The Other Side of the Desk
I managed professional people for years and had to hire some from time to time. Because our (the actuarial department) role, in my assessment, was thinking through processes to estimate impacts, we needed to work with each other and with others throughout the organization to get the information we needed to do the job. Therefore, the ability to work with others was a significant determination to make with those we invited in to interview.
“Invited in” is a euphemism for paying to have people travel from far away for the interview. This is due to the relative scarcity of both actuaries and actuarial jobs across the nation. This means that, living here in Topeka, I was competing for actuarial talent from across the country and with other employers in, perhaps, places with a snazzy appeal like New Orleans or Denver or Chicago or NYC.
So, besides trying to assess the person’s ability to work in our team environment, I tried to ferret out whether they’d be happy living in a smaller community like Topeka and what were their relative priorities in the place and community that they preferred. For example, I had one candidate tell me that they saw themselves, at some future date, sitting at their desk, drinking a cup of coffee and looking at the mountains outside their window.
Well… that ain’t gonna happen in Topeka, Kansas…
People prioritize non-salary aspects of their work expectations even if they’ve never stopped to verbalize what they are. For example, we were recruited to live in New Orleans as a family with a young child. The Big Easy has some great food, an interesting cultural mix of people, and a laid-back southern flair to life, just to name a few positive attributes (did I mention the amazing food?).
Then we started noticing the negative attributes such as being 12 hours away from our families and traffic in a bigger city. The biggest consideration was that we had a young child and had found a wonderful preschool that provided our son with an educational jump in many aspects that neither of us had. This was a huge positive until he got closer to school age and we had to decide whether to enroll him in a public school, private school or to move somewhere to make the choice (in our discussions we had always preferred a public school - maybe I can save that issue for another time).
New Orleans, unlike many larger cities, is more integrated in terms of good neighborhoods and bad neighborhoods. I used to joke that you could go 3 blocks from the nicest houses in the city and find a street with known drug or other problems. The public schools in the suburb area (a good area) that we lived in had barb wire encircling them to keep the drug dealers out. When this realization hit us, we determined that moving to make the choice was our highest priority.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loves him who pursues righteousness. There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die. Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord; how much more the hearts of the children of man! A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise. A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it. A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother. Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead. Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! The path of life leads upward for the prudent, that he may turn away from Sheol beneath. The Lord tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow’s boundaries. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but gracious words are pure. Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live. The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones. The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” - Proverbs 15:1-33 ESV
In this passage above, the verse “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it” struck me as illuminating this prioritization of a community’s attributes we all make. Do you know where your priorities in life lie?
