The biggest failing I see with programmer B is his careless attitude
in putting off everything until Monday morning, which is risky with a
Tuesday deadline. Had his Monday morning search not turned up a
suitable existing wheel he may well have missed the deadline. I'd
rather hire programmer A and teach him to incorporate searching for
prior art into his current plan and design phase. Programmer B seems
to have a sloppy attitude even if he got the work done this time.
Now, had B done the google search Friday evening, found a suitable
candidate, determined he could use it to easily finish the demo on
Monday, then that is a different scenario altogether. Of course, if
Tuesday deadlines are often given at 4pm Friday without consultation,
perhaps both A and B should invest some time in seeking out other
employment opportunities.