sugarvalves [1963573] —
Original article
Having had little contact with Torn's company bigwigs before now, this investigation and subsequent article were prompted by a message from an anonymous source; an employee of a local law firm whose director was struggling to get by. He had been placed in temporary charge of the company and discovered to his chagrin that many of Torn's major players were making constant attempts to poach his staff.
One particular worker, who shall also remain anonymous, was offered remuneration of $300,000 in exchange for employment, only to inform my source he wanted $500,000 for the pleasure of his presence, bringing with him a paltry 50,000 in working stats. This kind of wage is usually offered to only the most qualified individuals, or at least those with a penchant for short skirts and occasional pen-dropping.
With such exorbitant fees being commanded by entirely average workers, over the past month I made myself known to Torn's most notable directors in order to gauge their thoughts on the current corporate climate in the city. Having initially solicited their thoughts on company ownership for this article's first instalment last week, today I'll be analysing a series of quotes which cover employee wage inflation; a widespread problem currently blighting our city's industries.
I had long suspected that many of the company owners preaching the wisdom of sensible remuneration were themselves paying over the odds for average talents, and this was seemingly confirmed by Tarelli's TV director Tarelli;
"There isn't one director paying over the odds for their staff, most of them do."
"If you buy a small company for 1m you hire 10 staff at 200k a day. Your company makes about 500k a day making you a loss of 1.5m every day. Lower companies at 9-10* sell for around 500m or less. This gives you under 1 year to rank and sell your business for a profit if you can get to 10* with no adverts."
Tarelli asserts that staffing your company with high-salaried employees can turn into a profitable venture for a director with the right exit strategy: but what about those who are looking to turn over a firm for a quick short-term buck?
"I've recently taken over a company that was thriving, the director had a few issues so sadly had to leave. I took over the modest store earning a decent amount and slowly we're being overtaken by big corporate giants offering my old loyal staff more.
Sadly they left as I couldn't afford to keep them. We slowly slipped into decline and we're only just pulling our way out of it now by offering new citizens of torn a Job and a way out of the streets" - Venasaur's Vines Director Carp
"I have just recently bought a TV station, I am full but would like to upgrade, I struggle to get the apps when others are paying silly amounts. I have always paid my staff a fair amount; I offer bonuses to those that show good activity/loyalty." - xD TV Hiring Director DJ__
With successful directors like Tarelli claiming high wages are ubiquitous in the city and new owners such as DJ__ and Carp hamstrung by the current situation, one can argue that inflated salaries are something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. If everyone believes everyone else is offering high wages, inevitably everyone will. I have yet to determine who might have started this trend, but it is obvious which companies stand to benefit the most from it.
Yet, having interviewed directors of varying levels of success, it seems even those paying more modest wages are struggling to break even. Just Fireworks director 91gator believes we should be focusing our ire somewhere else entirely, as he lays the blame for wage inflation squarely at the feet of stuffed animals and floral displays;
"I'm often the number one firework stand in Torn and the company only produces 600k in sales with advertising maxed, stock benefits, and business education. I only pay employees 120k each for salary which is not much at all, but still forces me to operate at a net loss. The problem is not salary competition among employees, it is inflation caused by plushies and flowers."
"Running (my) company at a loss makes running a company pointless besides the bank. I plan on selling the company as soon as I can find a buyer."
