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At this company, we are family

pboyd.io

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Re: At this company, we are family

#231

Post by constantcrying »

xyzelement wrote: post #136
bluefishinit wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "Family" doesn't mean employing you past the point it makes sense Actually family does mean that, literally. It makes absolutely no sense to use this term in a business context.

Apologies if I didn't make this super clear. I agree that the "family" metaphor breaks down around termination of employment (whether initiated by employee or employer) What I was trying to say in the line you quoted, that IN THE WORK CONTEXT nobody uses family to imply permanent employment - it's strictly about how you are with each other while there. Which is still a big deal.

>I agree that the "family" metaphor breaks down around termination

It breaks down the second you actually compare your family to your company. I think that basically every single person would do many, many things for members of his family that he wouldn't do for the members of his company.

Re: At this company, we are family

#232

Post by majormajor »

kirse wrote: post #206
jedberg wrote: post #156

This is why I always liked Netflix's outlook (both stated and practiced): We are a sports team, not a family. Perform well and you will be paid well, perform poorly and you will get a nice check to go elsewhere. And sometimes you might perform really well but we just don't need someone with your skills anymore, so we'll still give you nice check to go elsewhere, and that isn't a reflection on your abilities.

I like the sports team concept in terms of being a sieve for performance. Similar to HS->College->NFL athletes, elite military SOF groups, etc. You get binned and sometimes that's hard to accept, but that's the point of the filter. It's interesting that despite the high-performance culture though, Netflix is still slowly degrading. This past year I finally realized I could cancel Netflix and not feel like I lost anyt…

Netflix was unlikely to ever be able to forever remain an aggregator of content from other distribution shops. They would've gotten squeezed to death from all sides.

So now they have tons of content and tons of viewership (and tons of profits the last several years) but they've changed from being "the biggest streaming hub for all your favorites" to "one of many producers and distributors." They might on the whole have more good stuff you'd like - but they have a lot less mindshare for that stuff than when it was stuff that had already done theater and TV rounds.

(What's really interesting to me is that the music industry evolved differently, with almost no exclusives, so you have many competing streaming services (but all that seem to be VERY squeezed profit-wise) all with the same content. My best guess is it's because people want to be able to flow music together in custom playlists, spanning a bunch of artists, vs binging a single series or such?)

Re: At this company, we are family

#233

Post by majormajor »

codingdave wrote: post #176
jedberg wrote: post #156

This is why I always liked Netflix's outlook (both stated and practiced): We are a sports team, not a family. Perform well and you will be paid well, perform poorly and you will get a nice check to go elsewhere. And sometimes you might perform really well but we just don't need someone with your skills anymore, so we'll still give you nice check to go elsewhere, and that isn't a reflection on your abilities.

I worked for someone who liked that, too, and after leaving Netflix, he carried it over into a new startup. It was not as great of an experience for any of us (including that founder) as it may sound. Years later, and we still talk amongst ourselves about how weird of an environment it created. Basically, that outlook sounds great on paper, but is not so great to actually live.

Did they actually pay Netflix level? Either with huge cash salaries or very very large equity packages?

Re: At this company, we are family

#234

Post by constantcrying »

Brusco_RF wrote: post #29
intothemild wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who's autistic, these kinds of companies are very difficult for me. Usually the "we're family" companies are also the "let's have a social event constantly", or return to the office days are also just filled with socializing. I get it.. some people really enjoy that, but that's not everyone. It feels like it's by design to exclude other kinds of people who don't enjoy a hyper social environment.

I don't think company-sponsored social events are designed to exclude non-social types, they're just for the benefit of social employees. Of course, this is coming from someone who really enjoys drinking on the company dime

>I don't think company-sponsored social events are designed to exclude non-social types

They are particularly designed without a single thought given to "non-social" types.

Re: At this company, we are family

#235

Post by that_guy_iain »

the_af wrote: post #229
that_guy_iain wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is my takeaway from this. This was your first and only job. (Therapy is still on going and a month ago you asked what is happening and got some feedback about someone else quitting.) Which is why you don't understand the 2 weeks notice isn't just for you to be productive but to help hand things over. Realistically, your former colleagues probably had to figure out what you had done and not done. This will leave…

If he was so depressed even brushing his teeth in the morning was an insurmountable task -- that is, clinically depressed -- I think your "learn to force yourself to work" suggestion is seriously misguided. Like someone else mentioned, if he had been hit by a car you wouldn't be suggesting he force himself to do anything. Clinical depression is your brain being hit by a car. If he had been hit by a car, who cares abo…

> I think your "learn to force yourself to work" suggestion is seriously misguided.

