[labnetwork] Industrial Client Policies

Wed Apr 6 11:19:09 EDT 2016

Well put Bob and Noah.
As engineers and scientists, I guess we are not experiencing the business aspect of our occupations on a daily basis as we would in another field. The oldest business rule in the book is about supply and demand. If we are losing staff because of salaries, we must consider the competing industries’ offers or at least sweeten up the deal with other benefits. I can speak for myself and say that I much prefer working in this environment instead of a high volume wafer fab, but I want to be paid in a reasonably close range.

Steve Paolini
Equipment Dood
Harvard Center for Nanoscale Systems

From: labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu [mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu] On Behalf Of Robert M. HAMILTON
Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2016 11:28 AM
To: Lab Network (labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu)
Subject: Re: [labnetwork] Industrial Client Policies

Lab Colleagues, re: staff poaching

I'll echo Noah Clay's comment about employee-turnover sharing a maxim, "cemeteries are filled with irreplaceable people".

I've managed equipment and facilities staff for more than 33 years with people coming and going. In the beginning I took it personally when someone decided to move on. That's no longer the case. We've yet to identify anyone we could not replace. When we post a position we'll often get 50-100 applicants. Typically only a handful are actually qualified yet among this small group of the "qualified" we find wonderful talent.

In the beginning I had anxiety when staff decided to leave. This evolved to an appreciation that periodically I'd be forced to land on my feet and fill that position for duration and find ways to harness and learn from others in our front line to keep operations on track.

On occasion I have also remained friends with and followed the careers of past employees. While some former staff have excelled most were no better, and often worse off, in their careers. On a couple of occasions we've rehired appreciative employees with great success.

"Fabology" requires a unique set of skills. Government and university research labs face inadequate budgets and we deal with legacy equipment and tools. This requires a special skills. The rewards of the job are rubbing elbows with extraordinary young talent, being part of a community and learning wonderful things - I learn something new every day at my job. These are the privileges of the job and someone who does not appreciative such things or are unhappy, we encourage them to leave. We "develop them out".

Ultimately, there's no point trying to influence an employee with vaulting ambition. And on occasion, we find people with so much talent that in fairness to them we go out of our way to help them find rewarding positions.

Regards,
Bob Hamilton

Robert Hamilton
University of CA, Berkeley
Marvell NanoLab Equipment Manager
Rm 520 Sutardja Dai Hall, MC 1754
Berkeley, CA 94720
Phone 510-809-8618 (desk - preferred)
Mobile 510-325-7557 (my personal mobile)
E-mail preferred: bob at eecs.berkeley.edu<mailto:bob at eecs.berkeley.edu>
http://nanolab.berkeley.edu/<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__nanolab.berkeley.edu_&d=CwMFaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=-H4Z_jeDfTYjnKPXor15vLwzBllmg8gFrb9m_k9OGks&m=oMpq_rgCBeQ-EV3qGw797tMfSXebxbXT0HbRvhPk6wk&s=Cjmfx12THjt3DG2z-9HDQO5rbKdB1yGDo5xet1jEYoc&e=>

On Mon, Apr 4, 2016 at 5:30 PM, Noah Clay <nclay at upenn.edu<mailto:nclay at upenn.edu>> wrote:
Michael,

We have very limited discretionary leverage/funds for employee retention at Penn.  This would typically include a one-time bonus, salary adjustment and/or a flexible work-from-home arrangement.

I've encountered a few folks who've been through poaching recently; the "poached" were very valuable and irreplaceable employees...or so it was thought.  In all cases, they've been able to find great replacements, often upgrading and a wave of fresh ideas from the "new blood".

I do wish you the best -

Regards,
Noah Clay

University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 4, 2016, at 13:41, Michael Khbeis <khbeis at uw.edu<mailto:khbeis at uw.edu>> wrote:
>
> Dear Lab Managers,
>
> I am going to venture that, like us, you generally shy away, or are likely prohibited from getting involved with the business affairs of your industrial clients. Recently, we have had an uptick in employee poaching between industrial users and even a few from lab staff. I am curious if you have experienced similar challenges at your sites and what measures, if any, you employ to discourage that from happening.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Dr. Michael Khbeis
> Associate Director, Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF)
> National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI)
> University of Washington
> Fluke Hall, Box 352143
> (O) 206.543.5101<tel:206.543.5101>
> (F) 206.221.1681<tel:206.221.1681>
> (C) 443.254.5192<tel:443.254.5192>
> khbeis at uw.edu<mailto:khbeis at uw.edu>
> www.wnf.washington.edu/<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.wnf.washington.edu_&d=CwMFaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=-H4Z_jeDfTYjnKPXor15vLwzBllmg8gFrb9m_k9OGks&m=oMpq_rgCBeQ-EV3qGw797tMfSXebxbXT0HbRvhPk6wk&s=w-kxmOzBa_zoHnZUterRCM1UG_UiooBDRezNTE8MXrc&e=>
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>
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