I want the lowest wage workers for the hardest work.
That's creepy. I could never boss like that, and I know if I tried it would just backfire.
Mind, you, it's the kind of industry where the help has to be skilled, so... you must be in an industry where the work could be done by robots if the technology existed.
I dunno, is it just me who likes it better when the staff are happy? It's not a large operation - six including me - and we all share an open space, so I don't have a private office - just the desk back in the corner furthest from the door - and I don't pay myself much more than anyone else - a few perks of privilege, but not much - and on good years most of the surplus just gets bonused out (which hasn't happened in a while... damn I wish this recession would just *stop*... someone should have strung up those goldmania-sackers on Wall street with piano wire... good thing I like what I do... pthhh).
The only thing I'm a special hard-ass about is that they show up. I don't care if it's a slow day and we're ahead of schedule and it's sunny out - we'll play networked video-game tournaments if it's time for a break - but everyone show's up, and if you've got a cold there's an assortment of cold medicines in the back for every combination of symptoms.
And if you're wondering how I find the time on a work day to post to forums, it's because the load comes and goes and it's been slow the last couple weeks because the client is dragging his arse on some specs, which I don't understand because he's going to be paying for the time anyway, and last week I was watched two of the guys do a long quest with Diablo while I was typing.
That might sound exotic, but wait until there's a deadline... then it's 12-14 hour days round the clock seven days a week... and yes, I'm in the office now because weekends don't exist for me - which means I *hate* the way banks and the frikkin' post office shut down on weekends - and although I don't make people come in on weekends, two of them are here just because there's nothing else to do and they want to get to the next level in Diablo... oh wait... they say it's Warcraft.
In any case, way more gets done when everyone's content. Sometimes we get rushes where everyone has to put in long hours with extra push, and they just wouldn't if they're weren't feeling it was worth it, and I do *not* see how "stress" is supposed to inspire people to push harder.
Hmm... maybe it's because I don't get a thrill out of being "the man". To me, supervising staff is mostly a chore, but I've noticed with some when put in charge of a project team that being bossy can really go to their head.
I think the diff is, I like what I do. It was when I did not like what I was doing that I'd get obsesses about how much money I was getting for it as the seconds of my life ticked away, so my hunch is, Avro's not happy in his industry.
Anyway, maybe it's not so much I wish they'd unionize, but that they had a proper professional association, the way doctors and lawyers do. It's frankly *unbelievable* how all over the map their skills will be, yet on paper will all look equally great. You *can't* trust references (teacher references are the worst - the dumbest guy I ever had came with grades all above the 90s with glowing reviews from the teachers) and even former employers who dumped them won't give an accurate picture unless you happen to know them and you take them out for a beer and swear everything to secrecy.
I've been told I have a "Swedish style" of management, which is not inspiring because I've also been told Swedish managers are the most boring people on the planet, but speaking of Sweden and unions and wages and Avro's tyrannical joy squeezing workers until they bleed...
Did you know that Sweden, for all it's social justice and egalitarianism, has *no* legislated minimum wage?
