Klarinet Archive - Posting 001395.txt from 1998/04

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Pay analysis, etc.
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 05:42:34 -0400

At 08:50 AM 4/23/98 -0500, Roger Garrett wrote:
>On Thu, 23 Apr 1998, Jonathan Cohler wrote:
>> The purpose of the salary figures was to justify one of the assumptions in
>> my financial model, which they did quite handsomely. I had conservatively
>> assumed an average scale salary in the major full-time orchestras of $50K.
>> As the numbers show, the actual figure is well in excess of that.
>>
>> The purpose was not to detail all of the expenses associated with an
orchestra.
>>
>> My model calculates recruiting costs as a percentage of salary (which is a
>> common model). The other expenses are not relevant to this model. All
>> businesses have other expenses besides salary, such as health benefits and
>> many other things. But again, it has no bearing on the discussion.
>
>The common model is not common amongst symphony orchestras....you have not
>shown that, nor have you attempted to research representative models from
>full time symphony orchestras to back up your claims. To further claim
>that health benefits and other things have no bearing on the discussion of
>how a budget should include recruiting costs is comparable to a person
>driving across country to save plane fare not figuring in food expenses or
>gasoline. This is simply irresponsible.
>
Come on, Roger! You don't have to argue every point Jonathan makes just on
principle! The cost of health benefits is no more relevant to the
discussion of recruiting cost than is the electricity bill for the
performance hall. Endless detail quibbling is getting us nowhere. The
point is simply that you have to be prepared to spend the money to audition
your applicants. If you want to reduce the pool by using resumes, casting
lots, etc., that's fine, but it significantly reduces the fairness of the
process and also reduces the likelihood that you will hire the best
applicant for the job. If you want to take that risk, fine.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.