[labnetwork] Industrial Client Policies

[Robert M. HAMILTON]

Lab Colleagues, re: staff poaching

I'll echo Noah Clay's comment about employee-turnover sharing a maxim,
"cemeteries are filled with irreplaceable people".

I've managed equipment and facilities staff for more than 33 years with
people coming and going. In the beginning I took it personally when someone
decided to move on. That's no longer the case. We've yet to identify anyone
we could not replace. When we post a position we'll often get 50-100
applicants. Typically only a handful are actually qualified yet among this
small group of the "qualified" we find wonderful talent.

In the beginning I had anxiety when staff decided to leave. This evolved to
an appreciation that periodically I'd be forced to land on my feet and fill
that position for duration and find ways to harness and learn from others
in our front line to keep operations on track.

On occasion I have also remained friends with and followed the careers of
past employees. While some former staff have excelled most were no better,
and often worse off, in their careers. On a couple of occasions we've
rehired appreciative employees with great success.

"Fabology" requires a unique set of skills. Government and university
research labs face inadequate budgets and we deal with legacy equipment and
tools. This requires a special skills. The rewards of the job are rubbing
elbows with extraordinary young talent, being part of a community and
learning wonderful things - I learn something new every day at my job.
These are the privileges of the job and someone who does not appreciative
such things or are unhappy, we encourage them to leave. We "develop them
out".

Ultimately, there's no point trying to influence an employee with vaulting
ambition. And on occasion, we find people with so much talent that in
fairness to them we go out of our way to help them find rewarding
positions.

Regards,
Bob Hamilton


Robert Hamilton
University of CA, Berkeley
Marvell NanoLab Equipment Manager
Rm 520 Sutardja Dai Hall, MC 1754
Berkeley, CA 94720
Phone 510-809-8618 (desk - preferred)
Mobile 510-325-7557 (my personal mobile)
E-mail preferred: bob at eecs.berkeley.edu
http://nanolab.berkeley.edu/



On Mon, Apr 4, 2016 at 5:30 PM, Noah Clay <nclay at upenn.edu> wrote:

> Michael,
>
> We have very limited discretionary leverage/funds for employee retention
> at Penn.  This would typically include a one-time bonus, salary adjustment
> and/or a flexible work-from-home arrangement.
>
> I've encountered a few folks who've been through poaching recently; the
> "poached" were very valuable and irreplaceable employees...or so it was
> thought.  In all cases, they've been able to find great replacements, often
> upgrading and a wave of fresh ideas from the "new blood".
>
> I do wish you the best -
>
> Regards,
> Noah Clay
>
> University of Pennsylvania
> Philadelphia, PA
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Apr 4, 2016, at 13:41, Michael Khbeis <khbeis at uw.edu> wrote:
> >
> > Dear Lab Managers,
> >
> > I am going to venture that, like us, you generally shy away, or are
> likely prohibited from getting involved with the business affairs of your
> industrial clients. Recently, we have had an uptick in employee poaching
> between industrial users and even a few from lab staff. I am curious if you
> have experienced similar challenges at your sites and what measures, if
> any, you employ to discourage that from happening.
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Dr. Michael Khbeis
> > Associate Director, Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF)
> > National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI)
> > University of Washington
> > Fluke Hall, Box 352143
> > (O) 206.543.5101
> > (F) 206.221.1681
> > (C) 443.254.5192
> > khbeis at uw.edu
> > www.wnf.washington.edu/
> >
> >
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