Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The manager and the temporary staff

The CEO recruited a graduate of School A as a manager.

The CEO expected the Manager to hire another employee who must also be a graduate of School A to expand the company business together.

The Manager hired another graduate of School A soon after he joined the company, and quickly realized that the newly hired couldn't really pace up with him, so he terminated the new employee even if he knew the CEO wouldn't quite like the idea, but the Manager still did it as he believed the company could only grow with the right employee hired.

From then onwards the Manager had been very careful with the selection of candidates. He interviewed 100 people before he finally met this candidate, who was unfortunately NOT a graduate of School A, but fulfilling most of the requirements.

The Manager then hired the candidate as a TEMPORARY staff, hoping to commence some business development while waiting for the RIGHT candidate to appear later.

Before they realized, the Temporary Staff had become more and more efficient each day. Together they expanded the business a lot, and really enjoyed working with each other.

One day, the Temporary Staff finally requested an official employment from the Manager.

The Manager: "I wish I could, unfortunately its a rule that I CANNOT hire you as an official employee if you aren't a graduate of School A, no matter how much I appreciate your talent and contribution. Perhaps you could try to get a certification from School A, and we talk about this again?"

The Temporary Staff: "Well, you know I CAN perform. I really don't see any reasons why I should study now while I can already contribute so much to the company. Perhaps you could just convert me to a permanent employee first?"

The Manager: "I afraid I am not able to do that yet. Why don't you just go and study a little bit, see how it goes, and we'll talk about it again?"

So the Temporary Staff studied a little bit and came back to the same discussion again. 

The Manager: "I'm sorry, I still can't offer you a permanent position until you become a graduate of School A. Why is it so important for you, by the way, while your job scope and salary will be more or less the same even after such conversion?"

The Temporary staff: "Becoming a permanent staff turns uncertainty to certainty, it makes me feel much appreciated and know how to plan for my career path accordingly. Like now, I feel really insecure as I never know if I would still have the job tomorrow."

The Temporary Staff: "To be honest some companies have approached me recently and proposed me some very nice package and they are all permanent positions. However, I didn't accept any of those offers as I really admire the way you work and I believe together we could make the company business a great success, and I can always do the study LATER."

The Manager: "I still can't make you a permanent staff before you become a graduate of School A. Why don't you go and study a little bit more and we'll come back to this again?"

The Temporary Staff: "I'm sorry, but I never prioritized studying as something very crucial to be done NOW, but I just can't wait to utilize all the skill and knowledge I have to achieve something bigger," and then he sadly tendered his resignation.

The Manager: "Please stay a little longer and study just a little bit more before we see how we could go about this again? I really enjoy working with you!"

The Temporary Staff: "Thank you, I enjoy working with you too. But I just don't think anything would change even if I stay longer and study a little bit more as it still won't make me a graduate of School A, while at the same time I might lose all the OPPORTUNITIES of achieving something bigger."


The Manager lost his best employee ever, because he couldn't break the rule. 

If you were him, would you compromise and still try to find a way to convert the Temporary Staff to permanent employee even if its quite impossible, continue expanding the company's business, and let the Temporary Staff become a graduate of School A eventually at his own pace?

The Temporary Staff lost his best manager ever, because he wasn't interested to study so much yet. 

If you were him, would you compromise and study it all the way to the graduation from School A, despite your lack of interest in becoming one, yet, as well as the insecurity of losing anytime both the temporary job and all possible opportunities of achieving something bigger?

Well, if only I could make a choice and give the story a happy ending.

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