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Previously on "Facebook to weed out slackers"

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  • CoolCat
    replied
    Originally posted by SueEllen View Post

    That's the UK way.
    I had an old mate who would always hire a female if they applied. They were so rare in that techie domain, that any was welcome. It was done to widen the social circle rather than any feminist agenda.

    Reverse sexism in a male dominated sphere.

    Leave a comment:


  • CoolCat
    replied
    Originally posted by d000hg View Post
    FB, Google et al generally are pretty good at not hiring slackers in the first place. At least they used to be.
    In the US yes, in the UK they have tended to hire from the same old public school old friends network, and rippled out from there.

    And some crap managers from the old tech giants who promptly hired all their mates.

    Leave a comment:


  • CoolCat
    replied
    Originally posted by TheDude View Post

    Companies like Facebook, Google, Amazon do trim the low performers all the time.

    I worked for a bank that supposedly trimmed the lowest performing 10% of staff yearly but in technology at least I saw very few people let go for poor performance.

    It was all done by redundancies - when you start to see e-mails bounced and people disappearing from instant messenger you know that another wave of people have been let go.

    If you got a donut in your comp meeting without any spiel about it being a bad year for the bank that was as good as a P45.
    Of course BT do it differently. They offer great voluntary redundancy terms to everyone. You can leave with the best staff review and performance bonus possible, and a nice big redundancy payout. Indeed almost anyone half decent does this. All get replaced with cheap Indian nationals from the outsourcers. Its the best way to drive the quality of staff and deliverables down.

    Leave a comment:


  • d000hg
    replied
    Originally posted by hugebrain View Post

    I’m noticing some rather nasty anti-slacker sentiment on this thread.

    For most of us, the slower we do things, the more we get paid. Is everyone inside and a disguised permie now? Where are the businessmen and entrepreneurs?

    Businesses like to earn a good reputation so people will buy their stuff. You think more like a cowboy plumber or cockney street trader than a businessman.

    Leave a comment:


  • SueEllen
    replied
    Originally posted by Fraidycat View Post

    Writing the above reminded me of an old manager i had, he would put CVs from PHDs straight into the bin.
    That's the UK way.

    Leave a comment:


  • Fraidycat
    replied
    Originally posted by TheDude View Post
    Anyone can become a slacker if they are not motivated by their work.
    Some very smart people are really picky. They are only motivated when they get to do a very narrow range of things.

    Some seem to be motivated by almost anything you give them to do. (These are the people you really want to hire)

    Most will fit somewhere in between.

    Writing the above reminded me of an old manager i had, he would put CVs from PHDs straight into the bin.
    Last edited by Fraidycat; 13 July 2022, 12:26.

    Leave a comment:


  • Fraidycat
    replied
    Originally posted by hugebrain View Post

    For most of us, the slower we do things, the more we get paid. Is everyone inside and a disguised permie now? Where are the businessmen and entrepreneurs?
    Time based billing and being is slow is more akin to being a permie.

    Real entrepreneurs quote fixed price and then do things as fast as possible to make a bigger profit.
    Last edited by Fraidycat; 13 July 2022, 12:06.

    Leave a comment:


  • hugebrain
    replied
    Originally posted by Fraidycat View Post
    Facebook’s head of engineering, Maher Saba, sent a memo on Friday to managers..
    “If a direct report is coasting or is a low performer, they are not who we need; they are failing this company,”

    ------

    Why don't they do this all time instead of waiting for recessions?

    I guess they want to keep some fat around to protect the productive workers from layoffs.

    I worked at a client co that kept renewing work-shy contractors (they always looked busy though)
    I don't normally care it is none of my business, until they give me the work the slacker has been sitting on for the last two weeks and expect me to do it in two days

    That used to annoy me no end.
    I’m noticing some rather nasty anti-slacker sentiment on this thread.

    For most of us, the slower we do things, the more we get paid. Is everyone inside and a disguised permie now? Where are the businessmen and entrepreneurs?


    Leave a comment:


  • TheDude
    replied
    Originally posted by d000hg View Post

    The best people are good at being self-motivated. People view these companies as being the best places to work (developers anyway) and as such they tend to hire the go-getters who actually like their work.
    Do you think everything inside Facebook or Google is cutting edge and intellectually stimulating?

    Leave a comment:


  • d000hg
    replied
    Originally posted by TheDude View Post

    Nope - they are good at hiring smart people.

    Anyone can become a slacker if they are not motivated by their work.
    The best people are good at being self-motivated. People view these companies as being the best places to work (developers anyway) and as such they tend to hire the go-getters who actually like their work.

    Leave a comment:


  • TheDude
    replied
    Originally posted by d000hg View Post
    FB, Google et al generally are pretty good at not hiring slackers in the first place. At least they used to be.
    Nope - they are good at hiring smart people.

    Anyone can become a slacker if they are not motivated by their work.

    Leave a comment:


  • SueEllen
    replied
    Originally posted by d000hg View Post
    FB, Google et al generally are pretty good at not hiring slackers in the first place. At least they used to be.
    I contracted at a place where they got management consultants in to get rid of the "slackers" before I arrived. It didn't work.

    I then arrived and had apparently a couple of slackers with me in the team. The project was delivered on time and met all the requirements.

    The "slackers" were just people who refused to brown nose management so they asked difficult questions about data security etc, ensured things were done properly and shared knowledge with others.

    Oh and any actual slackers, whether permie or contractor, was got rid of very quickly.

    Leave a comment:


  • d000hg
    replied
    FB, Google et al generally are pretty good at not hiring slackers in the first place. At least they used to be.

    Leave a comment:


  • TheDude
    replied
    Originally posted by Fraidycat View Post
    Facebook’s head of engineering, Maher Saba, sent a memo on Friday to managers..
    “If a direct report is coasting or is a low performer, they are not who we need; they are failing this company,”

    ------

    Why don't they do this all time instead of waiting for recessions?

    I guess they want to keep some fat around to protect the productive workers from layoffs.

    I worked at a client co that kept renewing work-shy contractors (they always looked busy though)
    I don't normally care it is none of my business, until they give me the work the slacker has been sitting on for the last two weeks and expect me to do it in two days

    That used to annoy me no end.
    Companies like Facebook, Google, Amazon do trim the low performers all the time.

    I worked for a bank that supposedly trimmed the lowest performing 10% of staff yearly but in technology at least I saw very few people let go for poor performance.

    It was all done by redundancies - when you start to see e-mails bounced and people disappearing from instant messenger you know that another wave of people have been let go.

    If you got a donut in your comp meeting without any spiel about it being a bad year for the bank that was as good as a P45.

    Leave a comment:


  • northernladuk
    replied
    Employment lawyers around the world must be rubbing their hands with glee at that news.

    Leave a comment:

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