For her most recent literary work, Adelle Waldman embraced a part-time role at a large American retail corporation to gain first-hand experience for her book ‘Help Wanted.’ The novel targets the realm of logistics, rebranded as ‘Movement,’ aiming to portray a realistic view of the sector. Barack Obama and his endorsement of the novel means Waldman is less likely to require supplemental income via retail work, unlike the characters in her work. However, as she highlighted in a New York Times piece, the majority do not choose precarious part-time jobs or lack the opportunity to find full-time employment; it is more common in lower-wage sectors.
The novel, dedicated to all retail employees, stands as an amusing and touching literary piece in its own right. Despite the risk of undermining its popularity due to its categorisation as a business book, its valuable insights on aspects such as leadership, motivation, the unseen aspects of work and the crumbling fixed elements of the American economy are too useful to overlook.
The novel captures shades of Amy Goldstein’s investigation into the impact of the shutting down of a General Motor plant on a community in Wisconsin, combined with Zeynep Ton’s studies on enhancing employee satisfaction and productivity.
‘Help Wanted’ kicks off with Big Will, a beloved store manager, on the brink of being promoted. Meredith, the unpopular chief of Movement, might fill his shoes, if only she were competent at her role. The team formulates a strategy to artificially build her up, believing the higher she goes, the lesser trouble they’ll face. However, this scheme triggers an unexpected series of events leading to unintended outcomes.
The book offers a realistic portrayal of workplace chaos and muddled corporate decisions. In many organisations, employees’ real motivations are usually hidden, while rumours and chatter are abundant. Meanwhile, those in charge often lack a clear understanding of what’s going on.
This raises the question: what can leaders do to better manage such disarray? In most professional environments, managers often lack sufficient understanding of their subordinates’ skills and knowledge to feel comfortable delegating crucial decision-making duties.
The previously highly regarded concept of “Radical candour” or open communication, seems difficult to sustain even in organisations where it was once strongly implemented. Hedge fund company, Bridgewater Associates, confessed that the honest appraisal used to occur predominantly from the management to the staff. Netflix also adjusted its transparent feedback policy, which proved increasingly challenging to maintain as the company expanded. Moreover, the streaming service lauds ‘distributed decision-making’, which involves bestowing responsibility and autonomy to every team member.
Moreover, Zeynep Ton’s model of the ‘good jobs’ system, inspired by her experience working with retail giants like Costco, Spain’s Mercadona and Walmart, also champions such involvement. The key element of her system is promoting an environment where employees can freely express their ideas for progress.
In Waldman’s book, there’s a subtle but noteworthy reference to the significance of having a sense of purpose at work. Waldman emphasises the employees of Movement organisation, despite their low wages, strive to find some inner gratification, perhaps in their precision at folding clothes or turning monotonous tasks into something more enjoyable. Yet, these individuals have no more control over their futures compared to the anxious workers in Joshua Ferris’s 2007 office-themed novel fretting about looming layoffs.
In many real work situations, like in Help Wanted, there is a gap of understanding between employers and their staff. Managers often lack the conviction to empower their employees due to their lack of understanding of the latter’s capabilities. Further, ignorance and lack of trust prevent them from identifying and leveraging the untapped potential within their workforce.
The staff at Movement, although occasionally thrilled by resolving shop-level issues that often go unnoticed by others, are constricted by the presumptions of their seniors. The higher-ups question the ability of their subordinates to take initiative, thus failing to recognise their true potential.