Wow. I can literally feel my neck and shoulders bunching up just _reading_ this. If I wanted to live in a fear-based culture every day, I'd join the armed forces--at least that way I could shoot back.
At Netflix, Radical Transparency and Blunt Firings Unsettle the Ranks
11–20 of 335 posts
Re: At Netflix, Radical Transparency and Blunt Firings Unsettle the Ranks
#12Outline link: https://outline.com/PTGkER
First time seeing Outline. How in the heck is that legal/welcome in Chrome Web Store? Hm, are you just violating their TOS and they're putting the onus on WSJ to ask them to take down your link: https://outline.com/dmca.html
I didn't use the Chrome Web Store (or Chrome), I used outline.com
I learned of its existence through other users pasting similar links with articles that involve paywalls.
Previous instances of posting outline links to get around client-side only paywalls have not been fussed at, so I interpreted that to mean acceptance of the practice.
Someone educate me?
Re: At Netflix, Radical Transparency and Blunt Firings Unsettle the Ranks
#13Some of these companies are sounding more and more like the embodiment of The Circle with Tom Hanks and Emma Watson. I've experienced it on a smaller scale years ago when it wasn't nearly this bad. Little things like feeling like an outsider for not using the cultural lingo.
And I'm all for constructive candor but to do so you have to remember to a) know your audience and, b) ease people into it. Otherwise you're just being a dick.
Re: At Netflix, Radical Transparency and Blunt Firings Unsettle the Ranks
#14> Richard Siklos, a Netflix spokesman, said the company only fires employees for performance reasons, not because managers don’t like them
From what I've seen, managers give poor performance reviews or "metrics" when they don't like people. This feels like a distinction without a difference.
Re: At Netflix, Radical Transparency and Blunt Firings Unsettle the Ranks
#15> Richard Siklos, a Netflix spokesman, said the company only fires employees for performance reasons, not because managers don’t like them Oh how I wish I could have had that. I've had an experience in the past where I was dismissed because my manager decided he just didn't like me anymore. Although I was the best performing, most senior developer on the team and was doing all the hiring and mentoring of others, it d…
I had the exact same experience with a well known startup in SF. I got a glowing "Outstanding" review in the previous quarter. My manager left and the new manager who came in took just 15 days (with a single one on one meeting) to decide she din't like me and fired me without offering much of a reason.
Re: At Netflix, Radical Transparency and Blunt Firings Unsettle the Ranks
#16I think the headline misconstrues the issue. There's nothing wrong with transparency, but there are plenty of issues with airing dirty laundry and having, quite apparently, sociopathic upper management.
Re: At Netflix, Radical Transparency and Blunt Firings Unsettle the Ranks
#17> Richard Siklos, a Netflix spokesman, said the company only fires employees for performance reasons, not because managers don’t like them That's not true at all. The company fires people all the time because their skills just aren't necessary. I mean I guess technically it's a layoff, but a layoff and getting fired are functionally the same at Netflix as they both come with the same severance. When we moved to AWS,…
> but a layoff and getting fired are functionally the same at Netflix as they both come with the same severance.
I actually think that's a really great policy. I've seen layoffs done under the guise of "underperformance" (i.e. with no severance) and it's really shitty. Giving everyone severance is a just fairer way to say "the business has fundamentally changed".
Re: At Netflix, Radical Transparency and Blunt Firings Unsettle the Ranks
#18Is this "here's an article talking about the corporate culture of company X" a recent thing (I can recall Netflix and Amazon recently at least), or is it a long-running trend? (has this happened to IBM, Oracle, GM, American Airlines, etc?) I suspect the latter, but honestly once I get the gist I stop reading, so I've likely forgotten many such articles.
If it's long-running, is there any common thread between them? Do they target companies that have extreme cultures...or do they just target big companies and describe the cultures in extreme ways?
Re: At Netflix, Radical Transparency and Blunt Firings Unsettle the Ranks
#19I recently quit a job that had me burned out, and in the meantime I've decided to take a couple months off before my next job. My biggest fear in going back is that I feel like now that I have 0 tolerance for the corporate culture bullshit that permeates all large organizations. I don't really even fault Netflix for what they're doing (I've certainly seen much worse) but I've determined that to function that pretty m…
The good/bad thing about going back to corporate is that the initial euphoria of stability and lack of stress offsets the frustration at meetings and politics. As the first declines, your ability to deal with and ignore the second increases. Equilibrium ensues until you next get the startup itch.
Re: At Netflix, Radical Transparency and Blunt Firings Unsettle the Ranks
#20Not to rationalize the environment there but I feel like Netflix is pretty transparent about being a difficult place to work and compensates for the potential stress with above average pay. I feel like most people who can get hired there are well aware of the work environment they will be entering.