[shroom]

Stories I’ve hear from friends to my family who worked at Netflix made me cringe. Regular meetings where everyone at the meeting have to do presentations about their own recent work at the company and basically have to present why they should stay instead of the ”other guy” who will be fired. No rest with constant fear of being fired or the alternative if you ”make it” is constant preasure of performaning better than other teams. This breeds a backstabbing culture for sure.

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[xrd]

I think that if you don't have regular discussion of the good and bad, as it sounds like they do at Netflix, then the void gets filled with something else. I think that void in most cases is quickly filled with people who hate to explain their practices, don't want to discuss their failures, and as a whole that inhibits new people from succeeding and creates an awful work environment. I'm sure there are bad sides to this approach at Netflix but having seen what happens when the culture doesn't insist on regular difficult communication, I'm not sure Netflix sounds that awful.

[HillaryBriss]

it's interesting to put this into the larger context of "the US needs more programmers and STEM grads." if that is true, how does Netflix find additional people to hire? how does it survive in a competitive labor market when it treats employees in this way?

[pixelperfect]

"the US needs more programmers and STEM grads" can always mean "we wish we could hire programmers for $45,000 a year, but due to supply and demand we have to pay them more than that"

[kamaal]

I guess in this case they are more than willing to $500K/yr compensation packages. That's far away from $45K/yr packages.

So the question is how many people can suffer through this kind of hell grinder at $500K/yr.

[JBlue42]

People suffer through a lot more for a lot lot less.

[HillaryBriss]

yes. i agree.

and, just as paying well attracts workers, supportive/interesting/personal-growth-oriented/comfortable working conditions attract workers. but I gather Netflix doesn't want to take advantage of that strategy.

OTOH, could it be that Netflix's management approach actually squeezes more performance out of the very same talent pool every other company has to draw from? is Netflix on to something?

[wishinghand]

Same as Amazon. They offer a great resume builder but are notoriously toxic to work at.

[yourstruly33]

Not true for every team. As in Microsoft. As in Apple. As in Google. Amazon has great teams and supersmart people. If you're unlucky you end up in a crappy team. Since there are lots and lots, it's a luck-driven process.