How to discourage your employees | Hacker News Reader

How to discourage your employees

geekstuffdaily.com

31 pointsbatasrki16 comments

Most of this is so obvious that it's not done at software companies, except for one, awards. A soon as a company gets large enough to have an HR dept., out come the awards. Then they have an all hands meeting to explain the huge new motivator. Then a monthly meeting with speeches and a few $25 Visa gift cards.

Here's what I do. If someone does a good job, give something to his team, a movie, lunch, something like that. If an individual does a really good job, give him/her an on the spot bonus, no ceremony or publicity.

The morale booster is success of he team, project, company. Of course I speak of companies that I would want to work for. I have no idea what happens at banks and insurance companies.

It's awful at banks. We're encouraged to spot other employees and write and submit 'good job' cards, which they will receive later. Then at random submitters and their recipients will be selected to win a $25 gift card. It's outsourcing recognition to the frontline employees.

I'm not against recognizing my team mates, but I'd rather not go through a formal channel. It cheapens the recognition.

Ugh, I hate to be 'that guy' but this is such obvious link bait.. these rules don't really tell me anything insightful.

Part of the point is not that the article tells you something you didn't know, but that it describes bad situations in a heartfelt and humorous manner. e.g. Objectively, sure, most people would say "IT workers need certain tools to do their job". But obviously some managers and organizations don't get that. The list is funny, because I've seen these things happen, and I can empathize with the fight people went through while learning some of them.

You know, I read things like this and don't believe that it actually happens this way. At the very least, it can't possibly be this way in companies/organizations whose primary purpose is to develop things. Right? RIGHT?

Sadly, I identified with a lot of these points. Added to them now are a salary freeze and an extremely low bonus not because of my technical achievements at the company, but rather because of what my manager perceives of me. The first one is "due to recession".

What's with all the non-programming related links today? Weekend?

It's a reaction to the Erlang overload earlier this week. Just the universe balancing itself out.

You want to discourage your employees?

Promise them huge bonuses at the end of the year if they exceed expectations and give them none blaming it on the crisis.

Ooh, speaking from experience?

How about telling your employees that "We're too top-heavy and therefore won't be promoting anyone", and the only way to make more money in the company is to move up?

Better still, refer them to an HR drone instead of actually telling them face to face. That way you can hope their ire is directed at an amorphous initiative to cut costs.

A variant on that...promise new hires large bonuses or options packages. Once they're hired, stall your new employees until they've accomplished what you needed them for, then downsize them.

Just happened to us this week. Promise of 7-10% bonuses and now we are told we will get little or nothing, communicated by a faceless email.

Needless to say all my good will has gone along with my motivation!

Another one is salary freeze.

If my only motivation to work is not being fired, then I´ll do the minimum required to stay employed.

That's also called the slacker principle.

You have it good. I have a salary freeze and a pay cut!

This is precisely what is going on at Microsoft right now.

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