Conference 7.286::digital

    This is a really good idea for many jobs.  On the other hand, I
    can think of some jobs that would not lend themselves to TEMPORARY
    job swapping (as you have outlined it).  Such jobs would be Project
    Management, Software Development, Engineering Research and Design,
    etc.  These jobs entail some historical knowledge of the product
    or a specific customer base, knowledge which grows the more you
    work with it.  For example, two project managers could not just
    swap jobs just because they manage TWO projects.  The reporting
    may be the same, but the customer management psychologies would
    vary like night and day (it sometimes does so even within the same
    large customer's divisions or departments).
    
    Love the idea, though.  How about the same thing but make it long
    term and permanent?  Let us hypothesize on that premise too!  Say,
    an engineer in Walla Walla wants to change with a dude in Pago Pago
    permanently.

        re .0
        
        A wonderfull idea, Micheal. But sadly, one that doesn't work
        within the contraints that personnel define.
        
        As someone who is trying to do a legitimate Relocation at the
        moment, it has become obvious that following the 'rules' makes it
        difficult, but suggesting willingness to waive rules, brings the
        wrath of the Personnel organization down on you.
        
        q
        

>>        A wonderfull idea, Micheal. But sadly, one that doesn't work
>>        within the contraints that personnel define.

I find this sad.  If there's a legitimate business advantage to be gained
by an initiative, my opinion is that service functions should provide
the mechanism...

Here in the UK, we've got a program to cut down some of this. Its aim is 
that for every procedure invented, two should be removed.  I await the 
outcome with interest !

I've been trying without success to interest my mgmt in such a job-swap 
with our sister organisation in the U.S. The benefits to mgmt just aren't 
tangible enough.

Peter

    Job swapping across national boundaries has another problem: some
    countries restrict the import of workers, to protect their citizen's
    jobs.  To do job swapping across national borders you might also
    have to swap citizenships, which can be complex.
        John Sauter

    Smart people like us ought to be able to come up with all sorts
    of realistic reasons why this would be good for the company. (A
    program could easily be limited to exchanges between countries where
    the citizenship issue wouldn't interfere.)
    
    For example, a swap within international but related work groups
    (like the human factors engineering groups in NH and France) would
    probably facilitate communications, expand the pool of ideas and
    the methodologies applied to problems, and encourage cooperation
    between sites.
    
    Since the internationalization of software is a big issue (and,
    I assume, hardware as well) swapping bilingual or multilingual DECcies
    (I assume there are more of those in Europe an GIA than the US)
    could be useful for translation and improving products for
    multinational use.
    
    It would make for some happy employees, so it could have a morale
    benefit!
    
    What else?
    
    (Meanwhile, being contract I don't qualify [yet], but put me on
    the waiting list for Japan for later!!!) (Or "Oz"!)
    
    Sherry
    

    
    Some companies (a tiny few) make job swapping mandatory plus make
    job swapping into new functions where new skills are learned as
    the only criteria for receiving raises -- if you fail to learn new
    skills, you receive no raises.
    
    Such a mandatory philosophy seems to indicate in reported accounts of
    such firms that teamwork and cooperation is enhanced, the strength of
    the company is increased, bureaucracy and empire building is
    eliminated, employee burnout is eliminated, productivity is increased,
    greater understanding and awareness increases between departments
    and functions, and profitability is increased. 
    

My husband came up with a great plan....

ei: K10 in New Hampshire wants K10 job in New Mexico
    K10 in New Mexico wants K10 job in New Hampshire....

To save relocation $, put New Hampshire K10 into New Mexico K10's home with New
Mexico K10's family and vice versa....New spouse, children, pet, car...  That
oughta cut down on monotony and save relocation $. You just have to check to see
if you are moving a male or female employee.

;)

>    You just have to check to see if you are moving a male or female
>    employee. 

    
    Job swapping may be an excellent idea which, like telecommuting (working
    from home), may be best implemented INFORMALLY.
    
    How does one then communicate interest in job swapping? 
    
    Contacts, word-of-mouth, etc. may allow it to be done in an effective
    but low-key manner providing you KNOW - or know someone who knows
    - your target audience. 
    
    For those without extensive contacts where they are trying to move 
    (which may be the case if one is trying to change organizations and/or 
    geography), it is harder to "reach out and touch someone".
    
    Thank the Lord - and Digital's culture - for NOTES. What better informal
    network do we have to reach people we never even knew existed?
    
    But with "Jobs Swaps", even NOTES may not provide a perfect path.
    There is this *little* issue of what type of notes belong in which
    conferences and "Job Swap" ads may present a Catch-22 situation:
	
    	they don't belong in a reply to the subject in 
	HUMAN::DIGITAL because they are deemed to more properly 
    	belong to OASS::JOBS, 
    
   	which in turn, 
    
    	is hesitant to create a SWP: category for such listings since
    	"there doesn't seem to be a clear DEC policy regarding swapping
   	and the potential red tape it might involve" *
        
    Are "job swaps" TRULY different from a set of "candidate available"
    (INT:) and "job opening" (JOB:) listings in OASS::JOBS? 
    
    IF SO, 
    
    o where does one put a JOB_SWAP ad? 
    o Do we need a NEW Notes Conference for this?
    o Is a SWP: category in OASS::JOBS more appropriate? 
    o Other ideas? 
    o Does a potentially good idea become impractical to implement 
      for lack of a forum? 
    
    - Bob
    
*   Mark Hyde, moderator of OASS::JOBS, stated in response to inquiries
    along these lines, that "If you start something and demand grows,
    then maybe a SWP: category can be implemented." 6-Jan-89
    
    Any interest in lobbying for this?

    I'm also very keen on job-swapping, but mainly on a temporary basis.
    It seems that this would be a great way for me to see the world,
    and have $$ in countries.  However trying to do this is HARD.
    Speaking to my manager he was concerned at lack of policy, also
    what would happen if the person who did the swap didn't like the
    new position and left ....  (this is of concern to us as there is
    only 3 people in our group)
    
    So, how do we get the 15 million people in personnel to make a policy?
    
    

    <--(.11)
    
    You write up your ideas as a draft policy, work out both the benefits
    and costs to the corporation, schlepp it around and get all the support
    you can for it, in writing, from Personnel, management, and real
    people, and then finally you send it in to the Personnel Management
    Committee with all the supporting documents for their review and
    action.
    
    Figuring out how to run the business in new and better ways is a
    *high* corporate priority these days; the world and the workforce
    are both changing rapidly and any company that doesn't adapt won't
    be here when we all clock into the next century.
    			     
    						=maggie