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Google Finds That Perks Can't Keep Some Employees From Leaving

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Re: Google Finds That Perks Can't Keep Some Employees From Leaving

#31

Post by jshen »

gojomo wrote: post #21
mrtron wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that we will see excessive commercialization as something evil in 50+ years, along with the whole institution of corporations. So, going on this train of thought, how can you be a slave to any corporation where the huge number of employees are making very few very rich and die happy? On my death bed I will not look back and say 'I am really glad I worked for X and sacrificed time from my friends and family to…

If you live in a highly-developed country, 'the whole institution of corporations', legal fiction/invention that it is, is probably responsible for most of your modern comforts. The institution of corporations is certainly responsible for the startup opportunities cherished by this community. On your death bed, you might wish somebody had worked harder at their company to cure whatever's killing you.

"On your death bed, you might wish somebody had worked harder at their company to cure whatever's killing you"

Or you may wish that you hadn't eaten the nutrionless high calorie corporate created food products that lead to your chronic disease? Or maybe it was the corporate toxic wasted dumped in the river upstream from your small town, while the corporate CEO lived on the other side of the country in a mansion and couldn't care less about the environment in your small town?

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you too. But you are only half right.

Re: Google Finds That Perks Can't Keep Some Employees From Leaving

#32

Post by mrtron »

jshen wrote: post #31
gojomo wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you live in a highly-developed country, 'the whole institution of corporations', legal fiction/invention that it is, is probably responsible for most of your modern comforts. The institution of corporations is certainly responsible for the startup opportunities cherished by this community. On your death bed, you might wish somebody had worked harder at their company to cure whatever's killing you.

"On your death bed, you might wish somebody had worked harder at their company to cure whatever's killing you" Or you may wish that you hadn't eaten the nutrionless high calorie corporate created food products that lead to your chronic disease? Or maybe it was the corporate toxic wasted dumped in the river upstream from your small town, while the corporate CEO lived on the other side of the country in a mansion and c…

I definitely was trying to bring these sort of situations into light, but my attempt was poor.

As a general followup, and providing far more personal information than I ever do online, my father is currently hospitalized. He has a few things wrong with him, but several are almost certainly tied to chemicals he used at work. This was the reason I posted the 'corporations can be evil' post. It is why I feel strongly that we need to improve the current system to include some social and environmental costs of certain corporations.

I do understand that will not happen soon, and we are forced to work within the rules of the current system.

Re: Google Finds That Perks Can't Keep Some Employees From Leaving

#33

Post by neilc »

ambition wrote: post #25
neilc wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't call that "outside the bubble of SV/Google"; I would say that is "inside the bubble of working a crappy job". There are many companies outside SV/Google that offer far more perks than free coffee in the morning (and there are even SV companies like Intel that don't offer even that).

Lack of perks, by itself, does not a crappy job make. It may be indicative of other crappiness, but not certainly not definitive.

Certainly true.

Re: Google Finds That Perks Can't Keep Some Employees From Leaving

#34

Post by pjhyett »

Andys wrote: post #5
markbao wrote: post #2

Perks are great - but always remember that there will always be people getting paid $200,000 a year that choose a chance making it big with a startup over a steady salary.

And the more you pay them, the quicker they'll be able to self-bootstrap.

Precisely.

Re: Google Finds That Perks Can't Keep Some Employees From Leaving

#36

Post by hello_moto »

blogimus wrote: post #28
KirinDave wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It is much easier to find a top notch web developer than it is to find someone top notch who is good at C++. I disagree with this. Top notch people in web development are extremely rare. You can find a lot of mediocre people, or motivated people, but finding people both motivated and talented is hard. It's also unfortunate that Google limits itself to C++, but that's a whole different story.

I agree that it is harder to find top notch people than mediocre, that just seems natural, following the talent bell curve(most in the middle level of ability, some very poor, some excel) but how does Google limits itself to C++? I read a lot of noise on Google using Python: http://www.python.org/about/quotes/ (and this is just a starting point of the info on Google using Python)

They're not limiting themselves to C++. But, view it from a different perspective:

1) C++ is a superset of C (to some extend, this isn't 100% true, but most concepts in C are applicable to C++)

2) If you know C++, it is a little bit easier to grok Java

3) I heard most of their back-end stuffs are written in C++

I also read news about Google being a huge Python company. But to be honest, I haven't heard a product that they shipped that is written in Python.

Python is big internally where they need tools to support their development.

PS:

- GAE library does not count as their product

- Exclude YouTube because they chose Python on their own

Re: Google Finds That Perks Can't Keep Some Employees From Leaving

#37

Post by enonko »

mattmaroon wrote: post #4

Everyone keeps referring to their lunches as "haute cuisine". Maybe I missed something the couple times I ate there, but I don't think it's fair to refer to a buffet as that. I guess relative to the normal corporate vending machines it's pretty awesome, but it's far from a Michelin 3 Star joint.

There's only one three star joint on the west coast and while it's not far from Mountain View, it's definitely not Google's cafeteria. :)

Re: Google Finds That Perks Can't Keep Some Employees From Leaving

#38

Post by Tichy »

gojomo wrote: post #7
LPTS wrote: post #3

It must be a fine line to walk between finding hyper-intelligent people, meeting their intense need for self actualization, and mostly employing them in the soul numbing work of selling ads.

This criticism -- that genius is being wasted on "soul numbing" ad work -- strikes me as an inaccurate cheap shot. First, because most of the brain power at Google isn't devoted to the ad systems, but to the services that attract an audience. Don't you think their most "hyper-intelligent people" are engaged in the constant and noble battle to continue improving search, for an ever-changing internet and against the ef…

"constant and noble battle"

Oh come on, give me a break. Google is a commercial company. They are in it for the money, like everybody else.

Re: Google Finds That Perks Can't Keep Some Employees From Leaving

#40

Post by pg »

Tichy wrote: post #38
gojomo wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This criticism -- that genius is being wasted on "soul numbing" ad work -- strikes me as an inaccurate cheap shot. First, because most of the brain power at Google isn't devoted to the ad systems, but to the services that attract an audience. Don't you think their most "hyper-intelligent people" are engaged in the constant and noble battle to continue improving search, for an ever-changing internet and against the ef…

"constant and noble battle" Oh come on, give me a break. Google is a commercial company. They are in it for the money, like everybody else.

Not all companies are in it for the money to precisely the same extent.
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