When I was recruited, it was the summer of 1975. I asked for some extra vacation time (before I even started!) to be able to visit my then-girlfriend (now wife) in Germany. Instead of laughing me off, the top guy, said, "granted, as long as you use the time to establish some work for yourself over there." We were both 23. He is still the top guy (co-top guy, now, as he merged with his biggest rival during the Reagan recession). We were an innovative niche outfit of about 12 people, average age about ours, some over, some under. We are now over 500 people worldwide, almost all of us niche people. Same people at the top. I recruited the guy in our Geneva office when he was 37. He'll be 75 next year. He shows no signs of slowing down, but we all do eventually, don't we?
We're always looking, but the kind of people we need don't exactly line up for interviews. There just aren't all that many to begin with. Of the people we could use, maybe a tenth of them are interested in coming to join us long term. The hours are long, it's not always without danger or inconvenience, and there's a lot to put up with. On the other hand, the leadership is realistic and compassionate. Employees with serious illnesses--whether themselves or immediate family--are told "take all the time you need." Monthly birthday parties, yearly house Barbecues (for 500 people!), that kind of thing. If there's some catastrophe that requires downsizing, the top people, who now include me, go down to $1 salary until things improve. Letting people go is only an extreme last resort, and we haven't done it yet. Years ago, one of our guys in Dallas got pulled in by some fanatic Christian cult, and he started trying to convert the whole office. His wife left him, and we had to let him go, too. But we kept him on the books at minimum wage so he'd keep his health insurance while looking for something else. There are always jobs in Dallas, so he found something a few months later. Sort of "you pull your weight for us, and we've got your back if you need it." Not a lot of employee turnover, as you might expect. One kid who started out in the mail room 25 years ago proved to be really smart. He is now head of logistics, running over to Holland or Hong Kong to organize stuff that needs organizing. We also rotate people that get sent to Hong Kong, so that a maximum of Dallas employees that could never afford a trip on their own get a trip there on the company dime, with the option of a few extra days there to look around.
So, as you can imagine, post-work for me looks more like a void, or a state of suspended animation at best. Stop working, and do WHAT that sounds better? I never know what the next day will bring, or which countries are on the schedule for the following week. It keeps things interesting. If I drop dead in the meantime, at least, it won't be due to boredom, which, to me, sounds like the pinnacle of torture. But to reap the benefits, you need to be able to fit into the niche. I have yet to find the man or woman who fits into mine. And so, for now, I remain in this corner I painted my self into. I haven't stopped looking. Some day, somewhere, I still hope to find someone who wants to do my job, and CAN.
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