"hiring the ones I think are eager and willing to learn"
Where do you draw the line?
How often can a junior approach you before you grow tired of them constantly asking you for help/guidance?
Where do you draw the line?
How often can a junior approach you before you grow tired of them constantly asking you for help/guidance?
Personally, it would depend on if they're learning from my guidance or not: if they keep coming back with the same problems I'd get frustrated that they (seemingly) weren't attempting to learn or improve. On the other hand, it they usually come to me with new problems they've encountered and gotten stuck on, I don't expect it would bother me nearly as much.
Of course, IRL it'll probably be somewhere in between.
The hardest problem with mentoring juniors is that most companies don't recognize the work put in. Still too many places judge purely on your direct work-in to work-out ratio.