[memracom]

This is a fundamentally flawed way to hire. Once a developer has 7-10 years of experience, they should be able to learn a new language in a couple of weeks. If you need a Python developer then hire a Python or Ruby developer. If you need a Java developer then hire someone with C# or C++ experience. And once a developer has around 15 years experience, then their past languages don't really matter any more. If they are good at what they do, then they can be productive with new tools from day one. Sure they might be mostly doing code review those first two weeks while they get up to speed, but an experienced developer can provide valuable input to younger developers that provides value to the employer.

Fact is that we really don't know how to build effective developer teams in the long haul because we have been in an unusual time period where almost all developers have only a few years of experience in their first language.

Times are changing.