4 ms·
The article makes a false assumption that perks are what keeps you at a company. I'd say that they're nice things to have and definitely work as great recruitme
by sksksk 13y ago
The article makes a false assumption that perks are what keeps you at a company. I'd say that they're nice things to have and definitely work as great recruitment tools. However, if the work you're doing is boring, no amount of free food will make up for that.
We (people working in the software industry) are extremely lucky that we can jump around and work on pretty much whatever we want. I've only been out of uni for three years and I've got to make slot machines, car sharing platforms, mobile apps and transportation apps.
So, if you have the opportunity to basically go do whatever you want, why wouldn't you take it? It's certainly not going to last forever
- s3r3nity 13y agoI disagree -- really good health/dental/etc. insurance + 401k matching + daycare + maternity/paternity leave + etc. can go FAR in maintaining good retention rates and/or recruiting new talent...though I don't have data off-hand to support the generality of that statement.
- incision 13y agoThe parent is describing perks (free food). You're describing benefits (health, retirement).
- seanmcdirmid 13y agoI disagree. Many of us don't want a job so much as to get paid for what we want to do anyways. Give me work that excites and interests me over pay/perks any day, within limits of course. I've never even applied to google before because they have a bad reputation of sending people like me to work on ads. Do you work to live or live to work? How you answer this question determines what you'll value more.
- s3r3nity 13y agoTo some extent I agree -- but I think that's because I'm a spoiled white moderately wealthy tech worker (and I'm guessing you fall into at least one of those adjectives if you're on HN.) It would sound incredibly naive to the average worker in the world, however, to pass up all of that (even free food) simply because you don't live/breathe your work.
- seanmcdirmid 13y agoWell, on the topic of current and ex-Google employees, they probably fit into the moderately wealthy tech worker mold, but not necessarily the white label, which I don't think is very relevant. Where I work, I'm the only white guy on my team and the rest are Chinese and have similar views on work.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- solarmist 13y agoBut that's assuming that work is at least moderately fulfilling. Unfulfilling work and the best benefits in the world will only retain the lazy or insecure.