Bittersweet to see how much “distracting work environment” is reported to reduce productivity, given that companies abjectly refuse to provide private & quiet workspaces despite it being unequivocally cost effective to do so even for most start-ups in dense urban centers.
I continue to find the discussion of salary disappointing though. The survey provides a good opportunity for more detailed information.
I personally find non-private settings where you can easily collaborate with other developers more productive.
When I am alone in an office, there is a higher temptation to waste time on reddit/youtube and I am less likely to talk to other developers outside of IM apps.
But when I'm in an open office/lab environment I find I'm more likely to stay on task and also more likely to get unstuck on something thanks to close proximity to other developers.
You occupy such an extreme minority among knowledge workers that, as a matter of default policy, your view has to be discounted in favor of privacy and quiet conditions.
However, it’s easy enough for employers to provide both private & quiet offices and separate areas for constant collaboration and ambient chatter, allowing people to choose which type of area they want their primary workspace to be located in.
> However, it’s easy enough for employers to provide both private & quiet offices and separate areas for constant collaboration and ambient chatter
To clarify: this is my situation. I have an office and an open lab in which to work. Usually I eat lunch in my office but find myself working in the lab most of the day because of the perceived increased productivity
I continue to find the discussion of salary disappointing though. The survey provides a good opportunity for more detailed information.