Tech Giants Take Their Talent Hunt to Cambridge, UK • Hacker News Board

Re: Tech Giants Take Their Talent Hunt to Cambridge, UK

#71

Post by bepotts » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 12:59 PM UTC

handbanana wrote: post #59

justsomedude43 wrote: post #53

I wouldn't move to US for $140k from my £40k salary in the UK unless they point a gun at my face and force me to do it. So to each their own I guess.

Why’s that?

People on the internet love to exaggerate how bad living in the US is.

The US is a big country and there's plenty of places that most people wouldn't like to live (every country has locations like this), but if you're a tech worker, there's no place better in the world to live than in the US. You don't have to live in the Bay Area, you can live in Seattle, New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, or Atlanta. Don't like the city? Okay, there's plenty of affordable suburbs to live in all over the country.

Plus your cost of healthcare will either be free or heavily subsidized, taxes will be lower, you'll be making more money, and the opportunities for career advancement, VC funding (if you want to go the startup route), and opportunities to network will be much greater here.

America is an amazing place to live, whether the internet wants to believe it or not.

Re: Tech Giants Take Their Talent Hunt to Cambridge, UK

#72

Post by swarnie_ » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 1:00 PM UTC

handbanana wrote: post #59

justsomedude43 wrote: post #53

I wouldn't move to US for $140k from my £40k salary in the UK unless they point a gun at my face and force me to do it. So to each their own I guess.

Why’s that?

My guess would be healthcare costs, bay area living costs or the dice you you have to pass every time you encounter a police offer.

Re: Tech Giants Take Their Talent Hunt to Cambridge, UK

#73

Post by bartread » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 1:00 PM UTC

cup-of-tea wrote: post #55

detritus wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

General life experience? I don't doubt that the parent wasn't being absolutely comprehensive in the scope of their answer, but surely you appreciate that direct communication in person is.. well, at the very least 'efficient'? I can't believe you're actually wanting a source for this, lol

> but surely you appreciate that direct communication in person is.. well, at the very least 'efficient'? No, I don't. I believe written communication is far more efficient. Cavemen talk. Writing is the greatest technology we've ever invented. Forget all your latest devops crazes, you can't do anything useful without writing.

> I believe written communication is far more efficient.

Categorically wrong. Two examples:

1) Years ago I was moving out of a shared house and looking for someone to move into my room. One person in particular would only communicate via email about coming to view the room. Consequently days elapsed before we'd got a final arrangement that could have been sorted out with a 10 minute phone call, despite having my number, and me having theirs. Then, when I took half a day off to wait in for this person to visit, they missed the appointment. When I checked my email it turned out they'd emailed me a few minutes before they were due to turn up to tell me they weren't going to make it. Again, despite having my phone number. Already irritated by their behaviour this obviously left me fuming.

2) Just the past few days I've been dealing with an "urgent" support incident where the two people involved have been exchanging emails for three days: a conversation that could be easily accelerated with a call.

In both these cases direct synchronous communication is the key: this might be face to face or on the phone, or a video call, but in no way is written communication more efficient.

Re: Tech Giants Take Their Talent Hunt to Cambridge, UK

#74

Post by ensiferum » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 1:01 PM UTC

“How do we stop the A.I. brain drain to the U.S. — or to the U.S. companies anyway?”

Uh.. create an alternative work place with comparable benefits and compensation?

Re: Tech Giants Take Their Talent Hunt to Cambridge, UK

#75

Post by cup-of-tea » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 1:05 PM UTC

bartread wrote: post #73

cup-of-tea wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but surely you appreciate that direct communication in person is.. well, at the very least 'efficient'? No, I don't. I believe written communication is far more efficient. Cavemen talk. Writing is the greatest technology we've ever invented. Forget all your latest devops crazes, you can't do anything useful without writing.

