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> One of the best indirect questions someone suggested on this list (I
> don't recall who - sorry) was "What do you do for lunch around here?" If
> most people eat at their desk and oontinue working, then you know the
> company's not very leisurely and may be stressful. However, if you're
> told that every Friday, the company pays for a communal lunch, you know
> that it at least tries to think about employee morale.
Why must the company buy you something in order to "improve morale?" You
realize these things cost money. Free lunches and company picnics aren't free.
Somebody at the end of the day ALWAYS pays for these things. And while it may
seem trivial to you, if it was your money you I am sure you would have a
different attitude.
Would you like to buy lunch for 100 people, most of whom routinely complain
about you and given a chance would rip you off?
Just because people don't take lunches, doesn't mean the company relentlessly
beats employees and oppresses them. A lot of people, like myself, are perfectly
happy munching away at my desk getting our work done. I'm paid to get a job
done, not expand my social life at work.
(Before one of you points out that I own my own business and hence don't have
an "employer", remember that I have customers whom are very much my employer.)
I think you need to look a little deeper at an organization than asking if
there are a lot of free hand outs. Honestly, one of the best pieces of advice
my father gave me was "beware of companies that build temples." That is, beware
of companies that blow a lot of money on stupid stuff like opulent offices,
ridiculous employee junkets, and lavish perks. This is usually indicative of a
company that does not have a good handle on their expenses and as such is bound
to fail. This is the one trend that was common among all the dot.coms.
This is why things like a marketing plan, a focused executive team, a product
that actually has some value and demand...these kinds of things are what make a
company successful. And a successful company has the luxury to hand out real
perks, like higher salaries.
Andrew Plato
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