Heading in the right direction

 

Smiling faces, excitement of starting a new job, happiness overflowing - yet make no mistake: some of the people you see today, at the beginning of 2023 will not be with us next January. This is just how it is: there is no such a thing as a 'job for life'. People come and go, business moves on. Who knows - as highly unlikely as it may be, it could be me that won't make it to the next company photo.  One thing I have learned from the past five years is that I am no longer interested in taking up apprentices. That heart-warming idea of  putting hours of my precious time training a young, enthusiastic kid, the goal of 'passing on knowledge' to the next generation, is now well done and dusted.  I have neither time nor patience to explain why arriving on time is important, why having a mobile phone on the bench is forbidden, that hard work will pay off, and that being a part of a successful team is priceless. In a world full of opportunities and excitement coming from social media, in a world where traditional values are ridiculed, in a world where Government makes 'stay at home' orders and pay kids not to work, training apprentices simply makes no sense. I have no regrets. My apprentices were showered with kindness, overseas training trips, access to cutting edge machinery and tools, while literally being worshipped by you - watch collectors and our supporters. Not to mention the obvious: they were paid to learn, not paid to work. Our new team consists of young individuals who have been with us for a number of years and have demonstrated commitment to us and to horology, as well as professionals with years of experience in the industry. They are not my family nor my pets. They are hard working professionals paid well above the industry standard. Paid to work. And they are all replaceable. Free to go at any time to join a company which will offer more, or better. I hope they'll all stay, but if they chose to go, then there would be no hard feelings and definitely no tears. Most importantly, I got my time back. Working with professionals means less responsibility on my shoulders, better customer service, more time to focus on business, and ultimately, more time to enjoy life.