4 ms·

You know who is going to be the first one fired and the last one promoted? The SWE who is being asked to do some bogus tasks that aren't even close to what they

You know who is going to be the first one fired and the last one promoted? The SWE who is being asked to do some bogus tasks that aren't even close to what they are capable of. In many cases you are in one way or another obligated to act as you suggest, but it is not always good for you personally and simply pretending that you aren't getting screwed is pretty naive. You often don't really have much of a choice in these matters, aside from closing up shop and leaving. You can try to work it out with your boss and if that works great. Then again bosses who don't know how to use their people kind of suck to begin with as a rule, so it would be wishful thinking to expect that they will simply come around.

fshbbdssbbgdd 4y ago
The key distinction is between things that anyone could do (and you are asked to do them because you are the least productive) and things that nobody knows how to do (and you are asked to do them because you are the most capable to figure it out).
bornfreddy 4y ago
Life if too short to work for a bad boss.
shubb 4y ago
The example given is fridge cleaning, but tasks outside your narrow job spec can be very useful. For instance, if you are hired as a software tester, and snag a task setting up the automated build system, you can turn that into a higher paid dev ops careeer. Some people thrive in highly structured environments where they can optimize for metrics and get promotions - they do well in big companies. Others collect skills and achievements and use those to push their career forward - they do well in small companies and consulting. The world needs both. With that said, knowing when to say no is very important as you say.
topkai22 4y ago
I have a good friend who runs a smallish (100 person) company with about 30-40 (mechanical) engineers. One of their long-term custodians got ill for a long spell and so engineers were asked to take out their own trash. Some people just refused to do so, to the point it got smelly and affected the org. One of the execs got fed up and took all the smelly trash out herself one night and then started going around and individually directing the engineers in person to take out their trash when she thought it was too full. For the people who didn't take out the trash, it was considered in annual reviews. Be thoughtful in what you evaluate as a "bogus" task. What is hard or complex isn't always what is important or noticed.
- cestith 4y ago
  Pitching in on one's own space is different from being demoted to being a custodian that costs the company like an engineer. It's well within the company's rights to ask employees to keep a tidy office.
- LawTalkingGuy 4y ago
  You can hire a temp cleaner instantly in almost any city. They literally wasted more money arguing with engineers than they would paying for the work to be done. > Be thoughtful in what you evaluate as a "bogus" task. Well, no. a business is all about money and if the engineers can bill they shouldn't waste their time on anything else. Management in a firm basically exists to facilitate billable hours so the employee here is right, both personally and professionally, in realizing that this is not only silly but corporate suicide. > What is hard or complex isn't always what is important or noticed. This is true. If you have a chance to pick your boss's suit up before a meeting or drive them to the airport it is probably worth doing, little favors go a long way.
sam0x17 4y ago
If you're cleaning a fridge you're probably not working from home which means you're in the wrong place anyway imo.

fshbbdssbbgdd 4y ago

The key distinction is between things that anyone could do (and you are asked to do them because you are the least productive) and things that nobody knows how to do (and you are asked to do them because you are the most capable to figure it out).

bornfreddy 4y ago

Life if too short to work for a bad boss.

shubb 4y ago

The example given is fridge cleaning, but tasks outside your narrow job spec can be very useful. For instance, if you are hired as a software tester, and snag a task setting up the automated build system, you can turn that into a higher paid dev ops careeer. Some people thrive in highly structured environments where they can optimize for metrics and get promotions - they do well in big companies. Others collect skills and achievements and use those to push their career forward - they do well in small companies and consulting. The world needs both. With that said, knowing when to say no is very important as you say.

topkai22 4y ago

I have a good friend who runs a smallish (100 person) company with about 30-40 (mechanical) engineers. One of their long-term custodians got ill for a long spell and so engineers were asked to take out their own trash. Some people just refused to do so, to the point it got smelly and affected the org. One of the execs got fed up and took all the smelly trash out herself one night and then started going around and individually directing the engineers in person to take out their trash when she thought it was too full. For the people who didn't take out the trash, it was considered in annual reviews. Be thoughtful in what you evaluate as a "bogus" task. What is hard or complex isn't always what is important or noticed.

cestith 4y ago
Pitching in on one's own space is different from being demoted to being a custodian that costs the company like an engineer. It's well within the company's rights to ask employees to keep a tidy office.
LawTalkingGuy 4y ago
You can hire a temp cleaner instantly in almost any city. They literally wasted more money arguing with engineers than they would paying for the work to be done. > Be thoughtful in what you evaluate as a "bogus" task. Well, no. a business is all about money and if the engineers can bill they shouldn't waste their time on anything else. Management in a firm basically exists to facilitate billable hours so the employee here is right, both personally and professionally, in realizing that this is not only silly but corporate suicide. > What is hard or complex isn't always what is important or noticed. This is true. If you have a chance to pick your boss's suit up before a meeting or drive them to the airport it is probably worth doing, little favors go a long way.

sam0x17 4y ago

If you're cleaning a fridge you're probably not working from home which means you're in the wrong place anyway imo.