I added, "It''s hard to understand how one''s subordinates feel when one is at the top of the organization. How will you empathize with the masses if you don''t be one of them?


    "I pretty much felt oppressed by the top brass right away. They expected me to deliver despite paying me a pittance, and before long, I asked myself if I was happy with the job. If not, what were my options after quitting?


    "In the end, I realized that an employee shouldn''t be expected to work more than eight hours a day or on the weekends. They should be allowed to get off work uponpleting the day''s tasks, and the pay should justify the effort put into the work done."


    Zane was perplexed. "So you''re telling me you experienced the day-to-day of an average worker for research purposes?"


    I blinked. "What other ways are there?"


    He pointed out as if the answer were obvious, "You could have done a survey!"


    It was my turn to be shocked. "What? That wouldn''t have worked!"


    Any superior would have expected their employees to want to work, even if they were only earning a pittance. To the employees, asking about their work experience and preferences was nothing more than a trap.


    Zane said without hesitation, "You could start by asking your employees what they expect from their workce. You could also look into the perks handed out by their idealpanies.


    "After that, find out what thepanies of their nightmares are like and avoid copying those traits. When you''ve figured out your employees'' needs and expectations, you could look into the average expenses of a working person, like groceries and mortgages.


    "It would help you work out the appropriate andfortable sry range for your employees. Nheless, whatever figure youe up with would be the highest sry range in the industry."


    "You aren''t wrong," I said with a nod. It was a good strategy, and although it was wholly different from mine, it would allow my staff to afford a better lifestyle than others in the industry.


    That said, I had another suggestion for Zane to consider. "If I were you, I''d try living a month on the paycheck you hand out to your staff and see what it''s like.


    "Even if the pay is enough to cover one''s expenses, could the same be said for those who are married with children? Would the pay severely affect their quality of life?"


    Zane stared at me with


    bewilderment. "I''ve never thought about that, but I think I''ll try it out next time and experience what life is like for those who live on a paycheck. I am curious, though, if you made any changes to the employee benefits after your hands-on experience."


    "Some of the benefits are new," I said frankly. "Remember how I had a kid? Well, I realized that raising a child while working a full-time job would affect thetter. Some of our femal@employees couldn''t juggle between childcare and work so we set up an in-house daycare to make things easier for the mothers.


    "We encouraged these mothers to return to work with their newborn babies after their maternity leaves. They could bring their children home after work.


    "When the kids got older and started their schooling, the parents thought it was hard to oversee their schoolwork. So, thepany set up a department to help with the children''s schoolwork. We even hired professional teachers to counsel and oversee the kids."


    A long pauseter, Zane asked, "How did that turn out?"


    Iughed and answered, "It turned out well. Some of the female employees had nned to quit because they were exhausted from their responsibilities at work and in the family. But when they heard about the added perks, they decided to stay on the job."