> I really was just a fuckin cog in a mega corp.
Yes, you were. Next time, please choose a company that contributes to society rather than shoving ads in everyone's faces.
Googler... ex-Googler
131–140 of 1001 posts
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#132The reality of one's lack of value to one's own employer is often baffling. It makes you wonder how anyone manages to stay employed at all, since apparently everyone is replicable and unimportant. I have been through layoffs where other people on my team, doing the same job I did approximately as well, got laid off. No explanation given for why them and not me. And it could happen to me at any time. It doesn't matter…
You spend half your waking hours at work. Having a shitty attitude for that much of your life is no way to live.
Nor is sticking your head in the sand.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#133Tangentially, I thought the term Xoogler was used to refer to an ex-Googler. Or has that term fallen into disuse now?
The term still exists, but it's not one you'd expect people outside Google to be familiar with.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#134Layoffs are a difficult thing for employees and their managers. I have seen people (one was a VP of Engineering) escorted out of the building, sent in a cab to home along with a security guard (this was in India), not allowed access to computer or talk with other employees. But, recently have had a very different experience. The current company I work for announced 30% layoffs. The list was made public within one hou…
That’s great, and the polar opposite of how I experienced layoffs (of others, then eventually of me).
But one thing that could be better is transparency around severance, so you know in advance what it will be should you get laid off. (Six months may or may not be “generous” depending on tenure.)
When I was laid off we got what was “customary” in that country, but before the offer was on the table nobody was sure we’d get it. It’s so much nicer when this is a matter of law — I’m all for a ~ free labor market but severance requirements help to balance the risk so the employees can relax and do their best work.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#135Earlier quoted context omitted.
the obligations listed on the page that he got rug pulled off of seem kinda ugly to me.
Ugly, but not uncommon. A company will often try and avoid letting a candidate know that they are being considered for firing, or that the decision has already been made, until the trigger is pulled.
That's normal. What's uniquely ugly/American is conveying those firing decisions by locking the fired employees out of their email at 6 PM on Friday. In most countries this is illegal.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#136> I really was just a fuckin cog in a mega corp. Yes, you were. Next time, please choose a company that contributes to society rather than shoving ads in everyone's faces.
No need to kick someone while they are down.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#137> Relationships that took me years to cultivate… mostly going to be gone too.
I don't want to sound condescending, but if being forced out of the job means end for your relationships built for years, maybe these relationships weren't built as they should. They should have been built with the people as people, not coworkers, and definitely not using company as the communication ground.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#138> I really was just a fuckin cog in a mega corp. Yes, you were. Next time, please choose a company that contributes to society rather than shoving ads in everyone's faces.
Google contributes to society.
Search helps people find information. YouTube is quite possibly the most prolific source of learning ever created. Without Google Translate I'd have had a much harder time in a recent trip to Japan.
There's a lot of bad, but no contribution to society? That's a bit much.
Disclaimer: Ex-googler (left 2 years ago).
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#139> I really was just a fuckin cog in a mega corp. Yes, you were. Next time, please choose a company that contributes to society rather than shoving ads in everyone's faces.
No need to kick someone while they are down.
I worked at Google, and now I work at derivative finance. No sympathy should be expected when you don’t contribute anything valuable to society.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#140Layoffs are a difficult thing for employees and their managers. I have seen people (one was a VP of Engineering) escorted out of the building, sent in a cab to home along with a security guard (this was in India), not allowed access to computer or talk with other employees. But, recently have had a very different experience. The current company I work for announced 30% layoffs. The list was made public within one hou…
A nice addition to this I've seen twice now is a slack channel (via their personal emails) with continuing employees willing to help them practice interviewing and share their professional networks to help them find their next role.
* The Slack is under the company's control, and potential monitoring and retention? Over the life of someone no longer with the company?
* Was there any sour grapes in the Slack channel? Or was it a bummer or distraction for remaining employees?
* Did the Slack actually help the employees readjust and refocus on their new job search?
* Why not encourage people to say goodbyes and exchange contact info, and pay for a job search coaching service (with no reporting back to the company)?