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I wrote up some notes on my observed realities on how mid-size and up tech companies approach compensation: https://glenngillen.com/sensible-remote-compensation

I wrote up some notes on my observed realities on how mid-size and up tech companies approach compensation: https://glenngillen.com/sensible-remote-compensation/ https://glenngillen.com/sensible-remote-compensation/ Employees have a mistaken belief that if profits are high they get to share in the spoils, they won't. Shareholders are who get those rewards. Either via increased valuation, dividends, buybacks, or all of the above. The only exception to that would be employees at an exec level who get richly rewarded on the basis of doing well for the shareholders. Employees also seem to think they're entitled to receive payrises every year based on their performance, indexed/adjusted to account for CPI increases too. That's not what happens either. Your employer isn't maximising for the socially and morally optimum outcome for their employees no matter how much they tell you you're family. The maximising for return on investment. When it comes to what to pay people, or how much to increase it, it's just a huge bunch of faceless and nameless people. Some finance people will look at the numbers, look at the market, look at the company forecasts, and make a decision on how much they're willing to spend to reach their objectives. And I guess this year they've taken a look and come to the conclusion that "there's been so many lay offs, the job market it so competitive for candidates, we're already doing enough. We can maintain the status quo, any negative impact will be imperceptible, we're still expected to reach our targets. So why pay more?". It's worth learning how to advocate for yourself more strongly. If you're surprised by changes like this and having to negotiate strongly for your own salary it's because you've been the beneficiary or a hot market for a long time where external forces were driving that negotiation on your behalf. Times have changed.

tdrgabi 3y ago
What resources can you recommend to learn how to advocate strongly in this context?
- glenngillen 3y ago
  Curse of knowledge applies here unfortunately, in that it was so long ago I can’t be a reliable source on how to learn now. I recall being recommended “never split the difference” at some point and reading it and finding it useful (again, so long ago I can’t remember what’s actually in the book now). I’d also try to hunt down a peer or someone just slightly more senior than you who you suspect is better at this than you and ask them for advice. Consider treating it a little bit like a behavioural job interview though. Questions like “so for your last promotion cycle, when did you start the conversation with your boss? What did you present to them? What format/medium? How often? What was the result? What did you expect? Did you have a Plan B? How often are you exploring other options just in case?” not so much “what would you do in this situation?”. If they’re successful you’ve more to learn from what is actually working from them rather than their hypothetical ideal.
screwturner68 3y ago
I'm fine that but let's cut the bullshit. Quit trying to create a "culture", we are not family, we are not friends, we owe each other nothing aside from a paycheck and 40h of work a week, we don't need to help each other, we don't need to innovate, we don't need to show up early or leave late, we are strictly transactional. Don't be surprised when I leave for $1 an hour raise, don't be surprised when I don't go the extra mile. I am nothing to you but a resource to be expended just like coal or plastic and you are nothing to me but a paycheck. At least that would be honest.
- glenngillen 3y ago
  I’ve experienced both. The best job I ever had was with a small, excited, inspiring team of people at a place that over-indexed on the culture stuff. Truly a wonderful experience. But it just can’t scale. It’s also super expensive (at least the way it was implemented in that place). But suddenly you’re 1000 people, pretending you’re all “family”, when in reality you don’t even know the names of half the people around you, the people calling you family certainly don’t know yours, and it’s too expensive to actually do anything a family would do together so it never happens. Your point is 100% accurate though. We all deserve no bullshit. Just be honest with what we owe and will give each other. I know there’s been a couple of former SV darlings that have fallen out of favour because of leadership mandates about what is or isn’t appropriate at work, what they value, what your expectations should be to work there. I might not agree with them but that’s not the point. I love the blunt honesty. Huge signal on whether I want to spend 40hrs a week with these people or not. And so much more valuable than empty and aspirational values statements (or worse, recruitment marketing masquerading as values).
napierzaza 3y ago
[dead]
ChuckNorris89 3y ago
>Employees also seem to think they're entitled to receive payrises every year based on their performance, indexed/adjusted to account for CPI increases too In some EU countries, companies are mandated to provide CPI increases. This has the effect of a natural greed-flation brake. IMHO, should be the norm worldwide.

tdrgabi 3y ago

What resources can you recommend to learn how to advocate strongly in this context?

glenngillen 3y ago
Curse of knowledge applies here unfortunately, in that it was so long ago I can’t be a reliable source on how to learn now. I recall being recommended “never split the difference” at some point and reading it and finding it useful (again, so long ago I can’t remember what’s actually in the book now). I’d also try to hunt down a peer or someone just slightly more senior than you who you suspect is better at this than you and ask them for advice. Consider treating it a little bit like a behavioural job interview though. Questions like “so for your last promotion cycle, when did you start the conversation with your boss? What did you present to them? What format/medium? How often? What was the result? What did you expect? Did you have a Plan B? How often are you exploring other options just in case?” not so much “what would you do in this situation?”. If they’re successful you’ve more to learn from what is actually working from them rather than their hypothetical ideal.

screwturner68 3y ago

I'm fine that but let's cut the bullshit. Quit trying to create a "culture", we are not family, we are not friends, we owe each other nothing aside from a paycheck and 40h of work a week, we don't need to help each other, we don't need to innovate, we don't need to show up early or leave late, we are strictly transactional. Don't be surprised when I leave for $1 an hour raise, don't be surprised when I don't go the extra mile. I am nothing to you but a resource to be expended just like coal or plastic and you are nothing to me but a paycheck. At least that would be honest.

glenngillen 3y ago
I’ve experienced both. The best job I ever had was with a small, excited, inspiring team of people at a place that over-indexed on the culture stuff. Truly a wonderful experience. But it just can’t scale. It’s also super expensive (at least the way it was implemented in that place). But suddenly you’re 1000 people, pretending you’re all “family”, when in reality you don’t even know the names of half the people around you, the people calling you family certainly don’t know yours, and it’s too expensive to actually do anything a family would do together so it never happens. Your point is 100% accurate though. We all deserve no bullshit. Just be honest with what we owe and will give each other. I know there’s been a couple of former SV darlings that have fallen out of favour because of leadership mandates about what is or isn’t appropriate at work, what they value, what your expectations should be to work there. I might not agree with them but that’s not the point. I love the blunt honesty. Huge signal on whether I want to spend 40hrs a week with these people or not. And so much more valuable than empty and aspirational values statements (or worse, recruitment marketing masquerading as values).

napierzaza 3y ago

[dead]

ChuckNorris89 3y ago

>Employees also seem to think they're entitled to receive payrises every year based on their performance, indexed/adjusted to account for CPI increases too In some EU countries, companies are mandated to provide CPI increases. This has the effect of a natural greed-flation brake. IMHO, should be the norm worldwide.