Engineers fired from Google over workload

“In April 2015 I was fired after 5 jobs in Google’s Swiss office. A year ago I was tired, the work was going downhill. I suggested 5 code changes a week, but the number went down in 2015. Initially once a week, although still there, although in the project and the area, “said Grigory Yakushev Business Insider.

So he wanted a change and turned to the Translation Search Group.

mistake

“That was my fault. Search was Google’s largest and most complex product, and semantic search was the smartest team,” recalls the former engineer.

The relationship between Yakushev and the bosses is rapidly deteriorating, because it did not bring many results to the team. Yakushev’s manager tried to discipline him, asking him to constantly sit at the computer and control his working hours, which aggravated the situation.

“During personal conversations, I was asked why I didn’t go. I replied that I liked the $180,000 salary I was being paid at the time. I think they would forgive me if they weren’t happy with the results of the work, but I didn’t go myself. To resign,” Yakushev said.

Added to PIP.

A Work Improvement Plan (PIP) is a formal agreement between an employer and an employee that specifies the work Yakushev must complete within two months. After a week of implementation, he realized he wasn’t sticking to it.

Yakushev sat and watched the screens all day. Generated login code, but execution failed. Yakushev admitted to his manager that he could not pass the PIP. Talks with the director and human resources revealed that Yakushev could be fired for “serious disciplinary offences,” which would mean he would be unemployed for three months without unemployment benefits.

Management notified Yakushev of the termination a week before the end of his two-month PIP. His internal account was suspended and he returned his gear and employee card before leaving with the facility manager. The whole process takes 10 minutes.

Yakushev says his boss is a great engineer and very smart, but even experienced managers have trouble managing tired employees.

Google can be a trap.

“The pay is good, you’re surrounded by super smart people. Snacks are always available, and the small size makes the work environment a great place to work. You choose to stick with it, pay for updates. Improve search quality by using about 0.1% every few months,” Yakushev recalls. .

But the fire made the former Google engineer think more about his brain. “Coding is something I take for granted in my life, like walking and looking around. If that ability is gone, I’m doomed,” he said.

Yakushev said the engineers didn’t think they could get sick. “However, a healthy lifestyle or a perfect genome cannot guarantee complete health. I went to the doctor and was quickly diagnosed with depression. I had to take medication and treat the psyche. The reason,” he said.

Depression destroys motivation, including the desire to see a doctor, which is necessary for treatment and recovery. “Some symptoms of depression, like low self-esteem or suicidal thoughts, don’t show up when you’re tired. That’s one of the reasons I don’t think I need medical help. Nine years have passed. It was accepted.” . And this can be considered a happy event in my life.”, – Yakushev he said.

Since leaving Google, Yakushev has worked a lot in completely different areas and projects. He still lives in Switzerland. “Everything has a solution, and burnout can be viewed as a career advancement. Sometimes we need a shock,” he said.

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