Whether you believe aggressive company directors or cute, innocent plushies are to blame, perhaps we should instead consider what measures can be implemented to alleviate the current situation. What can low to medium level directors even do to keep up with their high-paying rivals? Because after all, running even the smallest company comes with risks;
"I often consider paying more to my boys and girls because they are a part of something that is making a lot of money. So as I improve they too improve, and they really appreciate it. Occasionally employees leave the company and that's a thing I have to settle with a lot. Annoyingly it is sometimes right after I burnt a ton of trains on them." - General_Lo at BANG for your Buck
Outside of Torn, even the most basic and non-qualified positions attract a range of applicants, and most people are forced to jump through hoops to obtain so much as a simple cleaning job. The power-balance is very much skewed in favour of the employers, whereas in Torn, we enjoy what many would describe as a seller's market. One obvious way of countering this is to call in a few favours, by making use of the existing loyalty found within your faction;
"I would suggest finding some people who will work for you before you start the company. Having friends or faction members joining is easier but not a need. Workers make the big difference within the company. For me anyway. You need to find active employees with the right stats for the different jobs they have to do." - CKB Energy Director CptKillBill
"If you have the right people in your company and the right perks you'll eventually reach the top. Combining your business with your faction can be helpful especially if you're trying to help your members with stat boost perks. Many factions do that today. For me I felt it best to keep those entities separate. What I look for in an employee is activeness loyalty and a decent set of work stats; and no, that's not an innuendo." - Redwoody Inc's iROX_SOA
Interestingly, I found that many directors who espoused the benefits of hiring faction members didn't actually do so themselves; instead prioritising workers with the right statistics and a record of activeness and loyalty. Yet, what incentive is there for players to remain loyal to one company, if there are no repercussions whatsoever for abandoning them? Based on the following remarks, it seems once a director has found a staff of good employees, their job is far from over;
"If you have someone that goes offline for 3 days, you can't sit and wait for them to come online, or else it will take weeks for your company to begin to pick up again, and that's based on that offline worker, actually coming back online." - Devilsoldier at 21st Century Focks
"Once you have all your employees in place with the correct work stats, the problems begin. Some employees do not log on daily, and then a player leaves for a different type of company without warning. Whereas there is an event when they join there is nothing when they leave. Some do not rehab when needed and then you get a mail as an employee can't log on for a week as he is going on holiday." - Screwloose at S.L. Network
These were just two of countless examples which highlight the lackadaisical approach to background checks which permeates Torn's HR culture today, yet even this pales in comparison when pitted against the tales of staff poaching. The player who initially contacted me regarding this issue, and whom must take credit as the inspiration for this story, was Busthaven director Afyon;
"I am noticing a trend where there is a constant stream of upper company types that seem to prey on your employees. I got tons of messages trying to recruit me before and after I took over the company. It seems others do business by sending messages to rival company employees in an attempt to lure them away, which not only gains them the employees they need but possibly also hurts the other company in the process."
"Even if you significantly increase the wages of your best employees to the point where your company would have to lose money daily, you still cannot usually retain most of them unless you're lucky enough to hire some truly loyal people and get to know and work well with them."
Afyon's initial solution to this problem was to hire some of Torn's eager newcomers to work at his highly-rated law firm, yet even this proved problematic before long, as his new recruits began slacking off almost immediately;
"I had one guy who I nearly trained to the minimum stats and he was doing quite well for a week or two, and then he has been inactive now for 18 days. I even rented him out a penthouse and went out of my way to be helpful, and he shows no signs of ever becoming a productive employee. I had another guy who I trained over 75 times in about 11 days; which is hardly training anyone else that entire time...but without so much as a word the day before he was going to be at minimum working stats, to actually be useful to the company, he left and joined a sweet shop."
Why are players so easily able to up and leave their position, especially after so much time has been invested in their development? And should it be stopped? There is no simple answer to this question because it is just as easy for directors to fire employees as it is for them to leave of their own volition. Nobody has job security, and companies cannot rely on a stable workforce.
In a city where you can be shot in the face for no reason on a daily basis, job stability may seem a silly thing to ask for. Nevertheless, despite appearances to the contrary, most people do actually take their work seriously in Torn.
"Players leave sometimes to receive the specials from other companies to build their gym stats, or extra items when flying for example. Some leave for more money, or to run their own company. Recall a couple of times when a player does not log on for days and I have replaced them, only to find out they have had a genuine reason for not logging on such as problems with their internet. Then they mail me furious at losing their job, it's like they have lost a real job. Some players take the game too serious." - Screwloose SL Network.
