4 ms·

Ask HN: Who feels undervalued at work?

10 points by tech_crawl_ 11y ago

Feeling undervalued at work. Anyone else feel the same way?

Ishtar 11y ago
A downside of a lack of micromanagement (which I think is a positive thing) is that sometimes I wonder if anyone knows how much work or insight goes into what I have accomplished... Perhaps this is a reverse Dunning–Kruger effect? When each team member has a unique set of skills, how can you evaluate competence in each other, if you are not even able to properly evaluate your own skills until you become an expert?
- Isammoc 11y ago
  "how can you evaluate competence" => Do you really want to evaluate competence at this time? Or evaluate evolution of this competence? First is a comparison with others but you are unique in your team; second is a comparison with your past self, and this is easily achievable.
insoluble 11y ago
Would you rather feel undervalued, or would you rather be underpaid? Sometimes you can't have both vocal appreciation and good pay at the same time. Being paid without hassle can at times be the only show of appreciation, at least in contract work. Afterward, instead of trying to buy happiness, it would be more advisable to appreciate yourself. If you don't appreciate yourself, then you may want to find something that gives you a purpose in life, even if outside of work. There are many worthwhile causes in this world -- many things in need of care. If you can find something where (a) you care personally and (b) you can make a difference, then (c) you may have found purpose.
J-dawg 11y ago
I'm a web developer in the consulting business of a big international IT company. I'd like to be paid more, but if I'm honest with myself, my salary probably isn't far from market rate. However in terms of recognition of my skills I feel massively undervalued. The management are business consultants rather than technical people, and there's a pervasive culture that technical work is something to be outsourced/offshored and generally done by the lowest bidder. I was hired as a "Technical Consultant" and yet I've repeatedly had to fight to do technical roles. I often think about leaving to get a pure web developer role, but I'm still at quite a junior level and junior dev salaries here in London are awful.
- johnward 11y ago
  I'm kind of in the same position. Consulting is pretty thankless. They just expect you to bill as much time as humanly possible (and sometimes more). You rarely get thanks but you are on the hook when things go wrong. I know my salary is below the average rate even within my own company.
  - J-dawg 11y ago
    It's good to know I'm not the only one here! Yep, pretty thankless sums it up. Plus having to go through a long appraisal process at the end of every year which is essentially a test of how good you are at networking and self-promotion, rather than what you've actually acheived. I keep thinking I'd be happier in either a startup or a corporate dev team, but I guess the grass is always greener on the other side
- thorin 11y ago
  If you think developer salaries in London are bad relative to other careers you probably need to look around a little.
  - haack 11y ago
    Doesn't it make more sense to compare it with other cities rather than other careers?
andymurd 11y ago
Everybody. Turn your question on its head - who here feels overvalued at work?
- hacknat 11y ago
  I actually do right now, and it is part of the reason I'm looking to leave. I got promoted into management too fast, IMO, and I've been told by my CTO I'm being groomed for leadership. I'm not interested. How did I get here? I built new products that were my own ideas, and they generate revenue for the company now. I know our entire stack so I'm able to pretty much build whatever I want. If you do the same for any company you'll start to look valuable in a hurry. Learn your business, apply some insight and make something new. FYI, I didn't work my ass off for this, I was able to do this 9-to-5.
  - askafriend 11y ago
    What caliber of company is this? How many people are there? Just curious.
    - hacknat 11y ago
      About 500 people right now.
  - janbernhart 11y ago
    Sounds like you're valued, not over-valued.

10 points by tech_crawl_ 11y ago

Feeling undervalued at work. Anyone else feel the same way?

A downside of a lack of micromanagement (which I think is a positive thing) is that sometimes I wonder if anyone knows how much work or insight goes into what I have accomplished... Perhaps this is a reverse Dunning–Kruger effect? When each team member has a unique set of skills, how can you evaluate competence in each other, if you are not even able to properly evaluate your own skills until you become an expert?

Isammoc 11y ago
"how can you evaluate competence" => Do you really want to evaluate competence at this time? Or evaluate evolution of this competence? First is a comparison with others but you are unique in your team; second is a comparison with your past self, and this is easily achievable.

insoluble 11y ago

Would you rather feel undervalued, or would you rather be underpaid? Sometimes you can't have both vocal appreciation and good pay at the same time. Being paid without hassle can at times be the only show of appreciation, at least in contract work. Afterward, instead of trying to buy happiness, it would be more advisable to appreciate yourself. If you don't appreciate yourself, then you may want to find something that gives you a purpose in life, even if outside of work. There are many worthwhile causes in this world -- many things in need of care. If you can find something where (a) you care personally and (b) you can make a difference, then (c) you may have found purpose.

J-dawg 11y ago

I'm a web developer in the consulting business of a big international IT company. I'd like to be paid more, but if I'm honest with myself, my salary probably isn't far from market rate. However in terms of recognition of my skills I feel massively undervalued. The management are business consultants rather than technical people, and there's a pervasive culture that technical work is something to be outsourced/offshored and generally done by the lowest bidder. I was hired as a "Technical Consultant" and yet I've repeatedly had to fight to do technical roles. I often think about leaving to get a pure web developer role, but I'm still at quite a junior level and junior dev salaries here in London are awful.

johnward 11y ago
I'm kind of in the same position. Consulting is pretty thankless. They just expect you to bill as much time as humanly possible (and sometimes more). You rarely get thanks but you are on the hook when things go wrong. I know my salary is below the average rate even within my own company.
- J-dawg 11y ago
  It's good to know I'm not the only one here! Yep, pretty thankless sums it up. Plus having to go through a long appraisal process at the end of every year which is essentially a test of how good you are at networking and self-promotion, rather than what you've actually acheived. I keep thinking I'd be happier in either a startup or a corporate dev team, but I guess the grass is always greener on the other side
thorin 11y ago
If you think developer salaries in London are bad relative to other careers you probably need to look around a little.
- haack 11y ago
  Doesn't it make more sense to compare it with other cities rather than other careers?

andymurd 11y ago

Everybody. Turn your question on its head - who here feels overvalued at work?

hacknat 11y ago
I actually do right now, and it is part of the reason I'm looking to leave. I got promoted into management too fast, IMO, and I've been told by my CTO I'm being groomed for leadership. I'm not interested. How did I get here? I built new products that were my own ideas, and they generate revenue for the company now. I know our entire stack so I'm able to pretty much build whatever I want. If you do the same for any company you'll start to look valuable in a hurry. Learn your business, apply some insight and make something new. FYI, I didn't work my ass off for this, I was able to do this 9-to-5.
- askafriend 11y ago
  What caliber of company is this? How many people are there? Just curious.
  - hacknat 11y ago
    About 500 people right now.
- janbernhart 11y ago
  Sounds like you're valued, not over-valued.