Ask HN: Should employers provide computers for developers?
2 comments
Answering the question specifically: Yes. Same as if you were in say, construction, and you were expecting crane operators to bring their own cranes. A dentist their own drill. A chemist their own centrifuge.
In terms of the debate: Eventually you'll need to have policies in place around ownership of work produced, and while there's nothing preventing an employee from copying files to a personal device, having everything they work on stored on hardware owned by the company makes it significantly easier for the company to enforce those policies.
If you supply standardised equipment (a particular model, operating system, etc) it will also help for the setup of any new employee, and any interoperability that may be required. Everyone will get the same; troubleshooting requires a focused spectrum of knowledge and experience rather than knowing how to troubleshoot Windows, Mac, Bootcamp, Ubuntu, CentOS, on desktops or laptops.
In terms of the debate: Eventually you'll need to have policies in place around ownership of work produced, and while there's nothing preventing an employee from copying files to a personal device, having everything they work on stored on hardware owned by the company makes it significantly easier for the company to enforce those policies.
If you supply standardised equipment (a particular model, operating system, etc) it will also help for the setup of any new employee, and any interoperability that may be required. Everyone will get the same; troubleshooting requires a focused spectrum of knowledge and experience rather than knowing how to troubleshoot Windows, Mac, Bootcamp, Ubuntu, CentOS, on desktops or laptops.
I see what you're saying with the construction and dental analogies.
We want to make it convenient for employees to have access to what they want, when they need it. We want employees to be able to have access to all the work files/tools they would need whenever they are near a computer. We don't want to have an emergency come up on a weekend and cause it to force someone to come into the office, or to be able to say "I'm out of town, sorry."
We also want employees to feel safe using the computer for personal things. We've considered something like offering a stipend that covers new hardware and the employee gets to keep us assuming they continue to be employed for X amount of time.
We want to make it convenient for employees to have access to what they want, when they need it. We want employees to be able to have access to all the work files/tools they would need whenever they are near a computer. We don't want to have an emergency come up on a weekend and cause it to force someone to come into the office, or to be able to say "I'm out of town, sorry."
We also want employees to feel safe using the computer for personal things. We've considered something like offering a stipend that covers new hardware and the employee gets to keep us assuming they continue to be employed for X amount of time.
Ask them what they need. Frame it like this: if they spent their own money, what would they prioritize?
Any insights into policies that have worked for others in a similar position would be helpful. Thanks!