The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Gut am Arbeitgeber finde ich
* excellent colleagues and an inspiring C.E.O
* rational and smooth interview and hiring/onboarding process
* sufficient work equipment (motorized desk, Macbook, displays...)
* no-pressure work culture
Schlecht am Arbeitgeber finde ich
What is NOT good about the employer?
- poor quality management in the research group "intelligent connectivity" (IC): poor EQ, unimpressive technical/scientific background, poor English proficiency, missing team leadership qualities, no research contribution despite being the head of a research group
- poor quality of the working environment (physical and psychological, excluding office equipment)
- no sense of job security: the possibility of getting fired over a minute error!
- overrated self-image and complacency
More on the first point: the stagnant IC manager hasn't moved in 20+ years, doesn't contribute beyond their bureaucratic job, and enjoys bossing around and hearing himself laughing and talking nonstop in German. Perhaps this is not a job for them in 2023.
Overall, SRFG is perfect only for the already established employees who have been there for 5+ years. SRFG is not ready to scale, especially with experienced non-German speaking people, and unfortunately, does not seem to appreciate technically competent people with years of hard work and diverse knowledge. This opinion was formed after 11 months of working at the "Intelligent Connectivity" research group under the described management (0.9.2022--07.2023).
Verbesserungsvorschläge
Suggestions for Improvement
1- Perhaps it's time to upgrade the IC management after so many years of stagnation. A successful group needs a competent leader able to think out of the box and experienced in working with people from diverse backgrounds (else they should not hire from outside their small world). The current manager is instead a mechanical agent lacking empathy, intelligence, and vision and only committed to satisfying the company's rules and making their routines easier.
2- Implementing popular concepts from the IT industry might be beneficial. E.g., (almost) flat hierarchies, promoting team culture, systematic/automated QA, Agile methodology, more and more automation, etc.
3- Improving the quality of the workplace can be very cheap. Replace the ancient coffee machine, and make the kitchen more usable by moving the kitchen office elsewhere. You don't have to suffer to be efficient at work! An alternative is to allow at least 50% home office. For my job, it didn't make sense to be in the office more than 1.5 days per week.
Arbeitsatmosphäre
The management of the IC group ("Intelligent Connectivity" aka ANC) does not contribute to a positive, trusting, and encouraging atmosphere. The group deserves an intelligent and inspiring leader, not a middle school principal or a bureaucratic boss.
Kommunikation
The most clear communication I received from the "manager" was the surprising news of terminating my contract right after a sick day when I had just recovered from an excruciating headache.
Kollegenzusammenhalt
Respectful, hard working, reliable
Work-Life-Balance
When an employer expects 70 percent office presence, they must provide healthy and human-friendly working conditions. The workplace looks and feels like a dungeon and is run on a low budget, with mediocre amenities (2nd floor) and a pathetic kitchen. The only fair condition would be an unrestricted home office. So WLB is ruined by the poor quality of the working place.
Vorgesetztenverhalten
I experienced standard and polite behavior from the "supervisor". However, behind the scenes, he was building a case that supported false reasons for terminating my contract despite provably positive contributions. Vicious and hypocritical goes for "Vorgesetztenverhalten".
Interessante Aufgaben
R&D is always exciting!
Arbeitsbedingungen
Working equipment (laptop, display...) are well provided. But that's not all about working conditions.
Starving and malnutrition, sitting in a dark, dry and cold (in winter) room while facing a wall and breathing excess CO2, and wearing a noise cancellation headphone (purchased from own pocket) was my daily experience. Maybe all is normal for the typical Austrian/German office worker.
Some details:
- no option for a half decent lunch meal except the mediocre Bistro (cash only!) and sugary garbage from the nearby Hofer.
- inconvenient conditions for bringing, warming, and consuming homemade food. The kitchen is too small and under-equipped for the number of people. I had to bring hot water from home to make tea.
- The office is spacious, but only two people can benefit from the window and natural light.
Gehalt/Sozialleistungen
It was not in balance with the poor working conditions, but it was okay for me and not my top priority.