I think it works when employees don’t want to switch jobs even when they don’t get good raises. Then it’s like a decision between giving out 100 good raises and keeping everyone or giving out 100 low raises and keeping 95 people.
Because job hopping is scary as hell (especially for developers who struggle with imposter syndrome) and job hunting is generally shitty.
What if I don’t like the new place? What if I can’t feed my wife and kids? What if I’m actually terrible at this and my current place is so stupid they haven’t figured that out? What if the economy tanks in the next couple of months and I’m out on my ear with no severance pay?
Better to stay put, accept slightly less money for another year and look at it again when I’ve got the time and energy to cope with it.
And now think about, who stays in such positions. Not the ambitious people. It’s the risk averse, socially inept people. They will perform just enough to get by, simply because there’s zero reward for any ambition.
I still don’t understand the reasoning behind that tactic.
Why would a company effectively force turnover like that? No argument I’ve ever heard makes sense, if you think about for more than a few seconds.
I think it works when employees don’t want to switch jobs even when they don’t get good raises. Then it’s like a decision between giving out 100 good raises and keeping everyone or giving out 100 low raises and keeping 95 people.
Because job hopping is scary as hell (especially for developers who struggle with imposter syndrome) and job hunting is generally shitty.
What if I don’t like the new place? What if I can’t feed my wife and kids? What if I’m actually terrible at this and my current place is so stupid they haven’t figured that out? What if the economy tanks in the next couple of months and I’m out on my ear with no severance pay?
Better to stay put, accept slightly less money for another year and look at it again when I’ve got the time and energy to cope with it.
And now think about, who stays in such positions. Not the ambitious people. It’s the risk averse, socially inept people. They will perform just enough to get by, simply because there’s zero reward for any ambition.