2 ms·

You sound like you have a chip on your shoulder. The free perks are great, but are not the core reason that make Google's work environment compelling for the m

by mgce 11y ago

You sound like you have a chip on your shoulder. The free perks are great, but are not the core reason that make Google's work environment compelling for the many that love it (and they don't offer unlimited time off, although I know you don't mean that literally). Google offers a very healthy working environment for many people. It's a large and diverse company. Not everyone loves it here, of course. But many do, and it's clear it's offering an environment that has real value and pull, and tries hard to respect and empower those of us down in the trenches.

stephenr 11y ago
> The free perks are great, but are not the core reason that make Google's work environment compelling > they don't offer unlimited time off, although I know you don't mean that literally My comment wasn't limited to just Google. It was aimed at the all the software companies where often young employees rave about food or other benefits (some of which are listed as literally unlimited holiday time) and are often very quiet about the actual work itself. I had a colleague who worked on-site for a client that is a reasonably well known game company. He (and his gf, then wife) moved from Australia to LA for this project, and then I spent a few weeks onsite on a different project for the same client. I heard about all the 'perks' employees (and to some extent long term contractors like himself) got, and it paints a rosy picture. This company even expected all staff to spend a % of their day playing the company's own game. (To the point that they arranged for us to play while on-site, and no amount of "No thanks, I'm not really into computer games" would be heard.) Then I went and actually worked with some of their people on one of their projects. Then I asked him about something technical to do with the work or what he was doing. It was literally as I expressed earlier - the actual work was a fucking nightmare of bad technical debt, shitty internal politics and ridiculous priorities. Maybe this is all an American concept - the "I made an app to help us choose what to have to lunch together" thing on HN a few months ago gave me the same idea. I have never taken or left a job because of the 'perks'. I've absolutely left jobs because the work didn't interest me, or I wanted to do something else. Honestly it's also hard to see how those sort of places will continue in the future as remote working becomes more common place.
- mgce 11y ago
  I agree with practically all you're saying, aside from the assertion that this largely applies to Google. I think Google is much better in this regard than many tech companies. But mileage varies, of course. Cheers.

by mgce 11y ago

stephenr 11y ago

> The free perks are great, but are not the core reason that make Google's work environment compelling > they don't offer unlimited time off, although I know you don't mean that literally My comment wasn't limited to just Google. It was aimed at the all the software companies where often young employees rave about food or other benefits (some of which are listed as literally unlimited holiday time) and are often very quiet about the actual work itself. I had a colleague who worked on-site for a client that is a reasonably well known game company. He (and his gf, then wife) moved from Australia to LA for this project, and then I spent a few weeks onsite on a different project for the same client. I heard about all the 'perks' employees (and to some extent long term contractors like himself) got, and it paints a rosy picture. This company even expected all staff to spend a % of their day playing the company's own game. (To the point that they arranged for us to play while on-site, and no amount of "No thanks, I'm not really into computer games" would be heard.) Then I went and actually worked with some of their people on one of their projects. Then I asked him about something technical to do with the work or what he was doing. It was literally as I expressed earlier - the actual work was a fucking nightmare of bad technical debt, shitty internal politics and ridiculous priorities. Maybe this is all an American concept - the "I made an app to help us choose what to have to lunch together" thing on HN a few months ago gave me the same idea. I have never taken or left a job because of the 'perks'. I've absolutely left jobs because the work didn't interest me, or I wanted to do something else. Honestly it's also hard to see how those sort of places will continue in the future as remote working becomes more common place.

mgce 11y ago
I agree with practically all you're saying, aside from the assertion that this largely applies to Google. I think Google is much better in this regard than many tech companies. But mileage varies, of course. Cheers.