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Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work environments?

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Re: Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work environments?

#271

Post by rlt »

tzs wrote: post #138
geebee wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The part about ping pong and beer vs a more formal workplace is really interesting. I've been reading more about this lately. One story that struck me was about a journalist whose newspaper was purchased by a tech company, and the culture changed. She went from having a private office to working in a huge, open office environment. I'm putting this together from memory, but I remember her talking about how strange it…

> [...] and having to take it with her to the bathroom (feeling somewhat self conscious about how her more frequent trips appeared to her younger, generally male coworkers) Get one of these kitchen timers [1]. Set it to about 25 minutes. When it goes off get up from your desk and spend a few minutes walking around the office. Return to your desk, reset the timer, and go to prior step. When you wish to visit the bathr…

Or just try working on not being so self-conscious. I'm pretty sure most people really do not care about how often you use the restroom.

Re: Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work environments?

#272

Post by hysterix »

Funny how women are never pushing to equalize the "diversity problem" in things like garbage truck driver, or oil rig worker.

It's an amazing coincidence that the only push for "equalization" is for kush jobs that pay well and allow you to sit on your ass in an air conditioned room.

Where is the feminist outrage at the lack of women working on oil rigs or in alaska as a crab fishermen?

Re: Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work environments?

#273

Post by thebrettd »

tzs wrote: post #138
geebee wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The part about ping pong and beer vs a more formal workplace is really interesting. I've been reading more about this lately. One story that struck me was about a journalist whose newspaper was purchased by a tech company, and the culture changed. She went from having a private office to working in a huge, open office environment. I'm putting this together from memory, but I remember her talking about how strange it…

> [...] and having to take it with her to the bathroom (feeling somewhat self conscious about how her more frequent trips appeared to her younger, generally male coworkers) Get one of these kitchen timers [1]. Set it to about 25 minutes. When it goes off get up from your desk and spend a few minutes walking around the office. Return to your desk, reset the timer, and go to prior step. When you wish to visit the bathr…

Sometimes I use an unlicensed Jetbrains product - it closes automatically after 30 minutes of action

Re: Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work environments?

#274

Post by astrodev »

viraptor wrote: post #196
VLM wrote: post #141

In the military we work with all sorts of people, at least with respect to gender, race, religion, and to a lesser extent sexuality. At the same time, admittedly most were Republican and none of us did drugs. If you're willing work with Republicans and/or non-drug users (most tech people are super far left and absolutely will not) then working for an ex-mil manager or with ex-mil coworkers will likely be an extremely…

To be honest, if anything, your preconception of other environments does not advertise your own environment well. I can't even tell if there's actually a tech company somewhere stupid enough to say they require someone to agree with antifa, or it's just made up. But mentioning that as something more than a crazy outlier is silly.

I don't think the remark about antifa was meant to be taken literally. Of course, no one will put it in the job description.

Do you think it's easy to be supportive of the current US president, supportive of Brexit and sceptical of climate alarmism while working in tech (or in academia, for that matter)? I do not find it easy at all.

Re: Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work environments?

#275

Post by skybrian »

mrout wrote: post #250

I think the key thing for people to realise is that none of what you just said has anything to do with women . Meet your direct manager. Make sure you get along with them. Make sure people give off 'good vibes' i.e. you get along with them. Talk to people, get to know them. This is just basic people skills. The interview is about you evaluating them as much as it is about them evaluating you.

It's generic good advice but some people need it more than others.

Large companies may be a problem though. The interview process is generic and you probably won't meet your direct manager; you're just evaluating a somewhat random sample of people. But asking to meet them later (before accepting the offer) might work.

Re: Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work environments?

#276

Post by UnpossibleJim »

watwut wrote: post #56

Disclaimer: I am women, but never stepped the foot in CA. Geography matters. I see ping pong tables and free beer as a red flag of sorts and seek workplace that is more formal. The idea is that the less it attempts to be personal/cool/cultural the less personal things (e.g. gender or peoples attitudes/biases or who-likes-who) matters and the more actual work matters. I have no stats to support this, just my guess and…

I am not a woman, a person of colour or of fluid sexuality or identity, so disregard my comment if it so pleases you, but the older I get the more I seem to want the exact things you are looking for. A little formality seems like it might be a wonderful thing and I won't have to pretend I care about the owner's bitching new Tesla. I work in tech currently and tend to dress in shorts and a Tshirt, which is comfortable I grant you. It would be a small price to pay to havw to be overly cordial with only my team members amd not trip over scooters strewn about, if it meant I had to wear a button up and slacks. ... Christ I sound like a curmudgeon, but I do think some general personal bounderies would keep people's socio-political views from peeking out in an inappropriate arena, including my own. It sets a tone.

Re: Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work environments?

#277

Post by wumpus »

monochromatic wrote: post #214
JimboOmega wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Any place with crap culture is crap culture for almost everyone, no matter gender-identity or race. I can't agree with you. If you work for a company that makes negative assumptions about you because of your gender/race, you'll have a worse experience than when they make positive assumptions. It's about things like when you bring up an idea in a meeting, and it's totally ignored, and the guy across the table brings…

> If you work for a company that makes negative assumptions about you because of your gender/race, you'll have a worse experience than when they make positive assumptions. What's wrong with just not making any assumptions based on gender and race?

The only problem with doing nothing is that it generally results in the status quo: organizations that are not diverse. This is not to say that positive assumptions is the answer, but that's not what most organizations aiming at better diversity are doing.

Also, you have the additional problem that some folks noisily pretend to be not making any assumptions based on gender or race: cf the numerous recent court rulings against North Carolina.

Re: Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work environments?

#278

Post by emmab »

fwefwwfe wrote: post #243
dang wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please post civilly and substantively, or not at all.

Please get off your high horse? I'd honestly like to know if someone has a way to predict that.

That's exactly what the top-level OP is asking, how to predict this kind of thing.

Re: Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work environments?

#279

Post by greglindahl »

bbcbasic wrote: post #260
danielhooper wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have a workplace where women and minorities cannot discuss their issues without a white man butting in to whine "but what about meee?" then yes, that is a toxic work environment.

That's a good point but need to be careful not to conflate racist issues with general shit place to work issues.

... aaand there are people all over this discussion changing the original question into general shit place to work issues. So much for answering the question and keeping the discussion focused.

Re: Ask HN: Women in tech, how do you find non-toxic work environments?

#280

Post by thread_id »

tomc1985 wrote: post #227
geebee wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The part about ping pong and beer vs a more formal workplace is really interesting. I've been reading more about this lately. One story that struck me was about a journalist whose newspaper was purchased by a tech company, and the culture changed. She went from having a private office to working in a huge, open office environment. I'm putting this together from memory, but I remember her talking about how strange it…

Ugh. Why must things always coalesce at one end of an extreme or another? Formality is bad. It is another layer of separation between you and the work. Way back when the original meaning of 'informal' simply meant your employer didn't care about non-work-related stuff like attire -- but its morphed into a culture of its own, destroyed perceptions towards those who really are results-oriented, and sent a lot of people…

Could not have stated it better!!
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