A company offered me a million dollars to work for them, but then I remembered the ping pong table at my current employer and said no way. Totally worth it.
Money can’t buy what a ping pong table brings.
I had this argument with a boomer HR consultant and she just doubled down, even though I explained that neither I nor my colleagues, give two hoots about fussball or team building. Our position is a resounding “fuck you pay me” but oh no - boomer knows best.
This is the reason why but never the reason I give. If I make employers think at any time that I focus too much on the money, they will see me as a troublemaker. Instead, I come up with some bullshit excuse such as medical reasons and the smart employers will work it out on their own.
? We are all in it for the money. How is that being a trouble maker? Money is a motivator and should be used to incentivize performance.
It’s completely bizarre how we live in a capitalist society and yet we’re supposed to be motivated by work culture work.
It’s like they think that capitalism only applies to them.
Hey OP, we need to know where this is from (so they don’t get away with this shit)
Even if a Ferangi wouldn’t pull this crap, at least they’re honest about their motivations and don’t expect other people to be motivated by anything other than money either.
If we could all just admit that life would be a lot easier and we wouldn’t have to put up with HR wankery. In fact we could probably get rid of the HR department because we all know they essentially just exist to try and keep the employees in line, and stop them forming unions, but if we just got paid more then they wouldn’t be necessary.
The good ol’ protestant work ethic
You think that way because they’ve taught you to think that way. Instead, you should be very plain about your pay expectations. If someone starts getting on your case for being “pay motivated” or some other horseshit HR wageyganda idea, here’s what you say.
“I hear what you’re saying, and certainly the main drivers in my career goals are broadening my skillset and achieving excellence. However, my life and family goals operate in a capitalist society reliant on me growing my compensation year over year. If this job is unprepared to meet my life goals, then let’s be explicit about that so I can reevaluate my plan for my household and decide whether this position is a fit.”
I think this way because it’s how many of my employers think. I would love to have a job where I could be this honest and it’s something I’m working on but most employers think this way and so too does my current employer. Even so, this is the highest paying job I’ve had so far. It’s easy for you to say that behind a keyboard not knowing my situation, it’s much harder for me to have a frank conversation with my manager in a deep red state. I’ve been fired before and rejected during the interview process for being too honest.
I never thought that CEOs might plant a seed that a “cultural change and approach in HR” and falsified stats papers would be the new meta to keep payroll low.
Never quit a job over lack of ping pong tables.
Unless of course your job is to be a ping pong ball tester, in which case you may not be getting supported with the necessary tools to perform your job successfully.
Questions like these make me wonder if large capitalists actually live in an alternate universe but through some time and space shenanigans they are still here. There’s just no way they can make this type of shit up (assuming it’s a real question) without being delusional or sadistic.
You gotta have hr (the worker who defends the bosses interests) on your side if you wanna drop $300 on a ping pong table rather than raises.
Most people quit because of bad bosses. I know I have…
Yeah, we’re the fucking generation that can’t afford our own living, but have you tried giving us a ping-pong table?
Ping Pong table ? Are they serious ?!? We had a PS5 in the meeting room for ~4 month an no one ever touched it. I don’t go to work to have a fun time, I go to do my job, then leave and have a fun somewhere else. More correct answers for retaining employees:
- give them tasks they are interested in
- give them perspective for developement (promotions, raise, mobility, etc)
- value their contributions and support them moraly (you want to know your managers and colleages got your back)
- of course more money ! Or alternatively more freetime !
Incorrect right answer a air hockey table you don’t want money you want to play the Foosball
Foosball is a four person game I’ll die on that hill. And not even because I suck at defence (as such, I do plenty of that mid-field and forward) but because the game isn’t about frantically grabbing handles. So yes air hockey is an excellent addition.
Air hockey is so fun even if I’m terrible at it
Air hockey is so fun even if I’m terrible at it
Yes! My thoghts exactly! I am an addict to foosball. Anything to enable my adiction is worth it! I have 3 tables at home already (all Mimic free) and am able to play 2 games at the same time. /s
Absolutely correct. I always wonder when I see such reports where HR comes up with their completely stupid notion that work is not about earning money.
Well, it’s not just the money obviously, but a lot of HR takes that to the convenient extreme that “the money doesn’t matter”.
It also changes based on the compensation amount. Someone making $300k/year may feel less obsessed with a raise versus someone making $50k/year.
Someone making $300k/year may feel less obsessed with a raise versus someone making $50k/year.
I would not bet a penny on this…
More correct answers for retaining employees:
- Have managers that aren’t oblivious idiots
- Have even higher-ups that aren’t oblivious idiots
- Don’t treat employees like easily replaceable money-eating parasites
Profit sharing can be one hell of an incentive to retain and motivate employees.
Was “A ping pong table and enough free time in my schedule to actually use it for half an hour on a quiet day without the area manager coming in and demanding that we get back to work” too long?
Ill stay at an average paying job with a great culture, over a shitty culture and more money. But only to a point.
I think the issue most companies don’t realize is that we are forcing many people under a living wage, and at that point being paid better is the only thing that counts.
I think that’s a stance that make different amounts of sense at different compensation levels.
You make $50k and someone offers a $75k salary? Then you’ll likely risk the culture. If you make $150k and facing a $200k offer? The bird in the hand might be seen as good enough, though you may angle for a counter offer.
Was “A ping pong table and enough free time in my schedule to actually use it for half an hour on a quiet day without the area manager coming in and demanding that we get back to work” too long?
About 5 years ago our department manager bought us a barbecue for our warehouse.
It is still in it’s plastic wrapping. We have never had the time to get together as a group and use it.
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It’s a really interesting question, which would I prefer? A ping pong table at work or more money which I could use to buy a ping pong table at home.
Or food, whatever.
“Usually, in our narrow and sad description of what an employee wants, it’s not money. Clearly it’s more related to the lack of ping-pong tables and extra responsibilities.” 🤡
These people have absolutely forgotten what it means to be an employee.
Born rich they were never an employee
I started out with millions of dollars and look at me now. I’ve pulled myself by my boots straps I have. Read my book, it’s it’s called “How To Get Rich And Be A Pretentious Dipshit”. It is self-published and available on my website. At me on LinkedIn
I’m a multi millionaire how did I do it easy started out born into a billionaire family
I’m a multi millionaire how did I do it easy started out born into a billionaire family
perfectly maps to startups selling working at a startup as “we’re a family”, “you’re a googler”, etc. give them a ping pong table and free beer on fridays and you can pay considerably less.
If they’re anything like my relatives, I absolutely DON’T want to be treated like family…
Thought you were going to launch into a family tragedy involving ping pong and beer. Carry on.
There’s only been two reasons for me to quit a job: shitty pay and shitty people in charge.
Sounds like this company has both.
That’s 95% correct. Ping Pong table is dumb but it’s very often not about the money.
Gotem!
But can you use it? I’ve worked places with things like that, gaming rooms for breaks, etc. and it was mostly just for sore and never used.
I used the keg+arcade in an old office frequently enough at a chill small company. It goes both ways IMO.
I actually dislike it when companies do this because it makes them feel like they’ve got this “oh look at us aren’t we cool and hip, we’re basically Google, stay after hours and don’t get paid” vibe.
Why are you harshing on ping pong tables bro?
I mean nothing against them in general, but if they are in an office you need to ask is it really just a small perk or is it next to 50 bean bags for in office living.
Their evil, the ones corporations buy, are often bought cheap second hand. The longer it sits in the junk yard, the more chance a Mimic has found its new shell. /s
