jeffythequick

dewme said:

This is a great move by Apple.

Based on my personal experience and the vast majority of engineers that I've worked with, engineers typically derive a great deal of satisfaction from the following, roughly in order of priority:

- Being treated respectfully, equitably, and professionally 
- Engaging in work that they actually enjoy doing
- Being recognized for their individual and team-based contributions
- Being fully supported by their management and leadership teams
- Having all of the tools that they need to do their job available to them 
- Being able to work on exciting and interesting projects that yield results they are proud to be associated with
- Being able to learn new things, acquire new skills, and attain expertise
- Having upward mobility whether they desire to follow a technical track or a management track
- Being compensated fairly, equitably, and commensurate to their contributions to the company (the $$$ part)

All of these things are stacked up and tied together like scaffolding to keep engineers fully engaged and happy in their job. The $$$ part is probably not nearly as dominant as most people outside of the engineering profession think it is, especially if there is a competitive market for the skills and experience that the engineer possesses. If any of these pieces are weak, the whole scaffolding will be weaker. But some of these are definitely larger contributors than others.

Very few engineers will put up with disrespect regardless of how much $$$ you throw their way. But some engineers will "put up with" certain things, like having less upward mobility or even being paid somewhat less than market rates (e.g., engineers working in civil service and government jobs) if all of the other pieces keep them happy enough, but some won't. Everyone has their own weighting and priorities, but it is never just one thing that makes most people happy. 

Apple's move to kick in some extra cheddar for what I assume are some of its top engineers is, in my opinion, a pat on the back and recognition that they really want to keep those engineers around and keep them happy. Chances are that a lot of them had no plans to leave anyway, but having a big fat thank you in $$$ that will help secure their financial future a little bit more will most definitely enhance their feelings about the company they are working for.

Oh, by the way, I also believe that everything I mentioned above applies to almost everyone who's invested in any career that spans a significant portion of one's working lifetime, whether it's in engineering or in any other vocation or profession. If it was just a job it might be all about the money, but when it's a career, it's about so much more.

coolfactor said:

DAalseth said:

“PEEK Performance “? Hmm. Wonder if that means we’ll get early looks at MacPro and such to come this fall. 

Yup, Peek is definitely in reference to seeing something, so I find it hard to believe that this event is just about two refreshed entry-level products.

clexman said:

Can you fix it so my whole family can see where my car keys are?