Recently, we had to expand operations in our company over a variety of businesses.
Not only that, our own corporate office expansion also began, so we started facing growing pains all over.
So for the first time in our company, we undertook an aggresive recruitment drive – from advertising, word of mouth, online etc.
Something that I experienced for the first time I guess was the thirst for work.
Having grown up in the family business and having a secure future with the same family business, I was never put in a role where I needed to work outside. Even though I was preparing to work in the US after my graduation and had a good resume for it, my parents wanted me to come back and join the business immediately.
Therefore, there was never that Thirst!
After a few years of working in the business, the thirst came – not for a need, but to prove.
But thats not my point of writing this. While interviewing people, I noticed their resumes. The first thing that came to mind was their address. I was looking for people who stay close to the office that they were going to be employed in. This means that they could work well and still not face a long work-home journey, which would reduce their family time.
What was amazing was from how far people would come. It wasn’t just the distance. It was the various modes. For instance, someone from Dombivili or Borivili, would take a bus to the train station, then wait for a train and then jump on for dear life in an overcrowded compartment full of similar people all trying to get to work that morning, then getting off, and waiting for the bus or taking a cab or auto to the office. And then at the end of the day, doing this process again – every single day. By the end of the day, when I’m done with work, I’m ready to pass out. While the people that work with me have a 2 hour tiring journey back home, then spend time with their family before going to sleep and waking up 5 hours later to start the process again.
I see family and friends who don’t need to work – and therefore don’t. Many of them live in cities and towns outside Bombay..in the smaller towns, they sit around and discuss news and politics all day and then eat and sleep and pretty much do nothing. And like this, life passes them by.
I wish they could see that they have been given life and the ability to work, use their minds, their bodies to work. But they take it for granted, and just eat, drink and sleep. If they could only see how much needs to be done – as work, or even helping people… the world could use more hands.
I work because I enjoy it. Not to say my family did not or does not have its share of hardships. Every family does. And I don’t mean “Oh we had to take one holiday less a year”. I mean where we had to stand up to a corrupt government, or to an unscrupulous client or partner, getting cheated.. while still maintaining our principles and ethics, seeing that the people that work for us are not put to hardships as their family’s depend on us to put food on their table. During the interviews, I would learn about each person – how they came into this profession, out of compulsion, need, supporting a brother or sister, sometimes taking a lower job as they couldn’t complete their studies, sometimes as they were retired and hence needed a job.. It was this thirst for work which amazed me.
This thirst was something amazing and I felt humbled. Its something we dont really see directly, even though so many people around us are living that life. Its only when it comes in close quarters do we realise how important work is and how we should not take that ability to work and have a job, for granted.