I think it's misguided to think that there aren't many people force themselves to work in that and worse conditions. Why? They need the money.

It's seriously misguided, to think you can have any successful career without being able to force yourself to work. Quitting work everytime there is a hicup will not generally lead to a successful career. Not being able to work at all because the sun is out, your kid is long term sick, your wife had an affair, etc will generally not lead to having a successful career. There are many scenarios on a daily basis where people force themselves to work.

> if he had been hit by a car you wouldn't be suggesting he force himself to do anything

If cleared for work and needed to keep their job, yes I would. Many people do in fact force themselves to work after truamatic events such as being hit by a car or being in a car accident.

And remember, I didn't say in this scenario he should have forced himself to work. In fact, I said I had no problems with him not. But I said it is a skill that is needed for many in life.

Re: At this company, we are family

#236

Post by JohnFen »

Brusco_RF wrote: post #29
intothemild wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who's autistic, these kinds of companies are very difficult for me. Usually the "we're family" companies are also the "let's have a social event constantly", or return to the office days are also just filled with socializing. I get it.. some people really enjoy that, but that's not everyone. It feels like it's by design to exclude other kinds of people who don't enjoy a hyper social environment.

I don't think company-sponsored social events are designed to exclude non-social types, they're just for the benefit of social employees. Of course, this is coming from someone who really enjoys drinking on the company dime

I consider company-sponsored social events to be work. If I'm not being paid to attend them, I won't. If they're both mandatory (either officially or unofficially) and I'm not being paid to attend them, I'm looking for another job.

Re: At this company, we are family

#237

Post by wonderwonder »

Arisaka1 wrote: post #51

My first job was with a "we are a family" company, they used stupid names for the employees internally but also in the job post, together with an emoji spam that couldn't say "how you do fellow kids?" any harder, ask to "see yourself like an entrepreneur" and "be the leader of your own ideas" obviously taking far less than the actual company owners. After a while I had to resign due to mental health problem manifesti…

meh, does the company give people 2 weeks notice when they are laid off or fired? If the answer is no then why do they deserve better treatment? Companies expect all the good things from their employees but are not expected to reciprocate.

Re: At this company, we are family

#238

Post by halostatue »

winstonprivacy wrote: post #93
hutzlibu wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The American economy is awash with opportunities to work for small businesses, with employees free to move around and chart their own destiny. " If they all are all happy and free to chart their own destiny - why are those contract things then pretty much standard in the US (as it seems to me)? And maybe things are not perfect on either side of the atlantic? I would be fine with less regulations and hire and fire he…

> why are those contract things then pretty much standard in the US (as it seems to me)? They aren't standard by any means.

Severance NDAs and noncompetes have been increasingly used against minimum wage workers. Imagine not being able to get a job at Quiznos because you worked at Jimmy John's, which at one point had such a noncompete. (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-jimmyjohns-settlement-idU...)

When things that we are used to (but unhappy with) because our jobs involve a lot of proprietary technological secrets trickle down to sandwich shop minimum wage workers…it’s not worth saying that they’re not standard.

There’s a reason that multiple state legislatures are working to ban noncompetes entirely, and it’s not because they’re uncommon.

https://archive.is/kLOFV

Re: At this company, we are family

#239

Post by JohnFen »

Brusco_RF wrote: post #175
notaustinpowers wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Typically not, but they absolutely feed into the higher-ups perception of you. I worked at a company an hour away from my home. So anytime we had our monthly post-work happy hour, I'd politely decline and go home. Especially as I know they'll be out until 10pm. During one of my reviews it was mentioned that it's disappointing I don't attend the happy hours as that's when the team is able to connect and strengthen our…

Look I'm not saying you need to stay out drinking until 10pm but team-building is important to any job, especially if you're a leader, and much of that team cohesiveness happens outside of work hours. It's not too surprising if skipping all team-building events results in... not being a part of the team

> much of that team cohesiveness happens outside of work hours.

How is that not unpaid labor?

Re: At this company, we are family

#240

Post by daveguy »

marklar423 wrote: post #146
GuB-42 wrote: post #129

I have seen reports of how things go in "old money" families. It doesn't look at all like the idea we make of families. They have access to vast amounts of resources, but family members don't have free access, far from it. There is council that decides how the funds are allocated, and when family members need some, they need to pitch how they are going to use it, and the expected returns. And if some family members a…

That sounds fascinating, a whole world I know nothing about. Would you mind pointing me at where I could read more?

This isn't a way to actually read and learn about it, but if you want to see these dynamics taken to hilarious absurds, then you should watch Righteous Gemstones from HBO (Max).
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