BusterAg said:Yeah, this is a different take from where you started.ABATTBQ11 said:
I think there's 2 sides to this. Employees certainly need to know their worth to an employer. High compensation expectations come with high contribution expectations. No one's going to pay for nothing. The flipside is that employers need to know their worth to employees. If you want the best and brightest and expect hard work and long hours, you need to be there best place to work and reinforce that with what employees want. Treat people like they're replacement and they'll act replaceable. Treat them like an investment and they'll act like an investment. Give them stability and a future, and they'll do the same. That said, if you don't take your employer and job seriously and make a meaningful contribution, don't expect anything in return.
It's like dating. If you get comfortable and let yourself go, take your partner for granted, or treat your partner like crap, don't be surprised if they leave you.
I'm looking for kids that are willing to give that discretionary effort in exchange for upward mobility. You build confidence that this promise will be kept by promoting the people that do put in that discretionary effort early, merit over tenure.
But, even in a practice where you have a 28 year old director, which is the level I am coming in at in my 40's, you still have associates walking out the door at 5pm.
The go-getters are out there. This guy is an example. It's just frustrating finding them.
As an employer, you cannot expect to get hard work and long hours from great employees with, "We'll promote you when you're ready and pay you the big bucks in 5-7 years." I've been consistent on that. Very, very few are going to give you what you're looking for on the the mere promise of, "Trust me, it'll work out if you put in the time," because it does nothing to ensure that it actually will and that you and your organization can and will actually follow through. You can make a big promise, but so can anyone. What you're presenting, from their perspective whether you like it or not, is uncertainty. For all they know, your promises of mobility and early promotions for over achievers is nothing more than a sales pitch to get them through door so you can burn them out in 4 years before telling them they're not cutting it. Or they'll do everything they're supposed to but they're won't be a director level position open or created when they are ready she deserving.
Now if you have structured development programs, defined development timelines or goals, guaranteed promotions/salary bumps if and when specific milestones/certifications/requirements are met, and there are measures of accountability for you following through and delivering on the previously promised compensation and promotions if they're putting in the effort and doing the work, then you are bringing something to the table by eliminating uncertainty and showing you will be reliable. You can give them a hard commitment that you can be held to as a partner. That's treating them like an investment. You can't use early promotions as a way to build confidence in your commitment to upward mobility for someone who's not even through the door yet. The attitude that they should be happy to work at your company of all places and should be grateful for the opportunity of maybe making director in 5-7 years or that anyone not willing to take you up on your offer must be lazy is treating them like they're replaceable.
