Notices
924/931/944/951/968 Forum Porsche 924, 924S, 931, 944, 944S, 944S2, 951, and 968 discussion, how-to guides, and technical help. (1976-1995)
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

OT: Staff Managers, please read (sorry, it's long)

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 02-15-2003, 11:31 PM
  #1  
Perry 951
Addict
Rennlist Member

Thread Starter
 
Perry 951's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 6,915
Likes: 0
Received 70 Likes on 53 Posts
Post OT: Staff Managers, please read (sorry, it's long)

So I was replying to another post.. and I decided to start this new topic. We have done the "get to know you" posts before, and the median age of this forum was about 30. I also found out that there are a good number of you that are staff managers. So, let me lay this on you.

I manage the Technical Operations for 4 radio stations in Cincinnati, and attempt to keep them staffed with the best Technical Producers availible. In a nutshell, the Technical Producer is the one that makes everything happen on a radio station. They run a radio console, several computer systems, coordinate the show, answer phones, etc. Full time gigs are not too bad, part time does not pay great, but it opens the door to a great career and helps pay the bills. If you work hard and work smart, you can make it pretty big in this biz.

When I was growing up, I was always taught to work as hard as I could, do the best I could, and respect what I had. I think this is why I have made it to where I am now. Back when I got into radio, I made 5 bucks an hour and loved it for the experience and knowledge I gained. In radio, you work your way up in market size.... or you are supposed to. It is the natural progression. Gotta crawl before you walk kind of thing.

Over the last 4 years, I have been a manager in a major market, along with being a Technical Producer. I started broadcasting out of a double wide trailer to a parking lot (station had all of about 5 listeners). Over the years, I have worked for 10 diffrent stations, of diffrent sizes and postions. I have been at the bottom rung, and also at the top. For my hard work, I now have several awards, a very nice position, and the respect of many of the best managers and talent in radio today.

I have seen less and less of this progression. The biggest problem with it is that I get applicants with little or no experience, who expect to have the world handed to them. When one mistake can cost a major station several thousands of dollars, you must have employees who know what they are doing. Without that progression, they don't know the basics, yet think they can do the advanced work that my market desires. I can teach pretty much anyone who has the desire to learn, but they must have the general idea before they step into my office.

As much as I would like to teach everyone intrested in radio, I can't. I need someone to walk in and do the job, and that means they must have experience.

The second problem is the horrid work ethic I see from 90% of my applicants and employees. Most of my part time staff will work 6 hour shifts, scheduled around their other jobs, vacations, drinking nights, and on and on. Their work is not hard, and for a part time job, it pays pretty good. Yet, month after month, I have applicants with no experience, and the ones that do,..... have no work ethic. A catch 22 to say the least!

So.. I ask you... as a manager, do you see the same? How do you cope with it? I have it double bad, since I am the one who must come to the rescue when someone does not show. With a short handed staff of 20, having 2 not show really makes my week very very bad.

Thanks for the rant!!
Old 02-15-2003, 11:41 PM
  #2  
ELLSSUU
Geaux Tigers!
Rennlist Member
 
ELLSSUU's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 9,037
Received 41 Likes on 30 Posts
Post

In New Orleans it's a big problem. Everyone seems to have a rapper/baller mentality and doesn't want to pay the dues to begin with. What I mean is they want to be paid big bucks and not have to actually work.

It's also very difficult when your HR department sends you pathetic applicants and you have to hire them so that you can have a warm body attempting to do the work. You send them through a significant training program, then re-train them when they didn't learn the first time. After a few weeks they usually screw something up so bad that they need to be dismissed but the same HR dept. won't allow you to fire them. It's a vicious cycle.

