A view from the outside

I left Dell EMC 2.5 years ago, after 25 years, right before the RTO started. I'm working now 100% remotely for a small company (~500 people). The work is 10 times harder and 100 times more satisfying. The pay is equivalent. Do I regret it? My satisfaction and happiness are not measured in the $ per hour I'm making (which went way down). I enjoy the challenges, the people, the leadership, the minimal politics, and the feeling we're all in it together. None of that existed in my last position at Dell.

A word about RTO: the company I work for has the following policy:

Allow unlimited remote work
Make the office as attractive as possible: modern furniture, large windows in a high-rise building overlooking downtown, unlimited free food (breakfast / lunch / dinner) and drinks, including barista level espresso makers, free gym classes, etc. etc.

As a result, many people like working from the office. I spend there about a day a week on average just because of the tough commute but it's always a pleasure. Some go every day.

None of this is ever going to happen in Dell. If you want a change, you'll need to change your job, start from scratch at a new place, and work hard to be successful. For some, it's worth it. For others, it's easier to complain and pick up the fat paycheck. I don't blame you folks - I did just that for many years. Just know there are alternatives.

Comment! It's anonymous!

10 replies (most recent on top)

@dz

Are you in RR? Just go inside the local toyota dealership. You'll be wowed by their modern amenities and perks in comparison to dell.

@bz I am ac, the post you were referring to. Yes, I understand that many company offices are nicer with much better benefits like free food and drinks, etc. Prior to Dell, I worked in a number of tech businesses, including military R&D. Really old school facilities, cinder block buildings, very no frills.

@bz

Dell offices in RR are a dystopia of 90s era buildings. in a lot of ways they remind me of abandoned malls of yesteryear.

To say they are good only highlights your narrow insight to the world. it's a small-town mentality that plagues a lot of dell-lifers

@ac
Yeah but the thing is, is that Dell offices are nothing special anymore. Maybe 5-10 years ago they were but nowadays? EVERY office is like Dell offices but BETTER.

There was a time in which Dell had superior benefits, PTO, and etc... but these days, EVERY large company has the exact same benefits. Meaning Dell's benefits/PTO is no longer anything special or unique. EVERY fortune 500 company has the same, or better benefits than Dell now. Even smaller companies have stepped it up and offer very similar benefits.

There was a time that I loved going into the office. It was social, I enjoyed seeing other people, etc... and most of all, loved the cafeteria lol.

Now? It's pathetic and pointless. People go in for an hour or less, then go home. OR, they badge in and go straight home - like me.

The cafeteria is dogsh!t now. They used to have a rotating vendor section, which is no longer, and had FAR better food. Now they just make food and put it under fkn heat lamps lol. The coffee is more excpensive now, the tea is ridiclously overpriced, and overall the cafeteria is honestly sub-par to the average high school cafeteria now lol.

Badge in, go grab a breakfast taco or two, then go home. Unless your ORG is super strict (mine dgaf) then fk that bs.

Dell used to respect people who is doing the hands on job and troubelshoot issue.
And now people are just talking.

@OP, sounds just like my story except I had a few more years at Dell. Enjoy!

Hiring?

Glad to hear that you like your new gig and all of its benefits. Sounds like a software or services company where the margins can support that level of fringes. It is hard for any hardware company to provide though, given hardware margins in general. This is not to let Dell off the hook; it could provide things that employees value at minimal or no cost.

I used to love coming into the office. Believe it or not, Dell's offices are better than most of what I have experienced. But more importantly, when you are working on things that are challenging and rewarding, that you consider important, and with colleagues that you get along with and work closely with, the time in the office is not a burden. I did that for a very long time, even with a very long commute.

If you don't get that sort of job satisfaction and comradery, going into the office has no value and is just a burden.

Thread regarding Dell Inc. layoffs

A view from the outside

10 replies (most recent on top)

Post a reply