3rd or 4th thread I'm reading like this. Surprised no one has mentioned the book, "Hot, Flat & Crowded"
I've paid as little as $1.11 / hour and as much as $50.00 / hour over the last couple of years. The low end of that was for PAID training for the first 50 or 100 hours, after which the pay doubled, then continued to climb at regular intervals.
Over $10,000 TOTAL SPENT
29 Hires, 2 Active
$5.18/hr AVG HOURLY RATE PAID
2,789 Hours
Now I'm regularly running into situations in which the contractor has a good set of skills listed at $2.22 - so I'm looking to hire and train them for 50 to 100 hours at that rate, and then increase significantly. Within six months they can be at double their posted rate. BUT they are part of the oDesk "beta test" and cannot list for less than $4/hour, nearly double their posted rate.
My principal associate is now earning several times what he got from me (and others) when he started. Moreover, given much positive feedback, he's earning still more on other jobs to boot.
The world is hot, flat and crowded. Those with skills to compete in a virtual work world can make several times the average income of their peers in their locale, even at rates that US and European contractors scoff at. Employers pay a bit more in communication and cultural limitations; yet employers can use that experience to their advantage and continue to learn, while perfecting systems that lend themselves to efficiency. People, processes and products. Basic business.
oDesk was such a system, an efficient marketplace.
Now, oDesk support people are giving suggestions to jury-rig the system. Buy blocks of time at fixed rates that match desired hourly rates (no work diary). Hire a contractor and give them a limit of zero hours. When they work, give a weekly bonus at the agreed-upon lower rate. What kind of confidence does that build in an virtual marketplace for labor?
I'm certain oDesk is only looking for a way to increase their own earnings - and NOT doing anything progressive or egalitarian.
I am guilty of seeking bargains on labor...yet I only consider it a bargain if it continues and grows into a progressively, mutually-successful relationship. Hiring and training is time-consuming and expensive. In the end I believe that good contractors succeed - and that I succeed when they are successful.
Several people working for my firm bought their first home while in my employ. They do their part. I do my part. It is time for oDesk to stop screwing around and do their part - by focusing on making the marketplace efficient for hiring and working, not by beta-testing ways to increase their profits.
Increase your efficiency and your character, oDesk. That is the way you'll succeed.
Regards,
Keith