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You're not wrong, but you don't quite understand how 20% time works in practice. It's a formal way to recruit part-time help on unrelated projects, and it's re
by eitally 11y ago
You're not wrong, but you don't quite understand how 20% time works in practice. It's a formal way to recruit part-time help on unrelated projects, and it's recruited for and tracked in exactly the same way using the same systems as normal jobs & normal performance management. It's a fantastic way for people at Google to seek out learning opportunities or places to participate outside their normal team/group/dept/BU.
Most companies look at 20% time as a super-informal way for people to volunteer "spare time" to work on non-core stuff, but that isn't how it works at Google, at all.
That said, your central point is 100% accurate ... but at least within tech, I think that "40 hour, strictly scheduled workweek" has been gone for several years now.
- vonmoltke 11y ago> at least within tech, I think that "40 hour, strictly scheduled workweek" has been gone for several years now. Sounds like you have never worked for a government contractor.
- falcolas 11y agoI haven't worked at a software development company where they didn't have an expectation of 40 hours and a set of "core hours" where you had to be in the office or available. Sadly, I think we have to accept that the appearance of productivity (butt in chair, open office visibility) is more important than actual productivity most of the time.
- onesixtythree 11y agoUgh. Google's idea of "normal performance management" is what the civilized world calls "fascistic". It's pretty disgusting that, in the 21st century, execs are OK with a performance review system in which rape slang (threats like "take you into the Perf room" and people with sub 3.0 scores being called "pillow biters") is the norm.