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0 points6cd6beb6y ago0 comments

>I've heard stories of mid to high level managers crying in bathrooms because of poor reviews from their reports. These factors combine to create an environment where teams are actively working to make engineers happy and content.

Honestly this sounds like a thought experiment.

Do you have any ethical hangups about entering an environment where falling out of your favor can leave someone stress-crying in their place of work and/or about their livelihood.

If so, how much money would it take for you to join the system anyway?

How long would you stay in such a system if you found yourself already in one?

Back in the real world, in a business context, it sounds like an abusive workplace and an untenable system. Like, that obviously can't last forever.

0 comments

simmanian6y ago

Perhaps using the crying manager example was a bad idea on my part. What I can stand behind is having an org structure that encourages managers and execs to treat their employees well. It sounds like Google has done a better job than most. I'm sure there are managers and engineers crying in private in every big company out there. What I'm trying to say is even though a lot of people like to assume that people work for Google and stay there just for the money, Google probably does some things very well to keep all the talent despite the negative press it gets. And I think a major factor is how empowered a "regular" engineer feels in the company. It sounds like a step up from many other companies in that regard.

6cd6bebOP6y ago

There are at least two problems with this:

- "I'm sure there are managers and engineers crying in private in every big company out there": You're not excusing google here, just expanding the range of companies whose apparent behavior is mortifying a couple of people in this thread.

- "Google probably does some things very well to keep all the talent despite the negative press it gets.": probably. They probably do a lot of a/b testing to dial in the compensation/retention ratio they're looking for, or maybe they just heap rewards onto engineers because they can afford it. Be that as it may, some people think that what google's doing is detrimental to society, or at least the problems are bigger than a salary or even a total compensation package should make up for.

simmanian6y ago

I don't see any problem because I agree with what you said. Work shouldn't be so stressful that you cry in private. Google should do more "good" for the world.

I still think Google stands as an attractive workplace for reasons that are not just compensation and resume boost, though.

cellularmitosis6y ago

> some people think that what google's doing is detrimental to society

Is this referring to how they creepily track people, or are they doing worse things which I’m not aware of?

chillacy6y ago

At some other companies it’s the engineers crying in the bathroom, just sayin

tricolon6y ago

That there are even stories about such things makes me want to stay far, far away from there.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 points6cd6beb6y ago0 comments

Honestly this sounds like a thought experiment.

Do you have any ethical hangups about entering an environment where falling out of your favor can leave someone stress-crying in their place of work and/or about their livelihood.

If so, how much money would it take for you to join the system anyway?

How long would you stay in such a system if you found yourself already in one?

Back in the real world, in a business context, it sounds like an abusive workplace and an untenable system. Like, that obviously can't last forever.

0 comments

simmanian6y ago

6cd6bebOP6y ago

There are at least two problems with this:

simmanian6y ago

I don't see any problem because I agree with what you said. Work shouldn't be so stressful that you cry in private. Google should do more "good" for the world.

I still think Google stands as an attractive workplace for reasons that are not just compensation and resume boost, though.

cellularmitosis6y ago

> some people think that what google's doing is detrimental to society

Is this referring to how they creepily track people, or are they doing worse things which I’m not aware of?

chillacy6y ago

At some other companies it’s the engineers crying in the bathroom, just sayin

tricolon6y ago

That there are even stories about such things makes me want to stay far, far away from there.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse