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Googler... ex-Googler

nerdy.dev

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Re: Googler... ex-Googler

#191

Post by Ferret7446 »

ivraatiems wrote: post #9

The 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…

Your relationship with your employer is no different than any other business relationship. You can do the bare minimum, just as there are many businesses that do the bare minimum toward their customers, and those businesses often have a low subsistence level of success; if you do the same, you may have the same level of success in your career.

An employment relationship can offer a lot of things for both sides. For the employer, your labor of course. For the employee, a salary of course. But it can also offer experience, access to other talented and intelligent individuals and access to capital to learn and try things, networking, relationships, opportunities for promotion and perhaps opportunities to find better employment elsewhere, or the skills and/or connections to start your own business.

Your attitude toward work should be the same as the attitude you take towards the rest of your life. You can "rot" or you can make the most of every opportunity.

Re: Googler... ex-Googler

#192

Post by grandempire »

iainmerrick wrote: post #155
grandempire wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For what? He’s probably getting fantastic severance so his time is best spent on the next thing. The employer isn’t going to get more work - it’s not wise or safe to let layed off individuals roam around the office.

it’s not wise or safe to let layed off individuals roam around the office. I don’t really buy this. I take it you’re worried about vengeful ex-employees abusing their access privileges to break stuff on the way out? It seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Probably some people would feel vengeful if you do shitty things to them like removing all their access and firing them with no notice whatsoever. Bad employees c…

> I take it you’re worried about vengeful ex-employees abusing their access privileges to break stuff on the way out?

In extreme cases. But also just sowing discontent. Looking to grab value they think they are owed. Generally lots of people who are upset and probably feel mistreated and have very little to lose.

I actually think there is a small but real chance of violence as people like OP feel like their identity and way of life is threatened.

Have you been in a situation like this before?

Re: Googler... ex-Googler

#193

Post by milesrout »

anal_reactor wrote: post #153
sudomateo wrote: post #116

> But I was also immediately ripped away from my calendar, docs, code, and more. Layoffs are never easy. I've been through a few myself and it really takes the wind out of your sails. That being said, this sentence made me pause a bit. None of these things mentioned are actually yours. They are the property of Google. One thing that helped me immensely in my career is understanding that my relationship with a company…

> I recommended learning how to separate your value from your employer. This is a very recent development. Through the entirety of human history you'd keep working for the same employer for your entire life, which means it was very much worth it to cultivate that relationship, it's only now that we change jobs every two years. A friend of mine has a company in a very small town, and was complaining about an employee…

For most of human history we were hunter-gatherers. Even assuming you mean post-industrial history this isn't true though.

Re: Googler... ex-Googler

#194

Post by gavinflud »

asadalt wrote: post #182
BlobberSnobber wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Always someone with a horrible opinion to give in this hellsite

i have had to avoid hiring excellent candidate(s) from EU, just because they would become unflushable if it comes to that.

How exactly would they become "unflushable"?

Also, surely if they were excellent candidates then you'd be doing your absolute best to keep them around?

Re: Googler... ex-Googler

#195

Post by noisy_boy »

Ferret7446 wrote: post #181
abdj8 wrote: post #110

Layoffs 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…

What happens if your company supports billions of dollars in economic output, and a few employees decides to go rogue and sabotage some systems that then causes an international loss of billions of dollars, and possibly property damages and loss of life? If you were the CEO, would you take criminal/financial responsibility for that?

There is a range between kicking them out instantly and allowing them to do whatever they please. Authorizations to important systems should be immediately revoked but you can allow them some time to gather their things, access to internal chat to say their goodbyes etc. Or is that an excuse for poorly designed internal controls?

Re: Googler... ex-Googler

#196

Post by fbn79 »

Not related to the layoff (I'm very sad for what author is experiencing), but the blog looking is very great and functional. Looking on the page code I see that is using a CSS framework that I'm never heard off Open Pros (https://open-props.style/), looks like a much better solution than Tailwind and friends. I see that a components collection is the development too Open Props UI (https://open-props-ui.netlify.app/)

Re: Googler... ex-Googler

#197

Post by watwut »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #173
apexalpha wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Weird, as someone from Europe I've never experience anything else. Layoffs here are always done in conjunction with the unions. People are moved to different jobs, helped with training etc... Only in very critical jobs they'd walk you out immediately but then you still get the pay.

That's not universal though. My dad's company was bought up by a foreign investor, shrunk over multiple reorganizations from its peak of ~500 people in the 70's or 80's down to a skeleton crew of ~50. They weren't fired, they were told the company was going bankrupt and needed to be emptied out. People who worked there for 40+ years were basically given a few months' pay if that and a "good luck". There's a formula f…

> People who worked there for 40+ years were basically given a few months' pay

Those few months pay thing is the key difference. That is legally mandated.

Re: Googler... ex-Googler

#198

Post by 331c8c71 »

apexalpha wrote: post #149
abdj8 wrote: post #110

Layoffs 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…

Weird, as someone from Europe I've never experience anything else. Layoffs here are always done in conjunction with the unions. People are moved to different jobs, helped with training etc... Only in very critical jobs they'd walk you out immediately but then you still get the pay.

> Layoffs here are always done in conjunction with the unions.

Europe is vastly diverse and your experience is not representative of all Europe.

Re: Googler... ex-Googler

#199

Post by thinkingemote »

henry2023 wrote: post #139
Mond_ wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I found this comment rather funny.

Re: Googler... ex-Googler

#200

Post by Ferret7446 »

fzeroracer wrote: post #189
Ferret7446 wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What happens if your company supports billions of dollars in economic output, and a few employees decides to go rogue and sabotage some systems that then causes an international loss of billions of dollars, and possibly property damages and loss of life? If you were the CEO, would you take criminal/financial responsibility for that?

Does this question also equally apply to the opposite side? If an employee got so angry with how you laid them off and treated them afterwards that they decide to do what they can to damage your company? Cutting access and having security walk them out is more or less security theater. If an employee really wanted to cause damage the odds are they either already have or will still find a way. In this scenario having…

This hypothetical is about what the CEO/company decides to do, not what the employee decides to do. A lot of liability "theater" is not there to prevent issues, it's to cover your ass.

So no, this question doesn't apply equally to the opposite side. An employee does not take responsibility for what the company does. A lot of people wonder why CEOs are paid so much; part of that is simply to take responsibility.

Ironically, a lot of people complain about useless CEOs, but if you asked them to take that responsibility for the pay, they wouldn't take it (note that that responsibility includes things like sweet talking shareholders and giving public statements on short notice on things that could nuke millions of dollars in value and create very real legal liability).

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