Perks in the high-tech workplace

My friend Rafe Colburn and his Etsy coworker Melissa Santos have written an insightful article on perks in high-tech companies in which they explore a lot of issues that I’ve thought about over the years. Their thesis:

In an industry where culture is often allowed to be defined by perks, managers need to [be] mindful of the fact that for many people, perks underscore the differences between members of the team rather than bringing them together. They also need to think about what a company’s perks indicate to potential employees about the culture.

I’m one of those employees who often feels ambivalent about company perks–especially team-building events, and within that category, especially events that take place outside of work hours. Balancing my responsibilities to my family with my work responsibilities is hard enough when work is confined to defined hours and expectations. An after-hours event often just adds to that delicate balancing act.