Star Candidate
star KAN-dih-datnoun
DiagnosisAcute, resolves on hiring
What it means
A hiring term that promises a performer rather than a colleague, and reliably attracts people who will degrade the codebase and dominate the room.
What it actually means
We want somebody difficult, and we are calling it talent.
How it is used in a sentence
"We're looking for a rockstar candidate to own the platform."
Filed under
Work & Ambition — Everything your employer calls a benefit and your therapist calls a symptom.
Bafflegab — The phrase means nothing. We are ridiculing it.
Related entries
10x Engineer
Digital Existentialismten-eks en-juh-NEERnounBafflegab
A developer whose output is ten times that of a colleague, measured in code that everyone else would rather have less of.
Real meaningA person who is difficult in meetings.
Culture Fit
Work & AmbitionKUL-cher fitnounEuphemism
A hiring criterion that reliably selects for people who resemble the people already there.
Real meaningWe want someone we would get a drink with.