working in the IT ( software dev) industry

easyontheeye

Hi,

before i get into this I dont want this discussion to descend into arguments about how lucky I should be to have a job ... I full appreciate my job and how "lucky i am".

I'm working as a senior engineer the last 18 months for a software company in ireland ~600 staff worldwide. There are a couple of things that are starting to get on my nerves now. The company grew from a very small company about 20 people, there are alot of people now in the company that were here from early days who high up the ranks, lead engineers, managers, directors etc. The leads are working 100+ hours a week ( no joke).

My annoyance is there seems to be this expectation that all staff, grads, engineers, seniors ..etc must do these hours and I'm getting the impression that the company rewards not on how good you do your job in a 10 hour day but on how many hours you put in, im hearing things like fair play to X setting an example by working the last 5 weekends and pulling 14 hour day shifts, and ill add there is no policy of days in lieu or over time payment.

Now of course the lead and programme managers get a % if the project is delivered on time where as everyone else doesn't! So my question is how does one change this, how do you change this culture? there is a guy in here who is 38 and looks 50, another guy was out for 3 months with stress... i mean its soul destroying. Everyone is fed up with it, management know but wont acknowledge it, its extremely political inside, you have to be so careful who you talked to about this. resourcing is a major issue, they are breaking our backs just to make a huge margin on a delivery and of course alot of self interest in terms of delivery bonus none of which most of us will see as its up to the programme manager to pay it out and who he/she pays it out too.

Can anyone else related to this in their IT/Software company? I worked for a couple of the Big IT companies (household names) and never experience this pressure, im very good at what i do but the timelines are just pure silly and I can't get the work done 9-9 never mind 9-5!

saraj14

Hi, I've been where you are and the only advice i can only really give is to leave. If a company has that policy it won't change without management.

Next time you go for an interview ask about the policy of overtime. but ensure you stress that you don't mind some overtime but not the culture that overtime is the norm.

i previously worked like that i now work for a company that 5 on the dot everyone ups and leaves its hilarious. nobody waits past five to finish anything up.... best place ever. good luck, maybe not what you wanted to hear.

You may not get paid as much but at least you will have some time to spend what you earn. Work to live not live to work. luckily there are some IT jobs out there.

easyontheeye

thanks for the reply, thats the thing i actually moved jobs on not much more money but im actually down alot of money if you take into account the hours im doing.

Its a shame that people allow a culture like this to develop and with the company looking at floating on the market in the near future... there is a lot of self interest going on believe me, certain ppl have share options, they get bonuses for delivering against a stupid timeline. I really enjoy the work and experience its just a shame that you feel you have to break your back just to deliver and go no thanks for it.

bullpost

Doesnt happen everywhere.
You will always work OT in development jobs but its handled in a reasonable way in most places I've worked.
Also leading edge dev. methodologies such as Agile practices have a lot to say about the down side of this type of pressured environment.

I've heard of other places where staff are not happy - usually multinationals who have aggressive performance targets and who will pressure the lower 10% to leave - but your situation seems to be based on the imminent IPO and profit motive of those at the higher ranks - so nothing to do with recession?

Your choice is clear - move on or get promoted into the higher ranks and hope to clean up when IPO comes around.

easyontheeye

nothing to do with the recession at all, if anything they have performed better in the last 2 years than the last 10. There is no doubt in my mind that the IPO is the reason for this... but that said 50% of the staff (having been hired in the last 3 years) will gain nothing from the IPO ( no share options)

MysticalRain

The answer is simple: just move on. Fcuk them and their IPO. Let them find some other poor smuck to do the job instead.

irishguy

easyontheeye wrote: »

Hi,

before i get into this I dont want this discussion to descend into arguments about how lucky I should be to have a job ... I full appreciate my job and how "lucky i am".

I'm working as a senior engineer the last 18 months for a software company in ireland ~600 staff worldwide. There are a couple of things that are starting to get on my nerves now. The company grew from a very small company about 20 people, there are alot of people now in the company that were here from early days who high up the ranks, lead engineers, managers, directors etc. The leads are working 100+ hours a week ( no joke).

My annoyance is there seems to be this expectation that all staff, grads, engineers, seniors ..etc must do these hours and I'm getting the impression that the company rewards not on how good you do your job in a 10 hour day but on how many hours you put in, im hearing things like fair play to X setting an example by working the last 5 weekends and pulling 14 hour day shifts, and ill add there is no policy of days in lieu or over time payment.

Now of course the lead and programme managers get a % if the project is delivered on time where as everyone else doesn't! So my question is how does one change this, how do you change this culture? there is a guy in here who is 38 and looks 50, another guy was out for 3 months with stress... i mean its soul destroying. Everyone is fed up with it, management know but wont acknowledge it, its extremely political inside, you have to be so careful who you talked to about this. resourcing is a major issue, they are breaking our backs just to make a huge margin on a delivery and of course alot of self interest in terms of delivery bonus none of which most of us will see as its up to the programme manager to pay it out and who he/she pays it out too.

Can anyone else related to this in their IT/Software company? I worked for a couple of the Big IT companies (household names) and never experience this pressure, im very good at what i do but the timelines are just pure silly and I can't get the work done 9-9 never mind 9-5!

I this an irish software consultancy by any chance?

easyontheeye

No not really its a more software vendor than a consultancy company although we offer solutions. I'm not going to name them, the world is too small a place.

irishguy

easyontheeye wrote: »

No not really its a more software vendor than a consultancy company although we offer solutions. I'm not going to name them, the world is too small a place.

Fair enough. Was just thinking it was a particular company. If it was me and I knew I would get noting from the IPO then I would be out the door (unless it was really good experience) there are plenty of other IT jobs out there.

BostonB

In my experience a lot of IT places work like this.

Get as high as you can, make money off the shares, then either find a team/project thats not in the rat race, or just leave. That said you might bounce between a few companies before you get one that doesn't work like this.

Its bad management. Usually deeply ingrained, that its impossible to change, unless a manager with some clout runs his team differently.

somebodude

Just working and sleeping?
Well I suppose it's marginally preferable to a Jail sentence.
At least you're getting paid

Mr. Loverman

The IT industry is in good shape at the moment. You should find another job.

Where I work I get paid for overtime (x1.5 or x2.0) so I like doing overtime. It's optional too.

gerarda

Why dont you work for yourself or start your own small company?

tagoona

OP, There are tonnes', literally of jobs out there at the moment in IT. It's one industry that seems to be bouncing back quite fast.
I've been where you are, and when redundancies occurred in the year after 9/11 and the last slump, all the hours of overtime in the world have no impact on your selection.
You are simply a resource, that they are getting as much work from for as little cost as possible.

Move on and be happy about it. There's more to life than work and sleep, especially if there's no recognition.

Alternatively, cut back to 37.5 hours a week (or whatever your contract states). But that may cause some anger and jealousy with your colleagues about not pulling your weight, like they are.

It's all a matter of what you can handle

srsly78

Become a contractor.