all the tasks then you can make a good case ( provided you can complete all the tasks ). If they care about things such as knowledge, experience, and completing the tasks in a timely matter ( compared to a junior ) then you would probably need those qualities to be promoted.

sf02
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