2010-05-26
My first negotiation with the federation of labor union took place a few months ago when they said they may sue us for fictitious job scarcity. “ You may not dismiss a person because he or she is not profitable for the company, that is a personal attack”
I respect people´s need to feel safe, but do we not create a false sense of security if people stay at a workplace although they do not really like it?
I think security should be based on knowing that you are valuable to your employer and if she wants to keep you, you may set up some requirements.
In our group we had as many as 16 employees at one point. We did not follow the regular attitudes in the society - that it is expensive to hire - and brought in 14 new employees in six months. "How can you say that it is expensive to employ workers?: - it is clearly worth the profitability", I thought.
Unfortunately, I was wrong. What I got to discover instead was that the profitability that I expected did not happen. Just because the employer is a company, it seems to be a mentality that there is unlimited financial resources regardless of my efforts as an employee.
Now we are only five left.
Some of the obstacles to overcome in our business are the supply of competence, high standards of entry wages and protection of employment. In order to grow, we need the following:
More profitable staff. An employee who is profitable brings in more money than the expenses are and increases the profits of the company. Who would not hire one of them?
Reduced payroll taxes, new jobs, internships - none of these make a difference if the person is not profitable. I can pay 100 000 SEK per month and additional employment tax to an administrator if the person's human effort will increase the company's profitability. Educate the residents to become promoting, selling and conscious entrepreneurs. If so, they would be hired by me right away.
Less rules and governance. If I want to employ a “wild-card”, it means more to me if I can provide the individual with worse conditions and low wages rather than administrate funds. I'm not using people so please give me more freedom and allow the employee to decide whether or not he or she wants to accept the offer.
More positive attitudes. Entrepreneurs are heroes. Show that we are important for the region and we are happy to stay here and contribute to increased growth. Let's make lots of money and do not introduce property tax - I think we deserve to be rewarded for our courage. Instead, encourage us to use the money to invest in new business ideas and in others' companies.
If we start here, we have come a long way and I have a feeling that we are already headed in that direction. I believe in big changes in the near future and I look forward to being part of the development.