Lynne Baker
Lynne The Skin!
I'm of the opinion that if your in business and concentrate on making a profit then your doing it wrong!
If you don't concentrate on making a profit then you won't be in business for very long.
I'm in business to stay in business; I do that by offering a damn good service.
It's a chicken and egg thing, but I will gamble a whole month's takings that your bank won't give a bugger if you offer the best service imaginable but you're only breaking even by doing it.
Let's take a hypothetical situation regarding the trial days.
So, you interview 30 young people for a job. 20 of them look hopeful so you offer them an updaid trial day to see "how they gel with the team".
You have all but 3 weeks' worth of labour, sweeping, smiling, brewing and helping. FREE.
Not on. No sirree.
Yes, I know this is an exteme example but it illustrates the point.
Yes I know it's hard work on all the existing staff, babying an "intern" for the day.
Yes, you're not going to make much money out of them directly.
That said - in the dark watches of the night this kind of sharp business practice should keep one awake.
Shameful behaviour.
That's why new members of staff are on a probationary period; to let them settle in, freak out a bit, make a few mistakes, and most importantly, to see whether they want to work with you as much as you want to keep them.
It's a two way thing.