Recognizing the Value of Glue Work in Software Engineering
In the discussion about the importance of "glue work" in software engineering, the author highlights how essential roles often go unrecognized, particularly those that involve supporting and coordinating team efforts rather than directly coding. The narrative follows an engineer who excels at glue work, such as onboarding new hires and improving processes, but struggles to receive promotion due to a lack of quantifiable technical accomplishments. The author emphasizes the need for awareness and deliberate allocation of glue work to ensure that those who perform it are not sidelined in their careers. There is a call for organizations to value this work, provide clear paths for promotion, and encourage individuals to develop a balance between glue work and technical skills to avoid being pigeonholed into non-promotable roles.
- Glue work includes tasks like onboarding, process improvement, and team coordination.
- Individuals performing glue work often face challenges in gaining recognition and promotions.
- Organizations should actively acknowledge and support glue work to retain talent.
- Balancing glue work with core technical skills is vital for career advancement.
What is glue work?
Glue work refers to the essential tasks that support team cohesion and success, such as onboarding new team members, facilitating communication, and improving processes, rather than just writing code.
Why might someone who does glue work struggle with promotions?
Individuals focused on glue work may not have quantifiable technical achievements recognized by organizations, which can lead to being perceived as not sufficiently technical, limiting their advancement opportunities.
How can organizations better support employees who excel in glue work?
Organizations should acknowledge glue work, provide clear paths for promotion, and ensure that glue workers have opportunities to develop technical skills alongside their supportive roles.