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Goldman Sachs relaxes dress code for techs in fight for talent

reuters.com

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Re: Goldman Sachs relaxes dress code for techs in fight for talent

#51

Post by brandonmenc »

pfd1986 wrote: post #35
eropple wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100%. I actually grew to like wearing a suit because when you're wearing a suit and somebody else isn't, there's a certain kind of cultural deference you get in many situations that is pretty handy from a business and a social perspective.

That's the exact reason why I hate wearing and even worst ever being forced to wear one.

You can either chafe, or acknowledge reality and use it to your advantage.

When I was younger, I chafed. Now, I enjoy getting seated at that restaurant table before you.

Re: Goldman Sachs relaxes dress code for techs in fight for talent

#52

Post by obstacle1 »

pfd1986 wrote: post #35
eropple wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100%. I actually grew to like wearing a suit because when you're wearing a suit and somebody else isn't, there's a certain kind of cultural deference you get in many situations that is pretty handy from a business and a social perspective.

That's the exact reason why I hate wearing and even worst ever being forced to wear one.

Not everyone is built for success. At least you recognize that in yourself.

Re: Goldman Sachs relaxes dress code for techs in fight for talent

#53

Post by pg_is_a_butt »

jventura wrote: post #34

I know some people prefer money over morality and integrity, but personally, I am satisfied that these guys have to struggle to get people to work for them. In my ideal world, people would grow spines and would not work for these shady big companies.

uh, if they had a spine, why wouldn't they eliminate the big companies, thus protecting those among them who are unable to grow spines?

we are meant to do this. we must destroy. reach your ideals. do it.

Re: Goldman Sachs relaxes dress code for techs in fight for talent

#55

Post by Doctor_Fegg »

brandonmenc wrote: post #51
pfd1986 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the exact reason why I hate wearing and even worst ever being forced to wear one.

You can either chafe, or acknowledge reality and use it to your advantage. When I was younger, I chafed. Now, I enjoy getting seated at that restaurant table before you.

And the presence of a load of suits is a good indicator for the rest of us that it's not the sort of restaurant atmosphere we'll enjoy...

Re: Goldman Sachs relaxes dress code for techs in fight for talent

#56

Post by cpsempek »

jjuhl wrote: post #36

I never got the point of dress codes. When everyone dress (boringly) alike I tend to view them as mindless drones and my respect for them drops to near zero. Show up in some unusual or creative outfit however and I'm so much more willing to believe you are an intelligent and interresting human being.

Totally agree. I mean, look at all these dull, uncreative, mindless drones http://www.uh.edu/engines/Solvay-1927.jpg.

Re: Goldman Sachs relaxes dress code for techs in fight for talent

#57

Post by backtoyoujim »

I remember working in a bullpen among other young, enthusiastic, hard-working, poorly groomed males coding in the horror show that C++, CORBA, and Oracle could put on for a production environment during that first 90s dot.com build up.

Meanwhile the president/CEO guy came wandering through the production gallows with our manager speaking about how next-round VCs were going to show up tomorrow for a looksee.

I asked my manager if we should dress up for that. The CEO threw his hands out and said, "No, no, no! Wear that penguin shirt and flip flops and shit. We are a start-up."

Re: Goldman Sachs relaxes dress code for techs in fight for talent

#58

Post by FabHK »

duncans wrote: post #27

Odd, I worked at Goldman Sachs in London in approx. 1999-2001 and visited the New York office a few times and remember it being the usual "smart/casual" (veering to very casual). When did it smarten up?

During those years, London switched from suit (with tie) to suit (tie optional).

I don't recall New York being much more casual, but it might have.

Back then, in NY, they put a foosball table on the 26th floor (IIRC) of 85 Broad St for the quants ("Strats"), in an effort to compete as an employer with the first dot.com boom (foosball = cool, right).

Once the tech bubble burst, the foosball table was gone pretty quickly though! :)

The London head office was in a listed art deco building on Fleet Street, beautifully renovated with a great gym and waterfall, quickly dubbed the "NASDAQ 5000 memorial waterfall"... (It only hit 5000 again in 2015)

Re: Goldman Sachs relaxes dress code for techs in fight for talent

#59

Post by shardinator »

obstacle1 wrote: post #52
pfd1986 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the exact reason why I hate wearing and even worst ever being forced to wear one.

Not everyone is built for success. At least you recognize that in yourself.

Funny, I read the comment as meaning "I get plenty of social deference, and any more would be just be annoying".

Re: Goldman Sachs relaxes dress code for techs in fight for talent

#60

Post by anigbrowl »

walshemj wrote: post #18
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #12

I worked on the American trading floor of a Swiss bank. After the crisis, Zürich decided to reign in us free-wheelers. So they came out with a new dress code [1]: "Among the 'dos' and 'don’ts' for women: 'Make sure to touch up hair regrowth regularly if you color your hair.' Men are commanded to, 'Schedule barber appointments every four weeks to maintain your haircut shape.' Neither sex is allowed to 'allow their und…

Cuff links FFS - when I dress up (about once a year) I always wear dress shirts with cufflinks. Sounds like the code was written by the sort of person that orders red wine with fish :-) "James Bond: Red wine with fish. Well that should have told me something."

The point of the cuff links ban is not to let the lower tiers look as good as the executives.

Protip for interested readers: if you must wear a suit and are on a budget or confined by a dress code, try to pick one off the rack with the best fabric you can find. Take it to a tailor, which is not that expensive. Have the jacket cut to fit, and have the buttons on the sleeves altered to have actual buttonholes. As you are able to afford it, spend the same amount of money as the total cost of the suit on shoes, 2 shirts, and 3 ties. Learn about tie stripe patterns (which often have coded military or school affiliations, a sort of secret handshake); otherwise, fine ties that work with your hair or eye color. If you're not experienced or confident in shopping for clothes, get a friend who is. Woman often understand men's clothes better than men.

I'm not into suits and ties either, but when you have to wear them you might as well take comfort in knowing that you look good instead of feeling awkward.

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