What do you do if a junior developer in the enterprise software field needs feedback?

The feedback needs to be objective: no judgment, only facts. At the very beginning of the feedback, you need to praise the person by showing what was done right, and only after that proceed to the part where you suggest improvement points. Do include examples and highlight points to improve. Definitely, you would want to reference a reliable source for each point you've highlighted.

Offer context in both technical (and if possible) and in business terms. Evaluating actions and providing guidance should be driven by the balance that exist between capabilities and requirements. While this balance can be elusive sometimes, don't forget to question your own assumptions as well. Focusing on the "why" and not just the "how" can offer a deeper learning opportunity and a beginning of a discussion that could elevate the skills of both parties.

A junior developer needs: - an ability to see how senior developers work - some self-confidence - ability to fail in a sandbox Focus your feedback on these areas to help them grow.

I think the feedback should be complemented with what was good and what could be better. Encouragement gives boost to the self-confidence. I also try encourage the developer for a knowledge share if he/she did work on something new that the team could benefit from.

Make sure your feedback is clear, specific, and actionable, and try to identify both their strengths and areas for improvement. Schedule regular meetings to assess their progress and address any concerns. Offer guidance and share your own experiences to help them navigate their career path. Create an environment where they feel comfortable asking questions, and encourage them to attend workshops, webinars, and conferences to enhance their skills. Remember, constructive feedback is a powerful tool for growth and development in the software industry.

Make him/her comfortable to ask questions and explain that we all have been there. Celebrate the times that you learned something from the junior developer.

Encourage them to ask questions and remind them that we've all been in their shoes before. It's important to create a supportive environment where they feel comfortable seeking help. Also, make sure to celebrate the moments when you learn something new from the junior developer—it's a great way to acknowledge their contributions and reinforce a culture of mutual learning.

Build an open and supportive environment that encourages questions and seek answers. Tell them that there are no silly questions and asking for help will reflect on their willingness to learn, being active members of the team. When you create an atmosphere of curiosity and questioning, you encourage them to be accountable for their learning: "Please feel free to ask me anytime if you have questions. I'm happy to help you out and provide additional details. Whether you want additional explanation or would like to address any problem that you have, I'm here for you. We're on a constant learning curve; asking questions is a vital part of it."

Questions are always welcome to learn from either side . Always explain the context you are answering his queries , this will help him understand best practices and reasoning .

Another valuable addition to feedback is to provide real examples over real situations for demonstrating good or bad practices and finding solutions, if the example does not end in a solution, is not effective. For example, in front of a performance optimization challenge, you could say: "We stumbled upon a similar issue in a previous project when we worked to resolve the coding bottlenecks causing performance degradation. I'll describe the steps we took and then we can discuss how you can apply these techniques to your current work."

It is always better to discuss with an example so that the developer understands the perspective . Examples make concepts clear and provide a template to their work . Sharing examples , stories and insights always helps

Treat examples as a starting point and as a basis, but not as a definite solution to a problem. While there might be some examples that match the actual problem, it is highly unlikely that the match is 100%. Real life examples are great to learn the basics from, but treat them more as recipes and how to add your own seasoning to the meal.

AI got broken here :) The Markdown went off. The rise of the Machines! I need a Terminator 3000. What do you think? Like or comment