Re:The most common failure mode is failing to show up
by mattmanser on Thursday November 01, 2012 @01:49PM
(#4728760)
This only works for unskilled workers in a bad job climate as they're desperate. You're not going to be hiring a skilled programmer with that. People don't quit their job for a paid internship.
Anyway, what's the point? You can just fire them if it's not working out.
Hiring workers first as paid interns, with an option to convert to FTE later, allows the worker and the people in the organization to feel each other out and ensure a good fit of both personality and skillsets. If the worker doesn't fit in, then it saves both the group and the individual from a stressful work environment, and you can keep trying until you find the right person.
Even doing the wrong thing works out, and sometimes better than doing the right thing. More importantly, you're making space in your life, schedule, and mind, for what it is you want to do. This allows people to try something out, play with the ideas, and understand the important factors in making the decision later.
Many people share a similar philosophy when buying durable goods[1] - buy a cheaper/low-end model, and when it breaks you buy a higher-quality model. Or, if the higher-quality model isn't actually higher quality, but is simply more expensive, you know to buy the cheap one.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durable_good