Open office floor plans are a bad idea

 

I’ve been openly skeptical of many newer fads in workplace culture, namely unlimited vacation time (see my rant here), working remotely (no articles yet, but I just don’t think they work for many types of product teams), and open office floor plans.

It makes sense that as the market demand for top software talent increases, so will too the office perks, including chefs, beer, games, etc..  But, why is it that so much emphasis is placed on open environments, vs. giving engineers a dedicated space where they can have quiet and focus?

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Top 5 Reasons Why ‘Unlimited Vacation Time’ Policy is a Scam

I’m now on my second company that offers a policy of ‘unlimited vacation time’.  As an outsider coming from a company with a rigid time off policy and time card system, this sounds very alluring.  But, does it actually work?

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How to fire a Software Engineer

By far the hardest thing you will do as a manager is fire someone.  But you will need to do it.  There is no way around it.  If you want to be a manager, this is just part of the job.

I’ve discovered there are right and wrong ways to execute this.  I’m hoping some of the tips below help make the best of this difficult situation.

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