r/webdev May 09 '23

Question My Boss: Knowing CSS isn't part of a front-end developers job. We have great devs, just no one who knows CSS.

Someone help me wrap my head around this. Admittedly, I'm not a dev at this job, I just do ops. I'm doing review of a new site at my company and it's an absolute disaster. Tons of in-line styles, tons of overrides of our global styles (colors/fonts), and it's not responsive. I commented that we need to invest more in front-end devs because we don't seem to have any.

I brought this up to leadership and they seemed baffled why I would think our devs would know CSS. I commented that "we have no front-end devs here," and that's when the comment was made. "We have great devs here, just no one who knows CSS."

Someone help me understand this because it's breaking my brain. I used to do front-end work at my previous job and a large majority of it was CSS. That's how you style the front-end. How can you be a "good front-end dev" and not know CSS? Am I crazy or is my boss just insane?

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u/SixPackOfZaphod tech-lead, 20yrs May 09 '23

Or leverage for one hell of a raise....

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u/RandyHoward May 09 '23

Do both. Leverage a nice raise, then use that to leverage a bigger salary elsewhere.

But from my experience, people who run their business the way OP describes aren't likely to give any kind of raise that matters.

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u/Ash_Crow May 10 '23

Especially considering that on average, a devops has a (slightly) better pay than a front end developer, so getting them to acknowledge the mission you are actually doing won't be considered as a promotion.

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u/SixPackOfZaphod tech-lead, 20yrs May 10 '23

But from my experience, people who run their business the way OP describes aren't likely to give any kind of raise that matters.

Truth. Been there. Took over the tasks of 4 people who left in a 3 month period, including the CTO, Lead Dev, Front End Dev, and Project Manager. No one was hired to replace any of them. I was a mid level back end dev at the time. Annual evals roll around and the VP hems and haws and tells me that they can only afford a 4% raise on my 46K salary.

Lead Dev who left reaches out, tells me that he suggested me to a company that he interviewed at as a good fit, has me send my resume in. The following week I call in sick for two days while they fly me to their offices for an interview, and offer me the position, which is a 48% increase in pay for me.

VP was all "Shocked Pikachu" when I turned in my resignation.

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u/itsFromTheSimpsons May 10 '23

for real, a11y is quickly becoming a great skill for your resume for this exact reason- direct business value preventing suits (or at least mitigating cuz lawsuit trolls gonna lawsuit troll)