Don't Hire A Fan, Yet!

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~ by N. E. Lilly (December 2000) ~

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Hiring someone that is genuinely excited about working for your company may give older companies a needed boost. Seeing one of your employees excited about their work and you may be tempted to let them run amok. Don't. Enthusiasm (or some may say obsession) is the defining characteristic of a fan.

Enthusiasm can overwhelm the entire company, and before you know it, you could be taking on more than your company can handle.

Fans are known to be obsessive. Here are some of the pitfalls that you may have, if you hire speculative fiction fans for your speculative fiction business:

They will have enthusiasm
Sure, enthusiasm is good, just ask anyone who's ever been trapped in an enclosed space by an enthusiastic fan.
They will have ideas
They will have ideas. Lots of ideas. Many, many ideas. About what to do with the company's next release. About how the company should react to their competitor's latest release. Meeting the occasional fan at a convention who has lots of ideas may be tolerable. Meeting the same guy every day at the water cooler could be hell.
They will be devoted to the company
Sure, devotion to the company is good, until it becomes closed-mindedness. Believing that your latest product is the end all be all of the industry, despite all proof to the contrary, is not a healthy attitude to have, either for the employee or for the company.
They will want to be informed
They will want to know about every aspect of the company. If you don't mind constant questions about the company, then this might not be too bad. Then again if they learn everything about your company in the first year, and then move on to work for a competitor, well that's a scary thought.

Enthusiasm for their work, and your company, is a good thing. But if it is left alone to run wild, then it could get out of control. Don't get carried away. Let all things be in moderation. A good manager will be able to rein in the enthusiasm, without choking it off entirely. If you destroy someone's enthusiasm for your company, then you can be sure that they won't stay there much longer.

Having a periodic meeting will help to focus that enthusiasm, so that you're not trying to do ten things at once. Stay true to your goals, but don't be so inflexible as to not consider new projects or ideas that your employee/fans bring to you.

Hiring a fan is a good thing to do- when all other requirements prove equal. An enthusiastic fan with only a little experience will end up costing you money. Taken all in all though, I'd rather hire someone who loves my company and would really like to be a part of its success.