Re: Senior v. Princpal Writer Responsibilities/Compensation

[Andrew Plato <intrepid_es -at- YAHOO -dot- COM>]

> My company is a new start-up who wants to keep overhead costs down by
empowering
> workers and grouping various functions under multi-functional managers.

<SNIP>

I hate to say this Kasie, but your descriptions are ridiculously
bureaucratic
for a start up company.  Personally, if these descriptions were dropped on
me
as a Sr. Tech writer coming on board to a small start up company, I would
run.

The whole idea of an "empowered" environment are LESS rules and official
documents.  Rather than outlining every last detail of a positions
responsibility, you might want to consider writing pithy mission statements
like:

"Produce informative, useful, and compelling documentation in an efficient
and
professional manner."

Statements like "Initiate process improvements" and "Maintain and promote
positive culture of company through good interpersonal and communication
skills
and positive work attitude" might sound meaningful, but in reality everyone
knows this is bullsh*t.  Just because a person's job description says "be
positive" does not ensure the person you hire will be positive.
Furthermore,
why would anyone want to work for a place that had a rigid set of
requirements
such as this which could only be used against the employee later on.

I don't see a well thought out position description here, I see ammunition
to
zing people down the road when they trip up.  That stuff is fine for
enormous
companies with hordes of mindless drones who derive meaning out of cliches
and
those "heartwarming" stories by John Stossel on 20/20.

Honestly, it is your game.  If you prefer a super-structured environment
like
this, then you certainly have written some exacting descriptions.  But you
might want to consider easing off the bureaucracy and being more concise.  I
think you'll attract a better class of writers...or bees.

Eeek, bees!

Andrew Plato

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