Another example of overthinking

    So this post will not be so much a discussion ABOUT the topic of ADHD, rather it is more of an example. In the post on overthinking, I tried to give some context on how seemingly trivial things will get stuck in my head and distract me from more important thoughts. This, on the other hand, will be an example where overthinking can serve to improve my perspective and think about something in a way most people won't. 

    I got on this topic seeing something on YouTube about working and business ownership the other day. Can't remember what it was, ADHD is a pain for short-term memory. But overall, it was about companies using 'industry standard' as an excuse to pay workers less. 

Now I'm thinking from a worker's perspective and jump on for a second hoping for better pay for people in general. But then I play devil's advocate, why WOULDN'T the company pay industry standard? We can have a discussion about changing the industry standard or advocating for a higher minimum wage, but can I really fault a company for paying the going rate? At first, I concluded I can't, and workers needed to be providing greater than the standard level of work if they expected to get greater than the industry standard of pay. 

Talk of value comparisons from workers to management aside, a person at a company should get a percentage of the value they are providing to the company with their work. So workers who go above and beyond deserve to get promoted and get better pay. 

    But to play devil's advocate the other way, not every job has a clear path to above and beyond. Some jobs are just simple entry-level crap, right? So I bounced back and forth a bit and came to a new conclusion. Companies should not strive to be the industry standard. Companies should want to be the BEST in the industry. So to entice workers to do a better job and bring more value to the company, they must provide better than the industry standard in pay/benefits. 

Now if a company doesn't really care about being better and is content being the cheap or quick option and they make enough money doing that, then they can use industry standards or less and get what they pay for. But their bottom line will reflect it. 

You can see this looking at Mcdonalds vs Chick Fil A. The latter is constantly getting pointed out for making more per restaurant than the fast food giant McDonalds. They have less than 2300 locations vs McD's over 14000 locations just in the US, about 1/6th the number of stores. But looking at the bottom line, US sales show Chick Fil A making a bit over a quarter of the sales. 

Chick Fil A is well known for good management, good benefits, better hours (if not angered by the religious implications) and more profit for franchisees. What this means to me is simple. Can you make an industry-standard business and do just fine? Absolutely. But will paying and providing above industry standard provide better profits? Also yes, and it seems that the difference is greater than the investment by a lot. 

    Having said all this, there is SOME responsibility for the worker. a worker who wants to get paid more, get treated better, move up in the company, well they need to pick the right company. It's easier said than done, but anyone in the market for a job needs to focus more on who they are applying for. Being desperate and taking the first job you can might be short-term fine, but don't go to work for McDonalds and somehow expect a fulfilling career every time. invest in yourself by doing research about companies and how they treat staff, how they pay, and what the benefits are. 

Find a free local resume workshop and get yourself spruced up. Get a job because you WANT to work for the company, not because you NEED a job. And when you find a company you want to be in and it's going good, ask yourself or ask a manager what you can do to increase value, then do it. Take full ownership of your job and the value you bring to the company.

With love and insanity equally,

J.M.