"There was this one time I was on holiday...restricted to my mobile phone. I needed to train my employees to use up the trains, and as I worked through my employees I noticed the number of employees getting smaller and smaller!! Until I realised I had been firing all my employees instead training them!!!! Fortunately, after sending them all an embarrassing message explaining what had happened, they did all return and didn't lose their job points!" - Moguai, Binary TV network director
An impartial observer might say that the dissatisfaction on both sides should mean that change is inevitable, but with many powerful companies benefitting from the status quo, a legislative improvement to the situation is by no means certain. Director Tarelli has suggested limiting wage expenditure to a company's daily profits, but this would prevent the risky growth and exit strategy he himself mentioned earlier.
Another possible game-changer would be the introduction of employee contracts, with both Phrenzy, an employee of Devil's Cruises, and Shibby, Director of Banana Hammock's Strip Club advocating their introduction in recent years. However, since these are the opinions of a lowly bartender and a 7 star filth baron, this idea perhaps hasn't had the respect it deserves, despite their accompanying threads offering up a number of solutions to the current problem.
A legion of staff on fixed terms would allow a business to grow and retain their employees, break clauses and severance fees would allow for the retention of freedom of movement, and a suggestion by _TheFerret_ regarding performance-based contracts would surely give Torn's business community the boost it so clearly needs. You could also add in training fees to the mix, allowing firms to recoup their costs should an employee tender their resignation early. But would employees accept such conditions being imposed on them? And should they even be consulted?
When I drafted this article at the beginning of last week, the aforementioned Phrenzy worked at ReBoRN Cruise Lines o7 as a Ticket Agent, and within but a few days has literally jumped ship to work at Devil's Cruises. Admittedly, this gentleman has not been approached for comment, and his remarks on contracts were taken from the Torn City forums posted in May of this year. But it would be interesting to find out if he still retains faith in the idea of employee contracts.
At the outset of this investigation, there seemed to be a litany of problems facing Torn's business leaders and employees alike. However, after interviewing those in power, and having digested the thoughts of those slaving away beneath them, it seems the answers are already there.
Whether or not the city's directors and employees can agree on the right strategy, however, is another matter entirely.
One particular worker, who shall also remain anonymous, was offered remuneration of $300,000 in exchange for employment, only to inform my source he wanted $500,000 for the pleasure of his presence, bringing with him a paltry 50,000 in working stats. This kind of wage is usually offered to only the most qualified individuals, or at least those with a penchant for short skirts and occasional pen-dropping.
With such exorbitant fees being commanded by entirely average workers, over the past month I made myself known to Torn's most notable directors in order to gauge their thoughts on the current corporate climate in the city. Having initially solicited their thoughts on company ownership for this article's first instalment last week, today I'll be analysing a series of quotes which cover employee wage inflation; a widespread problem currently blighting our city's industries.
I had long suspected that many of the company owners preaching the wisdom of sensible remuneration were themselves paying over the odds for average talents, and this was seemingly confirmed by Tarelli's TV director Tarelli;
"There isn't one director paying over the odds for their staff, most of them do."
"If you buy a small company for 1m you hire 10 staff at 200k a day. Your company makes about 500k a day making you a loss of 1.5m every day. Lower companies at 9-10* sell for around 500m or less. This gives you under 1 year to rank and sell your business for a profit if you can get to 10* with no adverts."
Tarelli asserts that staffing your company with high-salaried employees can turn into a profitable venture for a director with the right exit strategy: but what about those who are looking to turn over a firm for a quick short-term buck?
"I've recently taken over a company that was thriving, the director had a few issues so sadly had to leave. I took over the modest store earning a decent amount and slowly we're being overtaken by big corporate giants offering my old loyal staff more.
