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We all like free stuff, but there is no demonstration that the company was actually harmed by saving the money on free drinks. Did having the early engineers mo

by vii 17y ago

We all like free stuff, but there is no demonstration that the company was actually harmed by saving the money on free drinks. Did having the early engineers move on have a significant negative impact? Apparently not, or it would have been mentioned in the article. . . After all, you could hire them back if you offered them enough, and you'd do that if they were essential. Maybe it was in fact better to replace them with people happier working in a medium sized company.

isleyaardvark 17y ago
Having workers move on always has a cost, generally called retention costs/turnover costs. The employer has to go through the hiring process again. The position may remain unfilled until that's done, meaning your team is short on personnel. You have to train the new person, even a skilled hire needs to learn the particulars of your business. (That's one reason why employers look at how long you were at previous jobs, to avoid that turnover.) Depending on the position, the company could lose 1x to 1.5x the employee's yearly salary, sometimes more. And if you're trying to "hire them back if you offered them enough", that rather negates the point of trying to save money by eliminating soda, doesn't it?
potatolicious 17y ago
> After all, you could hire them back if you offered them enough This is typical HR thinking, and is only valid for a certain demographic (i.e., the people on the mid-to-low end of the bell curve). In my experience the absolute top-level engineers cannot be retained with just money. Let me put it this way - you're an ace engineer with oodles of experience. You are in high demand, and if you were unemployed, you probably would have recruiters banging your door down by week's end. These are the "top talent" that all companies claim they want to hire - and they will make top dollar regardless of where they go. Having known some of these people, the motivator is not money, because money is not why they do this, and honestly they're swimming in it already. To hire these guys you need to do something more - a great working environment, a kickass team, a sane management structure, etc etc. Money can only motivate someone so far.
- JoeAltmaier 17y ago
  Yes, money will make a certain character swallow their pride/morals: a prostitute. Anybody with self-respect will have other reasons for taking a job. My old manager said "Nobody every quit over money". Well, he managed high-end Engineers, but you get the idea.

by vii 17y ago

isleyaardvark 17y ago

Having workers move on always has a cost, generally called retention costs/turnover costs. The employer has to go through the hiring process again. The position may remain unfilled until that's done, meaning your team is short on personnel. You have to train the new person, even a skilled hire needs to learn the particulars of your business. (That's one reason why employers look at how long you were at previous jobs, to avoid that turnover.) Depending on the position, the company could lose 1x to 1.5x the employee's yearly salary, sometimes more. And if you're trying to "hire them back if you offered them enough", that rather negates the point of trying to save money by eliminating soda, doesn't it?

potatolicious 17y ago

> After all, you could hire them back if you offered them enough This is typical HR thinking, and is only valid for a certain demographic (i.e., the people on the mid-to-low end of the bell curve). In my experience the absolute top-level engineers cannot be retained with just money. Let me put it this way - you're an ace engineer with oodles of experience. You are in high demand, and if you were unemployed, you probably would have recruiters banging your door down by week's end. These are the "top talent" that all companies claim they want to hire - and they will make top dollar regardless of where they go. Having known some of these people, the motivator is not money, because money is not why they do this, and honestly they're swimming in it already. To hire these guys you need to do something more - a great working environment, a kickass team, a sane management structure, etc etc. Money can only motivate someone so far.

JoeAltmaier 17y ago
Yes, money will make a certain character swallow their pride/morals: a prostitute. Anybody with self-respect will have other reasons for taking a job. My old manager said "Nobody every quit over money". Well, he managed high-end Engineers, but you get the idea.