Re: Hiring Publications Managers
The tone of this rhetoric has suddenly become seriously worker-unfriendly--"They made more money because that money was a slush fund to tide them over when times are tough",
Is that not how contractors are paid? They earn more per hour because they have to fund their vacations, sabbaticals, health insurance? They deserve more because an employer isn't giving them those benefits.
Captive is a word used on this list. I use it tongue-in-cheekily because I reject the ethos that suggests that people who are FT are lazy, deadwood.
"captives", "We want to work with people who share those values" What values? Creativity does not prosper in a rigidly controlled or controlling environment.
It isn't. Did the part where the CEO says, do whatever you want, I will back it with all my money, escape you? He does his thing, which he good at, and the people who come to work for him are to do what they like. For instance, a programmer we hired was asked to use a certain tool. He didn't like it, he wanted to do something else. CEO says: tell me why, argue with me, please tell me why it would make you happier to stay on board if you get to do it your way. I've never seen him once reject a proposal.
A techwriter says, "hey I've got an idea for a new service! next week i'm going to tell you what it is, do a little research on why we need it. Can you spot the money for developing it?" If he digs it based on his very good understanding of the market, he says, "go for it. i'll risk my cash and reputation because I believe in you. And then he basically walks away. We put together the teams and all work together on it."
you may think that sounds strange, but that's exactly what he does.
BTW, we just hired back a woman who is 68 years old. She went elsewhere for greener pastures once. She didn't come back begging, she's just a great person and he feels obligated to someone he once had a working relationship with.
BTW2, last year we were having problems with a writer who was plagiarizing. We'd give him samples of what had been done in the past and asked for fresh content. He would clock in 3-5 days to write 2k words that he only slightly changed. Arrggghh. He didn't seem to understand that this wasn't good for business, since clients expected new content. What did the CEO want to do--with a person who was still on the three month trial--see where else we could put them where they'd be happier. What other skills might they have, asked the CEO.
BTW3, I just gave a young kid from a poor neigbhorhood a job making 25% more than his entry-level data processing job because I wanted to help someone else out, just like lots of people helped me out when they saw potential. Here's a kid who impressed me as the most enthusiastic, interesting, eager kid I'd ever seen. He has an almost degree in Human Factors Engineering. He was looking for a 20hr a week job to supplement the full time one he already has so he can go back to school and finish. I told boss that we should pay him enough to go to work FT for us and so he can finish his almost degree.
He doesn't know enough about some things to make it worth hiring him, if I were to be a real hard ass about it. However, we like the kid, we'd like to give him a start in a business that he might not otherwise get an opportunity to be in because of where he lives and his background. I don't want him to kiss my or anyone's else a** because we helped him. No, I want to see him blossom under conditions that will let this guy express his interest in something that fires him up! I ran into him quite by accident and, not knowing me from Adam, was just enthusiastic as all get-out about his degree and talking about how sad he was that he had to drop out.
Finally, on sabbaticals, just to throw you all for a loop. I happen to think everyone should get sabbaticals. When we get to a place we want to be we'd definitely fund sabbaticals as they're used in academia: refresh the mind and soul doing things that advance your interests, skills, and talents. Heck, do it like chefs do and go out and work at another restaurant for awhile and come back with new ideas, refreshed souls, etc.
And who on earth would make their employees work on Christmas if they would rather be home with their kids. We wouldn't take on a client that would make us work through Christmas because most of them don't either. If an employee wanted to because they had a project that they were committed to, fine. But otherwise....
kelley
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Collect Royalties, Not Rejection Letters! Tell us your rejection story when you submit your manuscript to iUniverse Nov. 6 -Dec. 15 and get five free copies of your book. What are you waiting for? http://www.iuniverse.com/media/techwr
Have you looked at the new content on TECHWR-L lately?
See http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ and check it out.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
References:
Re: Hiring Publications Managers: From: Kelley
Re: Hiring Publications Managers: From: CHRISTINE ANAMEIER
Re: Hiring Publications Managers: From: Annamaria Profit
Previous by Author:
Re: Hiring Publications Managers
Next by Author:
Re: Hiring Practices (was: Re: Inventing verbs)
Previous by Thread:
Re: Hiring Publications Managers
Next by Thread:
Re: Hiring Publications Managers
Search our Technical Writing Archives & Magazine
Visit TechWhirl's Other Sites
Sponsored Ads