In particular, developers complain about gratitude, and employers complain about loyalty.
The Ungrateful Employer
What's this about "gratitude"? Well, sometimes developers go the extra mile. They stay back after official hours to get things done, beyond the call of duty. And the employer seems to take it all for granted. No pay raise, no promotion, not even a cursory word of thanks. The prevailing attitude seems to be "I pay you, so I own you". |
| Employee or slave? |
I'm not disagreeing (much). But I think a little mindset shift will help make things more palatable.
You see, most people think they're doing their boss a favor by going the extra mile. And when the employer fails to reciprocate, this inevitably leads to resentment.
Who benefits?
When you spend those extra hours in the office, take the extra effort to learn stuff, hone your craft and improve the quality of your work, who benefits? Sure, your boss and the company. In the short run.When you eventually leave the company, where does all the accumulated know-how and experience go to? It stays with you, locked inside your head.
In other words, don't do it for your employer. Do it for yourself.
Recently two friends, on separate occasions, asked me certain searching questions. The first asked me if I thought I was a bit too cocky, and if I ever considered humility as an option. The second wondered how come it seemed that I wasn't pushing myself as hard as I used to.
The answer to both questions is a resounding YES.
 |
| Here, have a nice warm slice of humble pie. |
I have eaten plenty of humble pie in the past. And I used to push myself a lot harder. To insane levels. This was done with a goal in mind. If I ate enough humble pie, took enough shit, pushed myself hard and often, one fine day I would improve to the point where I would no longer need to. I would be confident enough in my own capabilities, no longer insecure about losing my job or being found wanting. I would become so good at what I did that I wouldn't have to push myself as hard to get things done.
Sure. my employers saw me stay back late. They saw me with my nose almost constantly to the grindstone. They found that I was willing to take any assignment they threw at me. Did I expect anything in return, other than getting paid on time? No, because I sure as hell wasn't doing it for their benefit.
Besides, I love what I do. They just happened to profit from it.
I'm tired of earning peanuts!
You may think your employer doesn't appreciate you, because he pays you so little. Here's a tip: Employers, in general, are cheap bastards who will pay you as little as they feel they can get away with. And unless you're raking in 3 to 5 times your monthly salary in revenue, they will begrudge you every cent they pay you. Don't take it personally, it's just business! |
| Being paid peanuts? |
Honestly, if you are getting x dollars a month for doing a job, why should your boss feel like paying you x+15% per month to do the exact same job a year later? Expecting an automatic yearly salary increment makes little sense unless you're willing to justify it.
I had a colleague who once complained that his wife had just given birth, and that our boss hadn't increased his pay in years. As a friend, I sympathized. Ain't easy raising a baby. Price of milk and diapers, and all that. As a professional, however, the first thought that came to mind was, so you fucked your wife without a condom and expect our boss to pay for it?
 |
| He's your employer, not your buddy. |
Your boss is not your friend. He is your employer. He has a company to run. Your expenditure is not his problem. He pays you what he pays you, and it's up to you to live within those means. And if you can't, then be prepared to justify a pay raise with increased value, or work somewhere else!
No comments:
Post a Comment