"Burnout is Real... and it can Kill you"!
In the past, everyone wants to work for Google. But today, I've been hearing a lot of sad stories of people resigning and leaving from the company that earns more than 2 billion US Dollars.
It's funny that the most admired employer in the world is not that enticing anymore. People are now aware that it isn't for everyone.
Don't get me wrong, I love Google! I am thrilled with the projects that they have. I always used their products like Google Chrome, YouTube, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Trends, Waze, and many many more.
Google is not the problem, it just the fact that the company went big... then that's when it started to have their own problems. The bigger the company the bigger the responsibilities which normally leads to bigger problems.
Google, and any other big company for that matter, collaborate with big teams working on any given project. That means that any given person is only going to be responsible for a tiny slice of a project, which often means more time on grunt work and less time on high-level decision making. Many programmers would rather work on a smaller team where they have broader responsibilities, even if it means giving up some earnings and prestige.
Let's face it. Everybody aims to work for a big company. The bigger the company the bigger the pay right? Big is good. Big is popular.
And when you have a company that is popular, everybody wants a piece of you. Everybody wants to know if you are hiring. Now everybody wants to compete with everybody else to get the one position that everybody is aiming after. So obviously, there will be competition.
The thing is, the competition isn't just Tough... it's brutally Insane!
Just look at any of the big companies job posting. You will see that there are gazillions of applicants taking their chances and risking it all just to be in.
And once they are in, that's when the nightmare begins. They will face truckloads of work, coding problems, and infinite working hours.
By the time they reach their 3rd year, they are pretty burnout, not enough energy to continue on their once promising career.
And because of that, people now tend to shy away from big companies because of the fear of being drained from the endless workloads.
They rather work for small companies with smaller salaries than big companies that are fully toxic. They know that the burnout is real! And in order to replenish their creativity, enthusiasm, and passion for the work they bring, they need to have breaks.
Companies must understand that "Humans needs breaks". We are all human beings after all.
People need day-offs, long weekends, retreats, and family leave to keep their sanity and have a refreshed state of mind when they come in for work the next Monday.
People are now long desiring for "Working Remotely". By this. they get to spend more quality time with their friends and family.
People are now looking not just to earn a big salary. They now prefer more freedom and a company that loves them dearly. Is their such a thing? Believe it or not, but there is.
There are some companies out there that are concern about your well being. Companies who are aware that their employees are their "Engine" and it must be properly well-oiled and maintained to function consistently and effectively.
Companies such as Buffer. A company that helps busy people to manage most of their social network accounts. This company with a heart has a team of people working remotely from 50 cities in different parts of the world.
They have a customer base of more than 4.5 million registered users and over $16 million in annual revenue.
Buffer treat their employees not entirely as workers but also as a friend. They understand what ticks you. Your interest and goals in life. They basically know you from top to bottom.
So in that regards, Buffer give their employees a competitive salary, health insurance, 401k, profit sharing, and free books and Kindle.
That is not all, their employees are provided with an amazing Home office set-up with a laptop + $500, a "Growth Mindset Fund" where they get extra money for courses, conferences, and role development.
Buffer has Working smarter stipend where their workers get some extra cash for a coworking space or a coffee shop work. There is also an option for them to work remotely especially if their location is far away from the main office.
But the one thing that will explicitly catch our breath away is the company's generosity in giving their employees ample vacation time.
Aside from their provided vacation, retreats, family leave, etc.... The company gives Sabbaticals.
A 6-week break, fully paid, after long years working with Buffer.
Sure, it will cause Buffer a great amount of money from all of those generous vacation leaves. But the cost of losing their employees due to burnout is even bigger.
Buffer fully understand the "Power of the Pause". These well deserve pauses gives their employees the option for them to relax, step back and have a moment to listen to themselves... their inner selves.
And when they get back to work, these well-rested laborers will feel more confident, energized, and a clearer vision about their organization.
Guys, hear me out on this. Don't dread about Work. Work can be nice.
Work can actually be like Marriage. Marriage is essentially about love and commitment. It's lifelong.
The same thing goes for your work. It can be the same assuming you pick the right partner (or your company in your case) who will not only respect you, but will treasure you and take care of you for as long as you live.
Employees in Buffer are experiencing bliss as we speak.
It's not too late for you to find a company that will give you the same bliss and love that you are seeking since the beginning of time.
Top comments (9)
While I agree with you in practical terms, I think it's crucial to separate emotional language from what is essentially a business transaction.
Yes, you should demand good conditions; yes, you should insist on proper pay and benefits; no, you shouldn't take crap from employers. However, love does not enter in to it.
I'm loyal to my friends, my family, and my teammates. I also recognize that my relationship to any employer is a business matter, not a personal matter. My employer's spreadsheets don't have any special love for me, nor should they.
I enjoy my job, love my team, love the work, and - as a matter of principle - always do my best. Because of that, and the compensation I get for my work, I intend to stick around. But when it comes to my working relationship with my company, I try to always think about it in objective, dispassionate terms. I think you should, too.
I completely respect your opinion Benny. Everyone deserves to have their own opinion and point of view.
But clearly, you don't fully understand the concept of this particular article.
The main objective here is to find the "Love & Respect" not only from your employers but to your co-workers as well. To be able to find a good and healthy environment to the benefit of both parties.
The world we live in is filled with business matters, objective reasoning, routine schedule and a dull working environment.
They completely forgot there is a different world out there. A world that comprises with honor, dignity, and camaraderie.
We need to be inspired again. That is the secret ingredient to our success and to our happiness.
Perhaps we're really in agreement? Maintaining empathetic, respectful, and close working relationships with one's co-workers is very important.
My earlier comment was strictly about my economic relationship to my employer (the company). I want to warn people off of feeling emotionally beholden to their employers, which I think is a slippery slope.
This, so much.
To clarify, I heartily recommend feeling good about your employer, just not emotionally beholden.
Furthermore, I believe that your employer doesn't want you to feel emotionally beholden either. A good employer should recognize that a healthy relationship between them and the employee involves a measure of emotional distance, and that this distance is essential to maintaining productive and happy employees.
I feel a big challenge is really balancing your expectations when it comes to benefits. A company like Buffer truly sounds like a dream but the reality may be that not all of us will find a Buffer of our own.
But I do hope a lot of companies and the industry overall will push towards this trend.
Developer burnout is real.
Good point Jonathan. I do hope that companies of today will give more importance to that "Heart and Soul" of their organization... that, of course, is no other than their hardworking employees.
The title alone says it all
You had me at Hello... :)