Electronic Arts: Self destructive or just stupid?

For those of you who know me personally you'll know that I've worked at Bioware for a year as a Term employee, for those of you who don't know me...I've worked at Bioware for a year as a term employee.

Let me explain, nah that'll take too much time, let me sum up. A term position with Bioware means that you're a full time employee but you're on a contract that either expires in a year or at the end of a specific project. The likelihood of you being extended past the end of a project is about 2% and the odds of being extended at the end of a year are 0% . You then have to take at least 3 months off and wait for them to rehire you for another project.

This sucks enough as it is and makes little enough sense. You take a loyal and well trained employee and make them do something else for at least three months upsetting them because they need to find a new job for three months and then try and earn their own job back which is very difficult because they're three months out of practice.

Just to add insult to injury Electronic arts have now enacted a policy that says after working as a term employe for two short years you can no longer EVER work at any company owned by EA again. So people who've worked at Bioware or other EA owned companies for years on and off have been let go and are no longer welcome. My understanding as someone on the short road to banishment is that EA wants to train employees for their competition thereby making their competitors better which forces them to become better.

Bioware has excellent employees and their training is fantastic, They have high standards that weed out most of the riff raff and leaves only hard working competent employees that are very good at their jobs. Couple this with EA's policy that no one can hire full time employees and you get a lot of well trained, highly skilled employees banned from ever working for your company.

EA: "Hey, welcome to your new position!"

New Employee: "Wow, thanks. I'm super excited to get started training."

EA: "Excellent, We plan on spending a tonne of money training you and wasting lots of other full time employees time by making them watch you and help you as you get the hang of the job."

NE: "I appreciate it, But I don't think it'll be a waste I love this industry and I plan on making this my career."

EA: "not with us you won't. We don't take kindly to experienced or highly trained employees. so we'll be letting you go after two years of highly expensive and time consuming training where you'll grow to love the company and build friendship with all of the permanent employees."

NE: "Can I ever come back?"

EA: " What?! No, of course you can't. we want untrained buffoons so we can start the process over again. anyway, welcome to the team."

NE: " Thanks, I guess..."

EA: "Now get to work, but don't get too comfortable."

So That's basically how that's gonna go from now on. Or until EA goes out of business because they enact a policy that says they'll only hire people who hate video games or only hire employees for 24 hour periods in a bizarre parody of an improve sketch where the actors switch out randomly to create a hilarious hodgepodge of silliness.

This has all sounded pretty bitter and disgruntled and while yes, I am pretty confused and upset by this. Let me say that Bioware is still a fantastic place to work and it's a gleaming highpoint on a resume' if you're interested in working in the video game industry. Just don't get too attached.

Later days everyone.