Re: TW and relocation

["Warren, David" <David -dot- Warren -at- NEXTEL -dot- COM>]

     Howdy!

     The wise and resourceful mgr. will first try to recruit through
local
     networking, then national networking, then internet job groups, and

     only as a last resort turn to an employment agency or job shop.  As

     many companies are neither wise nor resourceful, some of these
options
     might not be available, due to either policy, politics, or poor
     planning.

     Obviously, we would prefer to hire locally first.  No relo.
involved,
     much less hassle and expense to bring a candidate back for a second

     interview, etc.  Also, less time charged to relo. overhead for the
new
     hire to pack, load, move, house-hunt, etc., all during the worst
time
     of distraction at the new job.

     One factor is how the relo. expenses are charged.  Some companies
     charge relo. expenses to the Pubs. Dept. directly, while others
absorb
     them as Personnel overhead.  The money's got to come from
somewhere,
     after all, and we've got to account for it.

     Another factor--small companies and start-ups tend to not pay as
much,
     or as generous, a relo. package.  Often they prefer instead to make
a
     grant of stock or stock options.

     That said, it is somewhat rare to pay relo. for a junior writer,
and
     fairly standard to pay relo. for a Sr. or Lead Writer.

     Now, a strange dynamic affects the Silicon Valley job market.
     Companies there are *extremely* reluctant to do a full relo. for
those
     coming from outside CA.  The cost of temporary and permanent
housing
     is so very high there that of every 20 job offers made, only 1 is
     accepted and followed through.  People coming from most of the US
     don't have enough equity in their current houses to even make a
*down
     payment* on a house in the SF Bay area.  The *average* middle-class

     American house (4 br/2.5ba/2-car garage) costs anywhere from
     $300-500+k...good deals on 1br apt. rents are in the $1500 range
*if*
     you can stand being on a waiting list for a few months.

     The companies fear that anyone relocated to the Bay Area will
     immediately jump ship for a competitor that offers $10k more
because
     they *didn't* have to pay for a relo.

     We in the DC, NYC, and Boston areas encounter the same problems,
but
     to a lesser degree.

     Perhaps I've not answered your question, but given you some insight
to
     come up with your own answers.  In any case, HIH.

     David T. Warren
     Pubs. Mgr., Nextel
     (laboring under a hiring freeze at the moment)


______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: TW and relocation
Author:  Bergen, Jane [SMTP:janeb -at- ANSWERSOFT -dot- COM]  at NEXTELUS
Date:    6/30/98 11:30 AM


Hi gang,

We've had some discussions lately about "hot" areas (in the sense of
buzzing, not heat...Dallas was 108 F <THI> yesterday!) that occasionally

I get the urge to move. I see so many interesting jobs posted on this
list (and the WinHelp, Framers, and Word lists, too) for tech writing
positions, but most of them are not in this area (Dallas, Tx).

Does anyone know how common it is to pay relocation or moving expenses
for tech writers? Are we considered enough of a necessity in any areas
of the U.S. to warrant such amenities? Have any list members had success

in asking for moving expense reimbursement?

Just curious,

Jane
Jane Bergen, Technical Writer
AnswerSoft, Inc.
Richardson, TX  (972)997-8355


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