Sadly they left as I couldn't afford to keep them. We slowly slipped into decline and we're only just pulling our way out of it now by offering new citizens of torn a Job and a way out of the streets" - Venasaur's Vines Director Carp
"I have just recently bought a TV station, I am full but would like to upgrade, I struggle to get the apps when others are paying silly amounts. I have always paid my staff a fair amount; I offer bonuses to those that show good activity/loyalty." - xD TV Hiring Director DJ__
With successful directors like Tarelli claiming high wages are ubiquitous in the city and new owners such as DJ__ and Carp hamstrung by the current situation, one can argue that inflated salaries are something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. If everyone believes everyone else is offering high wages, inevitably everyone will. I have yet to determine who might have started this trend, but it is obvious which companies stand to benefit the most from it.
Yet, having interviewed directors of varying levels of success, it seems even those paying more modest wages are struggling to break even. Just Fireworks director 91gator believes we should be focusing our ire somewhere else entirely, as he lays the blame for wage inflation squarely at the feet of stuffed animals and floral displays;
"I'm often the number one firework stand in Torn and the company only produces 600k in sales with advertising maxed, stock benefits, and business education. I only pay employees 120k each for salary which is not much at all, but still forces me to operate at a net loss. The problem is not salary competition among employees, it is inflation caused by plushies and flowers."
"Running (my) company at a loss makes running a company pointless besides the bank. I plan on selling the company as soon as I can find a buyer."
Whether you believe aggressive company directors or cute, innocent plushies are to blame, perhaps we should instead consider what measures can be implemented to alleviate the current situation. What can low to medium level directors even do to keep up with their high-paying rivals? Because after all, running even the smallest company comes with risks;
"I often consider paying more to my boys and girls because they are a part of something that is making a lot of money. So as I improve they too improve, and they really appreciate it. Occasionally employees leave the company and that's a thing I have to settle with a lot. Annoyingly it is sometimes right after I burnt a ton of trains on them." - General_Lo at BANG for your Buck
Outside of Torn, even the most basic and non-qualified positions attract a range of applicants, and most people are forced to jump through hoops to obtain so much as a simple cleaning job. The power-balance is very much skewed in favour of the employers, whereas in Torn, we enjoy what many would describe as a seller's market. One obvious way of countering this is to call in a few favours, by making use of the existing loyalty found within your faction;
"I would suggest finding some people who will work for you before you start the company. Having friends or faction members joining is easier but not a need. Workers make the big difference within the company. For me anyway. You need to find active employees with the right stats for the different jobs they have to do." - CKB Energy Director CptKillBill
"If you have the right people in your company and the right perks you'll eventually reach the top. Combining your business with your faction can be helpful especially if you're trying to help your members with stat boost perks. Many factions do that today. For me I felt it best to keep those entities separate. What I look for in an employee is activeness loyalty and a decent set of work stats; and no, that's not an innuendo." - Redwoody Inc's iROX_SOA
Interestingly, I found that many directors who espoused the benefits of hiring faction members didn't actually do so themselves; instead prioritising workers with the right statistics and a record of activeness and loyalty. Yet, what incentive is there for players to remain loyal to one company, if there are no repercussions whatsoever for abandoning them? Based on the following remarks, it seems once a director has found a staff of good employees, their job is far from over;
"If you have someone that goes offline for 3 days, you can't sit and wait for them to come online, or else it will take weeks for your company to begin to pick up again, and that's based on that offline worker, actually coming back online." - Devilsoldier at 21st Century Focks
"Once you have all your employees in place with the correct work stats, the problems begin. Some employees do not log on daily, and then a player leaves for a different type of company without warning. Whereas there is an event when they join there is nothing when they leave. Some do not rehab when needed and then you get a mail as an employee can't log on for a week as he is going on holiday." - Screwloose at S.L. Network
These were just two of countless examples which highlight the lackadaisical approach to background checks which permeates Torn's HR culture today, yet even this pales in comparison when pitted against the tales of staff poaching. The player who initially contacted me regarding this issue, and whom must take credit as the inspiration for this story, was Busthaven director Afyon;
"I am noticing a trend where there is a constant stream of upper company types that seem to prey on your employees. I got tons of messages trying to recruit me before and after I took over the company. It seems others do business by sending messages to rival company employees in an attempt to lure them away, which not only gains them the employees they need but possibly also hurts the other company in the process."
