3 Ways to Create an Excellent Workspace for Programmers
Lee la versión en español aquí.
I have worked in different places, with different people and different technologies. They all have something in common: they bored me. This is the reason why I left those jobs. All of them, except for one: Wolox.
So… what exactly is this startup doing that is different and makes me want to stay? Big companies like Google or Facebook have set the trend of creating relaxation areas with ping-pong and free snacks. But that’s not enough or even necessary to build an awesome company culture.
I decided to make a list because, well, who doesn’t love lists…? It highlights the key elements Wolox has and were missing in my previous jobs:
- A great social environment.
- Technical improvement and contribution.
- Respect and privacy.
I’ll describe why these elements changed me and made me think differently about work. I’ll use real life experiences and give a brief conclusion, so bear with me on this, it’s going to be a long but fun ride!
Social environment
Do developers dream of esoteric code?
We might act like robots, we might talk like robots, we might even look like robots. But guess what? We are not robots. We are humans. Believe it or not. Shocking, isn’t it?
I would like to avoid the classic stereotype portrayed in movies and TV shows but we all know that some traits of these geek characters are present in ourselves and our colleagues. Some are extremely introverted, can be brutally honest, are deeply involved in video-games or puzzles and others simply enjoy spending a little bit too much time on their computers.
Creating social bonds between leaders and peers are the basics of a good working environment. This has never been an easy task for me. Believe me, I was a difficult case. For a long time I avoided all kind of outside-work-social-bonding activities because, for me, my work was just that: my job.
At Wolox they persistently invited me to social events until it reached the point where I couldn’t resist any more. I had to attend, even if I really didn’t want to. When I did, I realized it wasn’t that bad actually. Later on, I started to enjoy those activities and now I even encourage them!
Those activities are common in all companies. But the difference was in how much I was encouraged to participate at Wolox. I always wanted to be left alone. At other companies, with one or two refusals, it was enough for everyone to know that I shouldn’t be asked again. It made sense. Basically, all I wanted to do was my job, nothing more, nothing less. “Something more” can make a huge difference, for example, this post wouldn’t exist otherwise.
Technical improvement and contribution
If something works don’t try to fix it. I was told something like this once. I partly agree with this statement. But I would like that quote to be “if something works, then improve it”.
Working with technology is a complex task. It feels like everything moves faster than your pace of learning and when you finally manage to solve something, a wild new solution appears. A faster, easier and shinier solution!
Keeping yourself updated with the latest trends is a difficult task and relying and trusting others to take the best direction becomes a necessity.
I’m one of those people who enjoys reading, learning and testing new technologies and whenever I suggest something different at Wolox, my ideas are listened to, tested and, if they were good enough, implemented. This made me feel part of a technical team and not just another employee that follows orders.
In one of my previous jobs, the versioning was handmade. I’m not talking about 1980. This happened in 2013.I suggested using something better, like SVN or Git.
My superior told me they didn’t want to change because their way was how things were done. I was also confined to using text editor they proposed, and messaging apps were forbidden. He was really good as a developer, but his narrow thinking didn’t allow scope for improvements.
Involving employees in decision-making gives them a sense of commitment and a different level of responsibility. They won’t be working for you, they’ll be working with you.
Privacy and respect
“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”, by E.E. Cummings.
There are some things we will always want to share with others, and there are some others that we prefer to keep private. Each employee comes from a different place, with a different life, and yet somehow, their paths cross yours and whether you like it or not, you have to share a common space called the office.
Religions, musical tastes , sexual orientations, politics, cultures and many other things have to coexist and be respected. No working place should try to shape you to fit their standards. No working place should shape your life, your goals, what you look like, and above all, who you are.
At Wolox I can chose my working schedule, I truly can speak out about everything and, whatever happens outside the office, stays outside the office. They know their employees are young and they are still growing and learning. Investing and trusting in them is probably the riskiest decision but also the most rewarding one.
Have you ever lied at your workplace when it comes to personal issues? Have you ever been asked to dress differently? Or, to change your hair?
We live constantly exposing our personal affairs through social networks and if you want to dig into someone’s life to find something compromising, it won’t take too long.
You can think of your job and your life as different things but in the end you will have spent more time working than being outside the office.
I know that the day I wake up and feel like “I’m doing my job because I have to, rather than because I want to”, it will be time to quit. If this how you feel, then move somewhere else. There is a place waiting for someone like you.
I’m sure of that, because I found mine. :)
Posted by Jesús Herrera (jesus.herrera@wolox.com.ar)
