

Ask HN: What would be your perfect work environment? - vaksel

We all know you want to work on startups...but if you had to go work for someone else, what would be your perfect work environment?<p>I'm not really looking for anything specific, pretty much anything that relates to a job.<p>Free lunches?<p>Good chairs?<p>A single boss?<p>4 day work week?<p>Free car?<p>Monthly talks by leaders in the industry?<p>Pretty much an open field.
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ErrantX
I think my job is perfect for me (right at this moment in my life). So I'll
list that (hopefully not coming across as bragging or anything :) - and also
ripping off your initial list for ideas).

\- Free Lunch (I swear this is the best thing, it's so easy)

\- Single Boss (so important to get things done) \- Relative freedom day-to-
day

\- Relaxed work hours

\- Fair/Good pay (I can work on personal project without worrying about money)

\- Solid company revenue (so needed hardware/software is easy to come by)

\- A variety of work (in diverse fields) to keep me interested :)

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TallGuyShort
Fair pay and interesting work, but that's no surprise. One thing that makes or
breaks a job for me is if my manager communicates well. It makes a huge
difference when you know exactly what is expected of you, what you can expect
from the company, and where you stand.

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CyberFonic
Minimal meetings, distractions = office with door.

Fast computers, multiple hi-rez screens, comfy chair.

Flexible working hours.

Result oriented instead of time-sheet driven.

And most importantly ... manager who runs interference for us. Being shielded
from executives from other areas. Realistic project plans. No fuss and quick
acquisition of resources as required.

Concierge Service: have PA types to run errands, get in food, clean-up meeting
rooms, organize stationery, get last minute gifts, tickets, flowers, whatever.
NB: In the film and TV industries they're called 'assistant directors' - fancy
title for general purpose gofers. Without them the pace and productivity would
be a lot less. Just think about it, you pay them a heck of a lot less than
great programmers and the programmers end up not wasting time on stuff they'd
rather not do anyway.

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slater
No distractions would be lovely. Currently, I'm "enjoying" the following in
our open-plan offices:

\- Cellphones w/annoying ringtones going off every 10 mins (I don't care if
you're the company's sales guy/gal who needs to be reachable every second of
the day)

\- Impromptu meetings in the hallways

\- Obligatory foghorn-voiced American employee yacking on the landline

\- Resulting volume increase of person on the cellphone, person on the land
line, persons in their impromptu meeting just outside the office door

The obvious answer is "get your own office", but that's not likely to happen.

Chip on my shoulder, what?

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pasbesoin
I agree with this. I'm perfectly fine interacting with people when that's the
work at hand. I am frustrated when I'm forced to spend a significant amount of
my energy trying to tune them out.

And it's not just a matter of "choice" or "adaptation". I've worked on this
for over 20 years, and my "adaptability" has not significantly altered. I'm
very aware of my environment; this seems to be hard wired. It offers some
advantages: I notice things others miss, and I'm very quick to infer new
information from the details at hand. But it also means that open space is a
living hell.

I wish people in general were more willing to accept that different people
thrive in different kinds of environments. But where there is a mix of
personalities, often the loudest and most physically aggressive come to
predominate the environment. I've also experienced this in my home
environment, where the misfortune of a string of noisy neighbors -- even after
moving -- have made being home an exercise. (The reasons I never transitioned
to working from home.)

My second priority would be for interesting, meaningful work. Preferably where
I am continually learning and creating. I've paid my "button pushing" dues; in
fact, I've repeatedly taught the machines to push those buttons for me, before
moving on.

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BrentRitterbeck
The top thing I want is a boss that lets me do my job. That means limit the
team meetings to absolutely what is necessary. That means give me the tools
that let me do my job most efficiently. For anyone that has ever worked in a
bank, I'm sure you know what I am talking about.

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edw519
Interesting and meaningful work.

Everything else is just a detail.

I have sat in the worst conditions (too hot, too cold, too loud, hungry,
tired, sore, lonely, etc.) working on something cool and meaningful and got
into it so much that I completely lost track of time for hours.

OTOH, I have had employers or vendors give me the best Class A space you could
imagine with ergonomic furniture, gourmet food and snacks, the latest
technology with multiple large monitors, even a massage twice a week, but if
the work wasn't interesting, I was looking for a window to escape from.

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David
I'd rather work a 6 day week working when I want to (say, starting at 10pm)
than a 4 day week 9-5. Oh, and a do not disturb sign is probably mandatory.
I'll let you know when I've got some processing power to deal with your
problems. Otherwise, I'm dealing with mine.

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asciilifeform
A sinecure.

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pclark
interesting work.

not terribly slow computers.

great chairs.

