Business and Management: Managing Human Resources: From Hello to Goodbye

For 40 years I was the sole proprietor of a consulting engineering firm in a small southern state. The number of employees reached a high of 30 over the years, and when I closed the door a few years ago, there were 15. I suspect the size of my firm is representative of most of the consulting engineers who are ASHRAE members.

My father, who owned a small business, had much sage advice that he shared with me early in my career, whether I wanted it or not. He said, every time you hire someone, you are hiring a problem. Another was dont hire a man who smokes a pipe because he already has a full time job. I laughed, but through the years I learned that some of his advice was true. I know now that hiring is like marriage. If you hire poorly, it leads to divorce, which can be costly and painful.

Citation: ASHRAE Journal, vol. 45 no. 9, September 2003



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