Our company's policy is that a person can not show up for 3 days, without calling or notifying their manager, and keep their job with only a verbal warning. It's also policy that employees can lose $200 a month without any discipline at all. $200 bucks is a decent chunk of change. If the teller does "lose" a substantial amount of money you may fire them but you can't prosecute b/c the company doesn't want the bad press. For example we had 2 ladies take almost $100,000 a few years ago. The company backed off of prosecuting and the ladies were fired for "poor job performance." What a crock of @
Old 02-15-2003, 11:55 PM
  #3  
Chris_924s
Nerd Herder
Rennlist Member
 
Chris_924s's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Central Illinois. Cornfields a plenty.
Posts: 16,526
Received 4 Likes on 2 Posts
Post

Hmm. and us guys with 20 years experience in IT, morals NOT standards, and solid management experience and PROPER GRAMMAR CAN'T get a gig. Maybe the HR department is the problem. I worked an average of 60 hours a week on salary (because there was a problem needing a fix)and was repaid by my replacement by a recent college grad with no experience, poor ethics and work habits was "a better find"
Let me know who's hiring, and you'll get a great team building employee. And yes, I was a IT district manager responsible for hire/fire of a staff of 42 personnel, budget and all purchasing.
Old 02-16-2003, 12:04 AM
  #4  
Tadi
Rennlist Member
 
Tadi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Blacksburg, Va
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Before I went back to school I was managing a small group of software developers working on a some fairly advanced web applications. I worked my way into the computer business during high school, so I can relate to what you're saying Perry. When I was 15 I got a job at a local engineering firm doing basic network administration/IT stuff after school. It started off just being general system repair, but I started learning stuff about network software/hardware and soon surpassed the IT director and was helping him out on weekends when upgrades were due. The learning experience was great, but I was being taken to the cleaners with my $5.15/hour pay rate. After a couple other jobs and a first semester of college that got off to a rocky start and proved to be untimely at best, I got into web development (since my main passion was programming, but no one would hire a programmer without a degree where I grew up.). The job was in Chicago but I was able to work remotely from my home town. Great experience, great company, got to see Chicago, etc. In a not-so-bright move, I changed to working for a dot-com, which is the reason I'm back in school and kicking *** nowadays

Anyway, I saw a lot of people like you describe Perry. We tried to hire people several times and they were the same kind of problem: fresh-out-of-BIT school nerds with very little experience expecting to be paid what I was making at the time. Needless to say, if it wasn't for two guys I worked with (and was hired with - they were good friends of mine at the time and one of them got the other two of us a job there) the entire project would of been a miserable experience. I won't say it would of been unsuccessful because, uh, well...I am back in school instead of driving my 993TT to work...if you get my drift.

Back in school I see a different version of the same person. I can't remember if my first year in school was like this, but everyone seems so preoccupied with everything BUT the actual school. Yes, I've become the nerd in the back of the room who complains when class is cancelled - they're wasting my money!
Old 02-16-2003, 02:06 AM
  #5  
tazman
Three Wheelin'
 
tazman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Reading PA
Posts: 1,667
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Well I am not a staff manager or anything like that. I am just a person in the work force and I can tell you what you see is normal even in the construction field. Every body wants the big money and expects to have an easy job at the same time. I am an electrician and I take pride in the work I do and that is hard when every body around you does such a crappy job.
Old 02-16-2003, 09:19 AM
  #6  
Flight_951
Pro
 
Flight_951's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 577
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by Perry 951:
<strong>So.. I ask you... as a manager, do you see the same? How do you cope with it?</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">The attitude of "entitlement" among employees seems to vary depending on the field and the company in particular. When it comes time to let go of the poorest performers the biggest obstacle often is inadequate records from their manager. Most companies won't dump someone without a long paper trail of poor performance for legal reasons. There seem to be many reasons for why things are the way that they are, but I'd point to a general lack of manager training in how to properly handle these problem employees.
Old 02-16-2003, 09:46 AM
  #7  
ELLSSUU
Geaux Tigers!
Rennlist Member
 
ELLSSUU's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 9,037
Received 41 Likes on 30 Posts
Post

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by Flight_951:
<strong> </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by Perry 951:
<strong>So.. I ask you... as a manager, do you see the same? How do you cope with it?</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">The attitude of "entitlement" among employees seems to vary depending on the field and the company in particular. When it comes time to let go of the poorest performers the biggest obstacle often is inadequate records from their manager. Most companies won't dump someone without a long paper trail of poor performance for legal reasons. There seem to be many reasons for why things are the way that they are, but I'd point to a general lack of manager training in how to properly handle these problem employees.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">You are correct on that one. I'll take it a step further though. I think that the training needs to be done on the company level not school. Companies have greatly differing hoops to jump through to dismiss someone and those hoops can also vary within the company at the department level. It is extremely frustrating when your hands are so tied that decisions on pay raises, firings, promotions etc. are held on a level of the HR dept. instead of for the managers writing the reviews. This is company wide where I work.

