| Topic Name: |
AHOD for the Sinking Ship |
| Message Name: |
I'd be Seasick but we seem to be running aground. |
| Date Posted: |
01/20/2006 |
| In Reply To: |
Ony Hewitt would come up with such a stupid description of a mandate from top management demanding that everyone take benefit center calls on top of their other work (and stay late to finish their other work). Just another attempt at cost control by avoiding the need to (1) hire an adequate number of staff to handle calls and (2) hire temps to handle the significant increase in calls during a short period of time. Did you see the condescending posting on The Source about a week or so before the AHOD, where Hewitt sought "volunteers" to man the call center phones, and that it would be a good opportunity for development? The whole thing insults my intelligence!!
And they wonder why engagement is at 34%..... |
| Message: |
The thinly veiled threat that you are not a team player and if you can demonstrate that you do not have time to AHOD you must not be able to manage your time well (in addition to not being a team player) is scary enough to motivate participation from some who should never have been asked. We are not all gifted enough to take on the incredible job requirements of our CS brothers and sisters (SERIOUSLY, they have my huge respect!). Whole other skillsets there! Good thing AHOD performance is not judged by the same criteria we apply to them. Any AHODs had their Quality meeting this month? Did you score Top Box or do you have Improvement Issues?
On the other hand, if you freely participate and don't protest you are obviously not needed to work "regular hours" (120%)for your own job so do we really need someone (you)doing it or can we "eliminate your role" (meaning you). Hmmm, interesting thought about using AHOD as a test drive for which roles can be eliminated. Sorry, got distracted.
Sad thing is that running (or being dragged by the chains) onto the deck only put a lot of our co-workers near the railing and did not even keep them on the ship. No lifelines or floaties for those who are going to be swept overboard whether they dance the right hornpipe steps or not.
More than one member of an AHOD task force was actually working on the deck when they got the invitation to their layoff meeting.
Besides, we always want to make the most efficient use of our limited resources - right? It helps to have a ready pool below decks to shove into the fray so that we don't have to pay the hourly salaries we actually owe. Artificially raise some stats while keeping costs "down". Exempt employees make less per hour (free OT that they HAVE to work or be at risk of missing their own targets)than it would cost to fill the non-exempt positions with permanent or temp hires.
You have probably noticed that your "competitive" salary computes to a whole lot less when you divide it by 12 or 14 or 16 hours a day. Compare the hourly pay of a $40,000 exempt (no OT) salary to a $25,000 non-exempt (OT eligible) for a 12 hr day. Add in the lost opportunity for the exempt AHODer to actually be doing the work that salary value represents since they would have probably needed to work all of that 12, 14 or 16 hours on their own projects since their department has been cut.
Also look at the savings on supporting services. QASs, for example - don't have to use them or increase their number for the AHOD resources. Think anyone ever pulls AHOD phone calls? But we do have a committment to quality and enforce it for the "regular" CS. Makes a difference?
Having a pool of workers that do not have to be "managed" sure makes CSUM and CSPM jobs (and those of their managers up the line) easier too although they probably can't tell since they have their own AHOD participation worries.
Colleges will soon recognize the need to include courses to prepare future graduates for their true roles. Phone 101 anyone?
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