Job hopping

[geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA]

 From my own (employee) standpoint, I can see and accept the
 rationale behind job hopping. But let's put on our techpubs
 manager hats for a moment: We just spent two months
 advertising, _reading_ resumes (_we_ don't use no steenkin
 OCR!), interviewing, checking references, running
 interference at Personnel, helping the new writer find a
 home and fill out all the forms. We finally hire someone
 good, pay them a competitive starting wage... and then they
 fly off at the first good job offer. <Fe> Fortunately, we've
 enjoyed ourselves so much doing the hiring that we gleefully
 put aside our looming (and always unreasonable) deadlines
 and start the whole process over again.

 Of course, we can always console ourselves with the
 knowledge that we don't set wage policy for our company,
 don't have the clout to change corporate hiring or payment
 policy, and have to keep our employees happy and
 productive. Then there's office politics, fighting for
 staffing and equipment money, discipline problems,
 wondering if the departing employee took confidential info.
 down the road to our competitor, and on and on. And then,
 after we've spent 10 years building some credibility, word
 comes down the pipe that we have to lay off half our staff.

 Not a job I'd want. I'd have a hard time picking someone
 really good (and mobile) over someone who merely does a
 competent job, but who wants to stick with me for a few
 years. I'd understand why such people are hard to find, but
 it wouldn't make me any more sympathetic to hiring job
 hoppers. It's not a question of doubting the hopper's
 skills (they're being headhunted because they're good,
 right?) or emotional stability (pace Moshe Koenig)... it's
 simply self-defence.

 --Geoff Hart     @8^{)}     geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
 Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.