Don't let perks blind you from bad culture

Hmm, I use perks as a significant way to judge a company, but more isn't necessarily better. You must always ask what? why?

Do the perks fit with the industry and intentions of the company? Are the perks well thought out and canceled when they are a detriment to the company and/or employees?

I've always worked for companies with unlimited coffee and some group outings. I would be largely for companies with unlimited fruit juices, functional athletics centers, well thought out awarded perks, etc.

Yet, I am very skeptical of companies with free soda. For example, Netscape was very short sighted and ended up with similar (and perhaps newly diabetic) employees. I love some of their results, but as a company I am glad they went and I wish they went earlier, certainly before their server products were considered an asset..

Similarly, I am not swayed by lots of stock options (is there a reason they are so frivolous with them? Is this place so miserable that vesting periods are all that can keep me here?) But I expect some together with a heartfelt apology for not giving me more from a manager who seriously tried.

Perks should be the food for conversation on the topic of compensation. (Or some such HR fueled poetic nonsense.)

"everything in their power to make you successful and happy" ... except for sharing more than 1%.