Explain to a good employee that comes in early and busts **** that he/she is getting the same exact raise as the person that takes 2 hour lunch breaks. They don't seem to understand and I don't either. Maybe my company has gotten too big. I think my field is one small step from the same beuracracies of the government.

Trending Topics

Old 02-16-2003, 10:09 AM
  #8  
thomschoon
Instructor
 
thomschoon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Rochester NY & Alexandria VA
Posts: 237
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

A subject near and dear to my heart. Having worked globally as well as closed factories in many countries other than our own, I have learned the following: people everywhere are pretty much the same and we all have too much.

The old adage that people are self motivated is true, but what motivates you? If you are new someplace and are broke you will naturally have a tendency to work harder to achieve some degree of comfort (IE the immigrant mentality). If you are comfortable and know that you will always have food and shelter, over time you will lose that fear (the welfare mind set). I hate to stereo type people but from my experience you will always have some good folks and some that are crap, the problem in the USA is that we are heading in the wrong direction. How many of you could move back home tomorrow if you needed too versus struggling to make it on your own? I admit I am guilty as a parent, my kid wants for nothing and some day she will be the one quitting a job because it interfered with her nail appointment.
Old 02-16-2003, 10:12 AM
  #9  
Thaddeus
Deer Slayer
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
 
Thaddeus's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 25,565
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Post

It's the same everywhere. On a slight variation to the theme, I manage a small staff of skilled guys, but the very fact they have advanced skills means they indulge themselves in some crap attitudes. I wind up filling the gaps when they can't be bothered with some task they consider too odious or otherwise beneath them. And the company has been laying on a lot of BS procedural stuff that is locking up the whole place with micro-management drivel, which alienates my staff more and frustrates them because they can't accomplish anything substantive.

I'm working myself to death because of other people's crap attitudes -- both below me in the hierarchy and above me, in upper management.

Not sure what to do about it either. Just hanging on.

<img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" />
Old 02-16-2003, 10:45 AM
  #10  
GOBOGIE
Budding Photographer
Rennlist Member
 
GOBOGIE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: A Quiet Little Lake In The Middle of Nowhere
Posts: 7,007
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Post

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by ELLSSUU:
<strong>

It's also very difficult when your HR department sends you pathetic applicants and you have to hire them so that you can have a warm body attempting to do the work. You send them through a significant training program, then re-train them when they didn't learn the first time. After a few weeks they usually screw something up so bad that they need to be dismissed but the same HR dept. won't allow you to fire them.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Exactly the same where I work. It's a running joke in my department that you can do anything short of killing someone and still not get fired.
Old 02-16-2003, 11:33 AM
  #11  
Perry 951
Addict
Rennlist Member

Thread Starter
 
Perry 951's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 6,915
Likes: 0
Received 70 Likes on 53 Posts
Post

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">I'm working myself to death because of other people's crap attitudes -- both below me in the hierarchy and above me, in upper management.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Boy do I know that one.

So some rough weather has hit the area. After working 19 hours yesterday, I still managed to come back in this morning and get my work done. One of my producers calls me and said "I can;t get into my car, it is frozen up." So I tell him to bust out the hair dryer and get here when he can. Then he says "I am not comfortable driving in this weather, so I am not coming in."

I offered to pay for a cab, have someone pick him up... and all I get is "I am not comfortable coming in in this weather."

So, my schedule today was supposed to be 8A-12A, then 6P-12A. I now get to go 8A-12A because someone is not comfortable driving. Funny, the rest of us managed to get here.

Here's one for you.. about 2 months ago, I had one producer call off his shift because... and I am not joking here... he had "laundry" to do. He works 5 days a week, 5 hours a day, and has one of the best gigs in the building.

