Google was beloved as an employer for years. Then it laid off thousands by email
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Re: Google was beloved as an employer for years. Then it laid off thousands by email
#2Was Google really a beloved employer? I feel like that was vapor marketing hype most real people saw through as bs, you'd pretty much see constant stories of overwork and toxic teams run by incompetent "project managers" just like every other overvalued Silicon Valley FAANG shop
Re: Google was beloved as an employer for years. Then it laid off thousands by email
#3Was Google really a beloved employer? I feel like that was vapor marketing hype most real people saw through as bs, you'd pretty much see constant stories of overwork and toxic teams run by incompetent "project managers" just like every other overvalued Silicon Valley FAANG shop
With enough total comp you can be my Beloved Employer.
Re: Google was beloved as an employer for years. Then it laid off thousands by email
#4Was Google really a beloved employer? I feel like that was vapor marketing hype most real people saw through as bs, you'd pretty much see constant stories of overwork and toxic teams run by incompetent "project managers" just like every other overvalued Silicon Valley FAANG shop
never heard of Google being a place people were "overworked" at all, not compared to Amazon, at least, or as hyper-competitive as Netflix.
Re: Google was beloved as an employer for years. Then it laid off thousands by email
#5Was Google really a beloved employer? I feel like that was vapor marketing hype most real people saw through as bs, you'd pretty much see constant stories of overwork and toxic teams run by incompetent "project managers" just like every other overvalued Silicon Valley FAANG shop
No, that wasn't always the case, it's the same thing that happenned with MS. Back in the late oughts and early 2010's Google was a fantastic place to work based on the reports I've heard, that was considered work nirvana. They were the ones who introduced things like catered lunchs, and a lot of other amenities that many people consider now standard fare in many tech shops.
Based on what I heard it was a wonderful time, you got to spend all day working on interesting problems, with super smart people that were at the peak of their field, money was coming in hand over fist, and the people running the show had an understanding of engineering.
The problem is that success attracts leeches, you start getting lots of MBA types, PMs, bean counters, etc. Then things went downhill. But it wasn't always this way, it just so happens that once you become successful enough you will attract people that aren't interested in what you do, but in getting a piece of that pie, and those people and that thinking and mindset will ruin any organization.
P.S. It's an interesting line to draw between being overworked by a boss that is forcing you to spend 60 hours a week chained to a desk, and loving what you do so much that you are happy to spend 60 hours a week on it, just because you derive that much satisfaction from it.
Re: Google was beloved as an employer for years. Then it laid off thousands by email
#6the employees were fools for falling in love with their employer, not sure how else to say it
they should be grateful they were paid so well for so long to do so little...chances are they will never see comp like that for work like that again
...and hopefully no one is naive enough to think Google is "done"...after next earnings I expect an even bigger round
the same thing is happening all over tech - go down to a reduced staff of essential contributors and re-hire later for much lower comp
Re: Google was beloved as an employer for years. Then it laid off thousands by email
#7Was Google really a beloved employer? I feel like that was vapor marketing hype most real people saw through as bs, you'd pretty much see constant stories of overwork and toxic teams run by incompetent "project managers" just like every other overvalued Silicon Valley FAANG shop
it was definitely a great place to work in it's heyday 10+ years ago, as I believe most of the FAANG companies were. It was so nice back in the day having companies you knew would be great if you could just get into them. Are there any companies like that these days?
Re: Google was beloved as an employer for years. Then it laid off thousands by email
#8Was Google really a beloved employer? I feel like that was vapor marketing hype most real people saw through as bs, you'd pretty much see constant stories of overwork and toxic teams run by incompetent "project managers" just like every other overvalued Silicon Valley FAANG shop
Before the doubleclick merger, Google was absolutely the ideal place to work as an engineer.
I feel that perhaps after 2007 a lot of Google's reputation was still held up by what the culture was like in the years surrounding their IPO.
But of course, this is ancient tech history. I haven't entertained a Google recruiter in probably a decade now.
Re: Google was beloved as an employer for years. Then it laid off thousands by email
#9Was Google really a beloved employer? I feel like that was vapor marketing hype most real people saw through as bs, you'd pretty much see constant stories of overwork and toxic teams run by incompetent "project managers" just like every other overvalued Silicon Valley FAANG shop
Overwork? Toxic teams? Project managers running teams?
I've been at Google for a very long time, in quite a few orgs, and none of those things ring any bells. (Some probably exist in some pockets, though the last one sounds particularly implausible. It's just not how Google job ladders and the management structure work.)
Now, I have to admit to having not read the article, but the headline does resonate. I've spoken to a lot of current Googlers about this, and their attitude towards the company has definitely changed rather dramatically, almost overnight. People in non-US jurisdictions are feeling this particularly acutely, due to how the layoffs have been playing out for them.
Re: Google was beloved as an employer for years. Then it laid off thousands by email
#10Was Google really a beloved employer? I feel like that was vapor marketing hype most real people saw through as bs, you'd pretty much see constant stories of overwork and toxic teams run by incompetent "project managers" just like every other overvalued Silicon Valley FAANG shop
it was definitely a great place to work in it's heyday 10+ years ago, as I believe most of the FAANG companies were. It was so nice back in the day having companies you knew would be great if you could just get into them. Are there any companies like that these days?
If that's what you want then you can always start one.
Edit: it's interesting that this comment is being down voted on a site run by a VC firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs found their own companies. If you don't like working for Google or some other big company then start your own any you'll have complete freedom to set your own policies.