> I believe written communication is far more efficient. Categorically wrong. Two examples: 1) Years ago I was moving out of a shared house and looking for someone to move into my room. One person in particular would only communicate via email about coming to view the room. Consequently days elapsed before we'd got a final arrangement that could have been sorted out with a 10 minute phone call, despite having my numb…

I saw someone crash their car therefore driving is an inefficient method of transport.

Re: Tech Giants Take Their Talent Hunt to Cambridge, UK

#76

Post by fooker » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 1:06 PM UTC

bepotts wrote: post #71

handbanana wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why’s that?

People on the internet love to exaggerate how bad living in the US is. The US is a big country and there's plenty of places that most people wouldn't like to live (every country has locations like this), but if you're a tech worker, there's no place better in the world to live than in the US. You don't have to live in the Bay Area, you can live in Seattle, New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, or Atlanta. Don't like th…

America is an amazing place to live if you do not have to be stuck in the same place for decades waiting for a green card.

Re: Tech Giants Take Their Talent Hunt to Cambridge, UK

#77

Post by foldr » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 1:09 PM UTC

timthorn wrote: post #45

Moodles wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention that marginal tax in the UK is 40% income tax for 45k+ (45% over 150k) + 2% national insurance which is actually more marginal tax than SF, the highest taxed state in the US. Of course UK has the NHS fee healthcare, but if you're pulling $200k+ in SF you probably have medical benefits too.

Between £100k-£120k it hits an effective 60% as the personal allowance is withdrawn.

60% of what exactly? Take home pay for a salary of £100k is about £66k, and about £74k for £120k.

Re: Tech Giants Take Their Talent Hunt to Cambridge, UK

#78

Post by zavi » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 1:14 PM UTC

cup-of-tea wrote: post #46

zavi wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because in-person collaboration is more effective.

Haha, erm... source?

I'm not trying to argue or convince anybody, just answering the question from the HR perspective (I spend ~20% of my time hiring engineers in a large multinational company). Every large company has internal data overwhelmingly showing that you want to jam as many people in one place as possible. Of course there's physical limits (real estate, talent pools, cost of living), so you are constantly making a trade-off between paying a premium (more rent, higher salary) vs hiring remote workers who are cheaper but produce less on average. That's just how it works.

Re: Tech Giants Take Their Talent Hunt to Cambridge, UK

#79

Post by maccard » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 1:20 PM UTC

bartread wrote: post #73

cup-of-tea wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but surely you appreciate that direct communication in person is.. well, at the very least 'efficient'? No, I don't. I believe written communication is far more efficient. Cavemen talk. Writing is the greatest technology we've ever invented. Forget all your latest devops crazes, you can't do anything useful without writing.

> I believe written communication is far more efficient. Categorically wrong. Two examples: 1) Years ago I was moving out of a shared house and looking for someone to move into my room. One person in particular would only communicate via email about coming to view the room. Consequently days elapsed before we'd got a final arrangement that could have been sorted out with a 10 minute phone call, despite having my numb…

> Categorically wrong

I disagree. Yesterday I was trying to organise a visit to a luthier for a guitar repair. He told me to phone him, so I phoned, he didn't answer. I left a voicemail, and he phoned me back 15 minutes later, I missed him. On the third attempt, we spoke. I explained what I had written in the email, and he told me that I should call in with the guitar. Overall, it took ~20 minutes of back and forth to resolve an issue that could have been answered in the reply where he told me to phone him.

If you phone me, you are likely to call me at an inconvenient time and interrupt what I'm doing. If you send me an email, and I'm free, I'll respond immediately. If I'm in the middle of something, I'll respond when I'm finished what I'm doing.

Re: Tech Giants Take Their Talent Hunt to Cambridge, UK

#80

Post by elliotpage » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 1:20 PM UTC

angarg12 wrote: post #11

> As the tech workers land the big salaries, home prices are skyrocketing, and the locals are being squeezed out. Joke is on them, I'm a new tech immigrant to Cambridge and I still can't buy a house here.

As someone who born and raised in Cambridge the possibility of owning anything larger than a shared shoebox has plummeted into impossibility.