Comment by ErikAugust

How is "talented" defined here?

Some people bounce around to different companies. They are never necessarily productive in the roles they are constantly leaving. They may be only "talented" at being hired.

On the other side of the coin, the author defines the "residue" as "the least talented and effective IT engineers... that tend to be grateful they have a job and make fewer demands on management" and "tend to entrench themselves, becoming maintenance experts on critical systems".

Aren't these so-called "residue" people at least demonstrably "talented"? They are providing value to the company by maintaining things that actually make the business money without grumbling about it.