Chapter 32: Hiring People Is Fun To Do

I went to go and have a little breakfast and decided to check the response to my Great Game Ads. As I check in with the Great Game Store Screens I discover that I have over 1,000 responses to each of the ads. I do not have the time to go through all of these. Help

“Is there a way to search ad responders for certain characteristics or recommendations from past people who have heard them”

"Yes"

Stingy stupid screen.

“Please explain the way to narrow down a search and give appropriate examples.”

“User can input level requirements, monetary requirements, or quantity requirements as the most common ways of narrowing down a search for new hires. For example if the user specifies that only units that have 50 or more people in them should be displayed than the Great Game will immediately remove those that do not have that qualification.”

“Please display all responders to the scavenging team ad that have at least 5 people greater than level 10 and a total of at least 20 people in the group”

Alright, that took my initial 1,143 responses down to 212. Since I have so many responses let’s up the ante on the filter.

“Please display all responders to the scavenging team ad that have at least 10 people greater than level 15 and a total of at least 25 people in the group”

Now there are only 51 responders.

“Remove any group that has had a negative review from a previous employer.”

That only removed one group.

“Please message the remaining 50 groups the following terms. 10 gold per person guaranteed for 7 days work, for up to 50 people. Group will be scavenging resources on a newly admitted Great Game planet. All groups will be given a 10% bonus in Great Game currency of the amount they find at the end of the 7 day contract. All transportation fees to and from the new planet will be assumed by the hiring party up to 500 gold pieces. Any extra cost due to distance or other special circumstances will be assumed by the employees.”

I do not think I will need to interview the scavenging teams. I just need to show them where to look for currency, what it looks like and provide the initial teleport to the area I want them to search. I hope that all 50 teams accept. Next is castle staff. “Please display all responders to the castle staff ad that are in groups of 25 people or more and satisfy all conditions of the ad.”

From a list of over 2,000 down to only 112. “Please display all responders to the castle staff ad that are groups of 50 people or more and satisfy all conditions of the ad.” Now only 16 responders are left. “Please remove any groups that have special needs that the planet Earth or Appalachia Kingdom would have difficulty providing over the period of the 5 year contract.” Hmmm, that only removed 2 groups. Please list the top 5 responders left that have the highest reviews or recommendation numbers.

I am going to have to actually interview these 5 groups or at least the leaders of them. Before I interview the castle help I want to set up the castle protectors or Royal Guards for interviews also. That way I can knock them all out at once. “Please display all responders to the Royal Guard ad that are groups of 200 or more and have at least 10 level 50 people.” OK, that took it from 343 responders down to only 6, that is a manageable number of leaders to interview. “Please set up each Castle Staff interview group ½ hour from each other starting at 10 a.m., also schedule the 6 remaining Castle Guard unit interviews for every 45 minutes starting at 1 p.m.

All charges for teleportation of the leaders to the interview will be taken from my inventory. Up to 3 representatives from each group may attend the interview.”

I quickly make sure that everything is in place in the “Throne Room” I need to make a good impression right off the bat. These people will be working with and protecting me and mine for the next 5 years minimum, and hopefully everything will work out and they will stay and immigrate into the Appalachia Kingdom permanently. Even if they choose not to stay, I should have learned a lot by then and hopefully will have a few more home grown people in positions of power and security.

I prepare a generic list of questions that need to be answered.

What previous experience do you have in a similar position? Describe the strengths of your group and how they can help a newly starting kingdom. Why did you leave your previous employer? Are you willing to swear magically binding oaths of allegiance through the Great Game? What are your requested salaries per month or year? Do you feel that you have an adequate leadership structure in place at all levels? What is the largest problem you think that you or your groups might have to deal with when moving to a new kingdom and world? Are you able to start immediately if needed? How many dependents and others are you hoping to bring with you to the kingdom? Do you have any questions for me?

I think this covers everything I need to know. I realize that I should probably do a much more in depth interview and check previous references. However, I am in such a time crunch that I have to get this done now. I think I will put in a mutual 1 month adjustment clause. If either party decides that the employment would not be to their benefit over the next 5 years than they can cancel the contract with no penalties. Whoever cancels the contract is responsible for the teleportation fee back to their place of origin.

One of the strangest things is the price of everything I need to have done quickly. Teleportation scrolls are expensive and a luxury on the same world. However, teleporting between planets of the Great Game is only 1 gold per person if answering a Great Game ad. The only reason I can come up with is that the Great Game is trying to prevent private competition in transportation from world to world. For the cost of one major 10,000 mile teleportation scroll I can bring in almost everyone that is going to be hired.

The first couple of interviews with the castle help groups are okay, but not very impressive. However, the third interview was not what I was expecting. An impeccably dressed person of what I can only call the Dark Elf race, at least until I find out their name for their people, is the only representative that is teleported into the interview.

