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Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?
111–120 of 252 posts
Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?
#112Epic systems
From colleague's anecdotes and Glassdoor, I'd really steer clear of Epic. Incredible pressure to work free overtime and have no "off time", even on the weekend. https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Epic-Systems-Corporation-W...
That's their IT+customer relations combo job. Just awful. SWEs are pretty well taken care of though.
Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?
#113Apple placed me in an experimental building where they were changing the interior design constantly, trying to decide how to design their new "space ship" building. The whole time, I fumed at no longer having an office and having to work in an open office design. I could not focus due to audio and visual interruptions while I worked (programmer) in the open office spaces. But no one ever asked me for my opinion about the experimental open office environments!
Now this: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2017/08/08/apple-pa... "Apple staffers reportedly rebelling against open office plan at new $5 billion HQ"
Glad I wasn't the only coder there who utterly despised the move to the open office design.
Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?
#114On the general question of open vs. private offices, my views have tempered over time. The first time I worked in an open office, I hated it. But I've come to realize that a lot depends on the layout of the office and that there are better and worse ways to configure one. The first case -- the one I hated -- had a) long rows of desks, b) bright overhead fluorescent lights, c) a lot of noise due to being in a large ro…
Lighting is such a big issue for me. Our office, luckily has a bunch of large windows in it. But, I've worked places with no windows and too much florescent lights. It's an awful environment.
Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
I work in a team. The team of 5-10 people sit in the same office. That way we can talk to each other when needed. Some say that's disturbance, I call it collaborating. I'm not a code monkey. I don't sit alone in an office all day hammering out code. If that was what expected of me, I would change job. So, not exactly open floor plan, but not separate offices either. I think that's perfect.
I'm currently in a small office with a small team. They hate talking. They want to do everything by chat or code review. My point? So many factors are at play for a healthy office.
I mean, why is there a need to chat while working? Why not go to the kitchen to chat?
Code review seems pointless at a company with a defined code conventions.
Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?
#116[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?
#117I've worked for financial firms for 31 years. Almost all of that time, I've been a programmer on a trading desk sitting right next to traders. There is constant noise and shouting. I can tune out a lot. EXCEPT: TV noise, and idle chit chat like you'd have down at the pub. As long as people are focused on work, I can tune it whatever they say. Strange.
Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?
#118On the general question of open vs. private offices, my views have tempered over time. The first time I worked in an open office, I hated it. But I've come to realize that a lot depends on the layout of the office and that there are better and worse ways to configure one. The first case -- the one I hated -- had a) long rows of desks, b) bright overhead fluorescent lights, c) a lot of noise due to being in a large ro…
The point about facing the wall is interesting. I find it very difficult to concentrate if I'm not facing _away_ from a wall. Knowing that people can come up behind me as I'm working or taking a break makes me very uncomfortable, to the point that I can't really relax and get into the flow of my work. It just feels like I'm being constantly watched.
Of course, cubes or offices would let us have the best of both worlds, but ...
Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?
#119I think choice is important. Some people prefer one, some the other. The best working environment I've experienced in my life as a software developer was at Bell Labs in the 80s, where small private offices was the norm.
On the other hand, its good to have open working areas available when they are appropriate. In Bell Labs, we'd often congregate near the railings overlooking the Holmdel atrium while our build finished or downstairs in the large open seating areas.
Re: Ask HN: Which companies give programmers offices?
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is mostly due to employee demand (although some employees are very angry about it).
Microsoftie here. I haven't seen any indication for it to be due to employee demand. The vast majority of engineers on my team, and my last N teams, have agreed it was top down from leadership; and even those that preferred open offices agreed that cost cutting and space utilization are likely driving factors. To contribute to the broader discussion; SOME teams here still have offices, but it's a dying breed. I consi…
Former Apple employee here. That sounds exactly like what I witnessed. The new Apple HQ is very much open office and the design was definitely top-down from execs - I just know that I had no input at all even though it was my workplace. Always got my best work done at home.