21st September 2005, 11:02 AM
Quote:quote:But as I understand it from your posts/replies your problem is with units employing too many of the lower levels of staff compared to the experienced staff, either to cut costs or because they are not considered good employers and therefore cannot recruit/retain experienced staff. What ratio would you suggest for say, Site Assistant 1s to Site Assistant 2s to Assistant Field Officers to Field Officers to Directors ? Does it depend on the size and type of project ?
I couldn't suggest a ratio based on those categories alone because the skills/experience of individuals in the same post could vary enormously. I know field officers with only a couple of years of commercial experience or less, and they are in a different league to the ones who've been at it for 10+ years.
Thinking back to when I started out (not so long ago!) a digger with less than a years experience was considered pretty green. The good units would take on only limited numbers with this experience level, and generally on the larger excavations only, where there would be a surplus of supervision. I was in the business for well over a year before I worked on an evaluation, and about 3 years before I did a watching brief. This was not universal practice, but could be considered an ideal.
The less good units employed a majority of excavation staff with less than a years experience, under the supervision of one or sometimes two very experienced staff.
Ten years on and I had expected that the situation and experience levels had risen. My current employer pays well and attracts experienced staff, a situation I'd like to see become the norm in the industry, but one that I recognize is unusual.
An entirely typical example: a recent large-ish urban evaluation we did had an ever changing team, but on average was run by a field officer with 10+ years experience, and had four archaeologist with experience ranging from 2 to 10 years each. The average was 5.8 years. I can perhaps imagine employing 1 student/training dig grad/retired amateur on the project without our work beeing too adversely affected. On large excavations perhaps one more.
I hope this puts my whinge into context. I expect the unit in question to be leading the way on professionalism in the industry because of the RAO an SCAUM connections, and it clearly isn't. Instead, my own employer, which ironically is considered a cowboy company by said unit, is setting the standard.