Netflix culture and career development
My understanding is that all engineers in Netflix has the same level. How do people feel on career development in such an environment?
There is no career growth for ICs here, only management track has levels and defined growth plan.
I am leaving Google for Netflix specifically for this reason. I’ve been Google L5 for 5 years, did great job (my solo work was mentioned on the first page of Hacker News quite a few times) but was unable to get promotion due to bogus promo requirements. I am looking forward to not have my comp limited by a random committee that doe not know me and does not care about what I’m doing.
Your career is limited to the needs of Netflix. It has been documented they will fire you anytime without any help to make you better.
That’s not a terrible approach tbh, if you’re underperforming why would a PIP really change that?
It’s not about how you’re doing, you can be excellent and if the business doesn’t need you anymore their policy is to fire
They don't feel. They get fired before they develop any feelings.
Liberating!!! You are what you say/do/deliver than what your title says you are. No promos to work towards, just concentrate on solving business problems. As some pointed out already, there is no structured career development, PIP, educational resources, etc. That doesn’t mean you cannot do any of these. You just have to do these on your own and Netflix will just pay for it - no other help offered.
No career growth at Netflix for most IC's. This is good and bad. Good is because you can concentrate on doing good works and forget about the need to move up to get paid more. Bad is that if later on there is no netflix or you want to leave the company, you are stuck as an old IC where not many companies want to hire.
Nah, you'll be seen as a top of the band IC that can ask anything you want :)
It’s true. I see a guy with Netflix on his resume and I think, “Wow, this guy just watched movies all day! Not inclined!”
Level, money, etc are forms of rewards, so it really boils down how you will be rewarded. If you believe in reward by merits, then you should agree that whoever drags down the team should be fired, then you should join Netflix. You will be rewarded handsomely at Netflix not because of titles nor associations, but by your merits your team agrees on.
Netflix wants to hire seniors that already know how to get things done. It is not responsible to train you for new skills. But it is willing to pay to help you get the new skills. Think of pro sports team. Team is willing to pay for a trainer. But if you don't make the cut, then you don't.
this bs pro sports analogy copy-pasted from their culture website. someone is drowning in koolaid
@Narcos Don’t drink the koolaid much. The pro sports analogy is complete BS. If it was true, why are we doing diversity hiring? Which pro team does diversity hiring in the real world? The problem with Netflix way is that every engineer has the same responsibilities, which is not how most of the industry works. People with 20 years of experience are doing test fixes and managing build failures. Other places your title (principal for instance) requires you to do more impactful works, because there is a clear expectation from your title/level.
I didn’t know that netflix has no IC levels. If that helps on the focus and reduces politics, sounds great to me!
From what I know, your compensation is revised every year with a good faith effort to assess your top of the market rate.
This is not necessarily true. Comp is revised only if your market value has increased, there is no concept of inflation adjustment. Don’t ask me how market value is calculated.
How is market value calculated? :D