Why is Salesforce so stingy with "flashy" perks?

Salesforce / Eng
NoHardware

Go to company page Salesforce Eng

NoHardware
Jun 17, 2019 29 Comments

The NYC tower just had its Ohana Floor opening. It’s REALLY nice, spacious, incredible view, custom Steinway piano....And Free coffee.

That's it. We get free coffee. That's nice, but I just came from a tour of the Google office in NYC and wow did it make me almost bitter going back to my office that looks like a stale call center.

They have several cafeterias where they eat for free, here at the ohana lounge they might put out a tray of cookies. This is Midtown NYC we're talking about, eating out every day is a serious investment, and I don’t want to start bringing a lunchbox to work. I actually stopped working from our office when I realized that my coworkers and I spent roughly $30 a day on lunch and usually an afternoon outdoor coffee run. Working from home is saving me ~$500 a month

Another thing is the various employee rooms we have to unwind. They're just rooms with furniture. Nothing else, so that we can exercise "mindfulness". Wtf.

We don’t even get to personalize our desks, it’s literally a call center layout, look and feel.

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TOP 29 Comments
  • You make plenty of money, go pay for your food like almost everyone else. Also idk what you are doing, but $30 for lunch is very high.
    Jun 17, 2019 10
  • What makes you think we’re the same tier as FANG? Everyone here b*tches about not getting refreshers, not getting free food, salary not increasing with the market like the way it does at Google. But the truth is this company isn’t Google. It’s closer to Workday, or other more middle tier, still somewhat modern corporations, but still above the old guard like oracle/Cisco/IBM whatnot. You don’t see people complaining that they should get free food at those places.
    Jun 17, 2019 1
  • join Google lol
    Jun 17, 2019 0
  • Amazon
    tl4Alw

    Go to company page Amazon

    tl4Alw
    Would you take a pay cut to get the free food?

    Think of it this way:

    The company has a budget for hiring you. From their point of view you cost the sum total of your salary, bonuses, stocks, benefits, and perks.

    The finance guy doesn't care whether you get your money as a perk or a direct deposit. Hits the bottom like just the same either way.

    So would you prefer an extra $500 in your bank, or free food?

    The Google guys get more perks and more salary than you. They just get paid more. But even there, if I get a choice my own preference would be extra money rather than extra perks.

    I eat most of my meals at home with family and have a very light lunch so the free food isn't worth as much to me as more money. A single guy with no family probably does value getting dinner at work, not me though.
    Jun 17, 2019 1
    • Cisco
      @G

      Go to company page Cisco

      @G
      Mostly right, but most of the perks the company can give you without you having to pay income tax on it.
      Jun 17, 2019
  • Salesforce / Eng
    AnonChickn

    Go to company page Salesforce Eng

    PRE
    Amazon, Microsoft
    BIO
    I’m an anonymous chicken
    AnonChickn
    Marc has said on many occasions we’ll never build cafeterias (free or subsidized) because he believes we should be supporting local businesses and that having on-site food is harmful for the economy around Salesforce.

    Think whatever you want but that’s the official reason we don’t have cafeteria inside any of our buildings.

    Having said that, just start getting invited to lunch time meetings and we’ll almost always have lunch brought in of some sort.
    Jun 18, 2019 3