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Google’s Internal Data Show Engineers Found It Harder to Code from Home

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Re: Google’s Internal Data Show Engineers Found It Harder to Code from Home

#31

Post by cozzyd »

andrew_ wrote: post #25
cozzyd wrote: post #21

Working from home requires a lot more discipline. For some people that's not a problem, for a lot of people it is. edit: based on responses I didn't communicate clearly. What I mean is that there are way more potential distractions at home. Some people are still able to be productive in spite of that, but a lot of people (including myself!) are less productive. For some people it may even be the case that working fro…

whoa whoa. don't put the onus on individuals and their choices or you'll be downvoted to oblivion.

I'm not saying it's a personality flaw or anything like that. It's just the reality that many people who are productive in an office environment are less productive outside of it. I'm no different there! It's way easier to take a nap or sleep in or whatever when working from home.

Re: Google’s Internal Data Show Engineers Found It Harder to Code from Home

#32

Post by CognitiveLens »

ArchOversight wrote: post #7

Can't read the article since it is behind a paywall... but wanted to ask this question anyway: How much is that productivity hit because people are dealing with the fact that this pandemic is lasting longer than expected, more people are getting sick, more people are dying... You know, the amount of brain cycles spent worrying about the COVID-19 pandemic may also account for some of those feelings. I know I feel it.…

This is so key - there was some awareness early on that people weren't "working from home" in any normal sense - we were/are "working during a global pandemic". Forced WFH is only one side effect, and trying to analyze the success/failure of WFH with a sample during Covid is probably one of the worst possible management strategies. I see the naive appeal, but the base conditions are completely unrepresentative of the target state.

If you are a manager evaluating the effect of WFH during Covid without the ability to compare it with WFH before Covid, just stop.

Re: Google’s Internal Data Show Engineers Found It Harder to Code from Home

#33

Post by marcuskaz »

paxys wrote: post #22

"... in the middle of a global pandemic"

This is the key! The whole world is falling apart with kids doing distance learning, partners losing jobs, all sorts of stress and anxiety for a simple thing like going to the store to buy groceries. I think it is rather obvious to expect a drop in productivity under the circumstances, and frankly quite thoughtless and inhumane to think otherwise.

Re: Google’s Internal Data Show Engineers Found It Harder to Code from Home

#34

Post by DoofusOfDeath »

I've worked from home for about 6 years, with varying levels of success.

But I've been surprised by how much I'm thrown off by having my kids home during the school day (remote learning because of covid). Even with a decently soundproof office. It just prevents the house in general from being calm and quiet during my peak work hours.

Re: Google’s Internal Data Show Engineers Found It Harder to Code from Home

#36

Post by RussianCow »

andrew_ wrote: post #12

It's dubious that folks at that skill level would lack the capacity to make WFH work for them. I've been remote for 10 years, I couldn't get in at the Googs. Working from home is not hard and there are a litany of resources for those who struggle.

Working from home is not hard for you. That doesn't mean it isn't hard for everyone else. A few reasons WFH may be difficult for some people:

* You have kids at home

* You live in a tiny apartment and don't have room to set up a proper home office

* Your work is very collaborative and Zoom meetings are just not the same

* You live by yourself and the loneliness is brutal

* You find it hard to stay motivated without the daily camaraderie you had in the office

* You're in a pandemic that adds a ton of stress to your life

And that's just off the top of my head. It's great that you can successfully work from home, but please realize that your life experiences are not the same as everyone else's, and what is a positive experience for you may be dreadful for others. And also remember that we're in a pandemic and the current WFH conditions are far from optimal for most people who were forced into it.

Re: Google’s Internal Data Show Engineers Found It Harder to Code from Home

#39

Post by bicx »

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #34

I've worked from home for about 6 years, with varying levels of success. But I've been surprised by how much I'm thrown off by having my kids home during the school day (remote learning because of covid). Even with a decently soundproof office. It just prevents the house in general from being calm and quiet during my peak work hours.

I am honestly concerned that I may be getting chronic ear issues from wearing noise-cancelling headphones constantly. Knowing that your family is right outside the door (and vice versa) is extremely challenging.
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