“Good morning King Anderson, my name is Alfonso and I am here to represent and negotiate on behalf of the Domestics guild.”

I quickly identify him so as to have as much information as I can, I do not want to be at a disadvantage and he has obviously done his homework before coming in.

Name: Alfonso Darkmoon Race: Darkling Fae Level 21 -14% Affinities: Earth 53% Dark - 71%

You know, I don’t think I have ever appraised or identified another person before. How could I have missed this obvious helpful tool? I mean I identified several monsters, plants, and numerous items, but I have never actually used identify on another Great Game person or Great Game race. This could be extremely useful in both social and battle situations. I wonder if there is a way to hide information or to show more information. Just another thing to add to my list of things to try and remember to do.

“Good morning Alfonso, you seem to have me at a disadvantage. I am relatively new to the Great Game system and have not heard of the Domestics Guild.”

“That is quite alright sire. I shall give you a quick background into our guild if that is satisfactory and then we can mutually discuss the possibility of future employment.”

“That sounds extremely reasonable Alfonso, please continue.”

Alfonso went on to explain that under the Great Game people of similar mentalities, jobs, or just those who wanted the protection a group offered could form and join guilds. The Domestics Guild is a large group of domestic servants from several different worlds that have banded together to have a more normalized and stable wage and negotiating stance. They have domestics registered in all areas with several always willing to travel and move to a new place for the experience or various other reasons. Each person in the Domestics Guild has their credentials inspected and tested in the areas they would be hired in. This allows an employer to know that they are getting a well-trained domestic servant proficient in the needed area. The guild has 10 levels of domestic servants:

Apprentice 1 silver per week Novice 2 silver per week Beginner 5 silver per week Junior 10 silver per week Intermediate 15 silver per week Senior 20 silver per week Advanced 40 silver per week Higher 1 gold per week Master 5 gold per week Expert 10 gold per week

The guild can provide up to 100 people immediately of all levels 1-5 and more limited numbers of levels 6-10 domestics in each of the common areas needed, Stewards, Maids, Cooks, Grounds Keepers, and Animal Husbandry. With a lead time of 1 month the guild feels confident they could supply up to 500 domestics of any area from levels 1-8. Master and Expert level domestics are much more difficult to come by and usually do not leave their positions without a major change in their living situations or a major change in the country or area they are living in.

I immediately tell the Great Game to cancel the remaining two interviews and ask Alfonso to stay longer and negotiate a contract with me. He seems delighted that I make such an immediate decision to go with his guild. They are so well organized I realize that I cannot do any better than the Domestics Guild. The final piece he tells me is intriguing. The Domestics Guild will give a 5% discount on the services of all its members if the ruler of the area they are hired allows the Guild to open up a division of their guild headquarters in the kingdom or area.

The next hour is spent on me describing my needs and Alfonso recommending numbers and levels to fill positions. I am getting a little overwhelmed with all the information provided to me so I decide to just cut through all of the talking.

“Alfonso, here is what I propose. Your guild will provide me a Master or Expert level domestic in the areas of stewards, maids, and cooks. I would also like an advanced or higher expert in grounds keeping and animal husbandry. These people will be given free reign to hire from within your guild the number of domestics they think are needed. All domestics will be hired at twice the going rate and the head of Stewards, Maids, and Cooks will be given a budget of 1,500 gold coins a month each to pay their subordinates. The head of grounds keepers will be given a budget of 1,000 gold coins a month and finally animal husbandry will be given a budget of 500 gold coins a month to pay their subordinates. We just do not have many animals currently. This could change in the future.”

Alfonso just kind of stared at me. He finally registered that he needed to respond to my offer.

“That sounds perfectly reasonable my lord, and when will you need these domestics?”

“I would like the heads of each area to be sent to me by tonight or tomorrow morning and the rest of the domestics to be hired within 3 days. By the way I will allow the Domestics Guild to set up a branch in my kingdom, but I do ask that they give me 3-6 months to stabilize my kingdom before contacting other areas on this planet. No discount is needed or required.”

“I will immediately notify the guild of our successful negotiations and send your new heads of area by this evening.”

Alfonso, then handed me a green gem and said he would contact me on the communication crystal as soon as the heads were available. I thanked him and sent him off while trying not to give anything away in my expression. Communication crystals? Dang it I missed another obvious use of magic and products of the Great Game. I spent my lunch break researching the crystals and costs.

It seemed that individual crystals come in a variety of levels just like teleportation scrolls. Local communication crystals are fairly cheap, but as the range increases so does the price. Strangely enough once again one-time communication crystals across planets are only 1 gold with a limit of 100 per organization or 10 per person each year.