Unreal.
Old 02-16-2003, 11:45 AM
  #12  
Dave
Race Car
 
Dave's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Springfield NJ
Posts: 4,937
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Post

This situation can be changed, I've witnessed it over the last 6 years.
First, Institute a proibationary period for all new hires, 90 days seems to work. Any employee which doesn't show promise goes at the end of this period. You might fill a chair a half dozen times but sooner or later you get a keeper.
Second, get strict with existing employees. No show and no call = suspended the following day, 3 times and you're gone. 30 minutes late = go home. Your existing slackers will be gone in no time and the borderline people will get off the border, quickly.
Cleaning house does wonders for those who deserve to stay. My company has done this over the last 2 or 3 years (Not me personally, I'm just a middle management shmuck, but I now have much better people under me)and the turn around has been amazing. There are good people out there but you'll have to sort through a bunch of aholes to find them, once you start there's a domino effect or maybe two involved. A)The existing people who want to stay try harder. B)Good people WANT to work for you so expect to start seeing resumes.

Perry, If you have any infrastructure issues, now's the time, wireless is dead and tower companies are bidding to break even.
Old 02-16-2003, 11:58 AM
  #13  
Rich Sandor
Nordschleife Master
 
Rich Sandor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Vancouver BC
Posts: 8,985
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
Post

I'm pretty young, although I finished college two years ago, I'm sure you could still say I'm fresh out. So I can give a perspective from my standpoint.

The two things that dictate a person's work ethic are:

1: morals and ethics handed down from parent's and teachers, that were actaully absorbed, not ignored.

and

2: fear of losing your job. (and needing the money)

If either one of these are lacking in a person, they will not be 100% productive. Now, if a person is lacking in either one, it doesn't mean they are a bad worker, or a bad person, because you cannot blame someone for not being instilled with a good work ethic. A person needs to grow up in an environment that nurtures a hard work ethic. I didn't.

BUT, I do have a fear of losing my job, and that keeps me in line, because I need money.

If you have fresh from college guys, still living off of daddy's wallet, then they will have no fear of losing thier job, and obvisouly no work ethic, becuase they have not been raised to look after themselves. This is the kind of person I think Perry is talking about.

The funny thing is, most people I see working for minimum wage have some of the best work ethics, mostly because they NEED the money, and it's the only job they can get.

Perry it sounds like a lot of people at your work need to have some "whoop ***" layed down on them. Especially the ***** who wasn't comfortable driving in "this weather." That person really should be fired.

Oh, I just realised that they are "producers"
That changes everything. Producers by nature are impossible to work with. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />
Old 02-16-2003, 12:00 PM
  #14  
Perry 951
Addict
Rennlist Member

Thread Starter
 
Perry 951's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 6,915
Likes: 0
Received 70 Likes on 53 Posts
Post

I have cleaned house multiple times. Luckily, I do have the power to toss a bad employee in the ejection seat, and have done so several times in the past.

I have a pretty good full time staff right now. The down side is that most of them will not work outside their scheduled shifts. If someone does not show, they will not help out to cover. You have to take the good with the bad, so I am not too unhappy about them.

My part time staffing is the issue. I do not have a probie period, but probably should. To give you an idea of turnaround here, I have a staff of 20. Over the last 4 years, I have had 83 employees come and go. Most times, if someone cannot get it after 3 weeks of training, they see the door.
Old 02-16-2003, 12:15 PM
  #15  
Chris_924s
Nerd Herder
Rennlist Member
 
Chris_924s's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Central Illinois. Cornfields a plenty.
Posts: 16,526
Received 4 Likes on 2 Posts
Post

I agree with Dave- I still get a "thank you" from a fast food establishment, but never from a Porsche dealer when buying parts..
attitude and desire is lacking with a lot of people, hence the poor performance. Its the classic 'work to achieve' scenario. Many dont feel the need to achieve, so they dont care about their work. I have worked for, with, and been sub-contracted to several companies in various capacities. It seems the employee's attitude is based upon 50% willingness to achieve, and 50% management's ability to stimulate the worker. It's rare to "happen upon" a true company person anymore, years of slash and hack management has left a lot of employees with distrust of management.


Quick Reply: OT: Staff Managers, please read (sorry, it's long)



All times are GMT -3. The time now is 06:15 AM.