"Even if you significantly increase the wages of your best employees to the point where your company would have to lose money daily, you still cannot usually retain most of them unless you're lucky enough to hire some truly loyal people and get to know and work well with them."
Afyon's initial solution to this problem was to hire some of Torn's eager newcomers to work at his highly-rated law firm, yet even this proved problematic before long, as his new recruits began slacking off almost immediately;
"I had one guy who I nearly trained to the minimum stats and he was doing quite well for a week or two, and then he has been inactive now for 18 days. I even rented him out a penthouse and went out of my way to be helpful, and he shows no signs of ever becoming a productive employee. I had another guy who I trained over 75 times in about 11 days; which is hardly training anyone else that entire time...but without so much as a word the day before he was going to be at minimum working stats, to actually be useful to the company, he left and joined a sweet shop."
Why are players so easily able to up and leave their position, especially after so much time has been invested in their development? And should it be stopped? There is no simple answer to this question because it is just as easy for directors to fire employees as it is for them to leave of their own volition. Nobody has job security, and companies cannot rely on a stable workforce.
In a city where you can be shot in the face for no reason on a daily basis, job stability may seem a silly thing to ask for. Nevertheless, despite appearances to the contrary, most people do actually take their work seriously in Torn.
"Players leave sometimes to receive the specials from other companies to build their gym stats, or extra items when flying for example. Some leave for more money, or to run their own company. Recall a couple of times when a player does not log on for days and I have replaced them, only to find out they have had a genuine reason for not logging on such as problems with their internet. Then they mail me furious at losing their job, it's like they have lost a real job. Some players take the game too serious." - Screwloose SL Network.
"There was this one time I was on holiday...restricted to my mobile phone. I needed to train my employees to use up the trains, and as I worked through my employees I noticed the number of employees getting smaller and smaller!! Until I realised I had been firing all my employees instead training them!!!! Fortunately, after sending them all an embarrassing message explaining what had happened, they did all return and didn't lose their job points!" - Moguai, Binary TV network director
An impartial observer might say that the dissatisfaction on both sides should mean that change is inevitable, but with many powerful companies benefitting from the status quo, a legislative improvement to the situation is by no means certain. Director Tarelli has suggested limiting wage expenditure to a company's daily profits, but this would prevent the risky growth and exit strategy he himself mentioned earlier.
Another possible game-changer would be the introduction of employee contracts, with both Phrenzy, an employee of Devil's Cruises, and Shibby, Director of Banana Hammock's Strip Club advocating their introduction in recent years. However, since these are the opinions of a lowly bartender and a 7 star filth baron, this idea perhaps hasn't had the respect it deserves, despite their accompanying threads offering up a number of solutions to the current problem.
A legion of staff on fixed terms would allow a business to grow and retain their employees, break clauses and severance fees would allow for the retention of freedom of movement, and a suggestion by _TheFerret_ regarding performance-based contracts would surely give Torn's business community the boost it so clearly needs. You could also add in training fees to the mix, allowing firms to recoup their costs should an employee tender their resignation early. But would employees accept such conditions being imposed on them? And should they even be consulted?
When I drafted this article at the beginning of last week, the aforementioned Phrenzy worked at ReBoRN Cruise Lines o7 as a Ticket Agent, and within but a few days has literally jumped ship to work at Devil's Cruises. Admittedly, this gentleman has not been approached for comment, and his remarks on contracts were taken from the Torn City forums posted in May of this year. But it would be interesting to find out if he still retains faith in the idea of employee contracts.
At the outset of this investigation, there seemed to be a litany of problems facing Torn's business leaders and employees alike. However, after interviewing those in power, and having digested the thoughts of those slaving away beneath them, it seems the answers are already there.
Whether or not the city's directors and employees can agree on the right strategy, however, is another matter entirely.
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