Re: ANON: My replacement

["Thiessen, Christopher E" <Christopher -dot- E -dot- Thiessen -at- CERIDIAN -dot- COM>]

"Anonymous" wrote earlier, expressing concerns about finding a
replacement for his company's evaporating technical writing
company:

Greetings!

First, you apparently have a good deal of loyalty, which is admirable
but, in this case, may be misplaced. The company has already shown
its "nickel & dime" mentality by replacing one writer with an admin
assistant. Not to suggest that the transition is impossible (I've been
responsible for turning a non-writer into a writer, so the task can be
done, and effectively), but it demonstrates a critical lack of vision
and understanding of what you do. You are to be commended for
sticking your position out as long as you have, and you are doing
right in moving along towards more money and more structure.

When you talk with the head of the department, suggest again that
a qualified individual who is familiar with the work a writer does
conduct the search for one or more replacement writers (the admin
assist, doubtlessly a wonderful person,  is not going to be helpful in
this search). Express that you don't have time to help in this because
of your current workload (doing the work of two and attempting to
train someone else), but if they want to relieve you of that workload
you could help out. I would probably guess that if the company needed
another programmer, they would not hesitate to use a headhunter or
some kind of agency. A flat-out refusal to do that for a qualified writer
(which also suggests coughing up more bucks) simply reinforces that
the company is not committed to providing its customers with
quality products.

Remember, you've already got another job. Do not be brutal or harsh in
your conversation, but don't hold back any punches. Lots of time
companies cannot progress because they don't know what they're
doing wrong. You have the opportunity to help; whether your suggestions
are acted upon is, ultimately, no concern of yours.

Have fun at your new job!

Chris Thiessen
christopher -dot- e -dot- thiessen -at- ceridian -dot- com




> -----Original Message-----
> From: Anonymous [SMTP:anonfwd -at- RAYCOMM -dot- COM]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 1999 8:07 AM
> To:   TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject:      ANON: My replacement
>
> Message forwarded on request. Please
> reply on list.
>
> ****************************
>
> I need some quick advice, and a search of the archives didn't turn up
> exactly what I needed, so here goes.
>
> For a few years, I have been working as a tech writer in a medium-sized
> software company.  We have two tech writers.  Just recently one of our
> tech
> writers took another position, and I was told that we were going to try
> one
> of our administrative assistants as a replacement, someone "who was
> interested in writing," although of course the person in question has no
> actual writing experience or an actual college degree.  I would be in
> charge of training this person, etc., etc.  The reason I don't sound more
> irked about this situation is because *I* am leaving the company too, for
> a
> more lucrative job at another, more structured software firm.
>
> This announcement caused some excitement, but the main thing I am worried
> about is my replacement.  My boss has almost no doc experience and,
> although a nice person, doesn't really understand writers or writing.  He
> asked where I would suggest finding a replacement and I suggested using a
> headhunter to bring in a "real" tech writer, especially since there is
> someone with no experience to train and none of the managers have doc
> experience.  He turned this down flat, saying that the last tech writer
> they'd gotten through headhunters didn't work out at all.  While this is
> pretty absurd on the face of it, my manager has a lot of clout here, and I
> think it may turn out into one of these situations where they try to
> hobble
> by with a freelance guy (works parttime remotely, does an okay job, not
> very conscientious) and the admin assistant.  It's not easy finding tech
> people of any kind lately, and our company tends to be a bit frugal on the
> salary front for non-programmers.
>
> I think the head of our department will be talking to me about why I'm
> leaving.  I'd like to make some suggestions about how and why to get
> someone *good* to replace me--but I'm under the gun getting things done,
> so
> I don't have much time or energy to think about it.  I know this may sound
> dumb and elementary, but can you guys come up with any good ways to find
> tech writers, or reasons why going through a headhunter is actually not
> such a bad idea?  In other words, what would *you* say?
>
> Hopefully yours.
>
>
> From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=
> =
>


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