# Hiring a New Position



## Rosie (May 18, 2015)

Hello everyone!
My ATD is resigning and I will need to hire a new assistant. Currently it is a full-time position but there has been talk of splitting it and making it into two part-time positions. Has anyone had any experience with this sort of situation? And if so what were the titles? We've been playing around with calling it something different than Assistant Technical Director and if there are two people splitting the position what should we call them? 
Thank you for any help and ideas that you may be able to offer.


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## Footer (May 18, 2015)

In what capacity? Theatre? Road house? 

I would also strongly suggest that you never eliminate full time positions to part time positions if it can be avoided. It will make those two positions much harder to fill unless you are in a market with a ton of freelance work. What is the reasoning for doing this... and don't tell me anything involving benefit package.


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## Rosie (May 18, 2015)

Footer said:


> In what capacity? Theatre? Road house?
> 
> I would also strongly suggest that you never eliminate full time positions to part time positions if it can be avoided. It will make those two positions much harder to fill unless you are in a market with a ton of freelance work. What is the reasoning for doing this... and don't tell me anything involving benefit package.



It's a theatre - owned by a school district with regular school events, professional show season and rentals.
I'm not the one that wants to make it into part-time. I've been arguing against it. And yes, they want to remove the benefits. (You're preaching to the choir.) I've been worried that they will eliminate the position altogether for budget reasons.


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## TheaterEd (May 19, 2015)

If your paying part-time wages, you will generally get a much lower caliber of employee. The ONLY reason I can see splitting the jobs is if they are required to have two different skill sets. FOr example if you needed one set builder and one lighting/sound guy.
Also, a part-time employee is only going to work for you until something better comes along. Be prepared to be constantly replacing these people. Your job will give them a good resume to get a better job. I am speaking from first hand experience on this one. Loyalty only goes so far when a full-time position opens up somewhere else.


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## Footer (May 19, 2015)

Rosie said:


> It's a theatre - owned by a school district with regular school events, professional show season and rentals.
> I'm not the one that wants to make it into part-time. I've been arguing against it. And yes, they want to remove the benefits. (You're preaching to the choir.) I've been worried that they will eliminate the position altogether for budget reasons.



Let the people who want to split the job up call them whatever you want. They won't be around long enough to get business cards printed anyway. I would probably just call them head "whatever dept they mostly work on". 

Sounds like you are getting the screws put to you here. Fight this tooth and nail. You go from a full time position to two part time that will be impossible to fill. Next thing you know you'll have one part time then none. Slippery slope.


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## Rosie (May 19, 2015)

Footer said:


> Sounds like you are getting the screws put to you here. Fight this tooth and nail. You go from a full time position to two part time that will be impossible to fill. Next thing you know you'll have one part time then none. Slippery slope.



That's what I'm afraid of.


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## Rosie (May 20, 2015)

Does anyone have any suggestions regarding what to call two ATDs? 

I'm under no illusions that I will be able to prevent the splitting of the position, but if I have to deal with it, I'd like to at least have some say into titles. I feel like it will affect the labor flow. I'm the TD. There are no other tech head positions; all of our events are handled by me and my assistant (all lighting, sound, rigging, scenic, etc).

Our managing director has suggested for the assistants "Theatre Tech Manager" and "Assistant Tech Manager". I think that's ridiculous - especially since they will be my assistants. Those are completely inappropriate, confusing titles. (Must everyone be a manager or director?!)

But so far, I don't have any other titles to suggest...


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## Amiers (May 20, 2015)

If they are both part time and not working together, then call them what they are. An ATD. even if they do end up together then I would still call them ATD, they both assist you , just my opinion.


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## WorldwidelLaserLightShow (May 20, 2015)

It is so important for the school districts to retain their theatrical budgets because so many actors, artists and musicians develop their interests while attending school. Only a quick thought


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## Footer (May 20, 2015)

Technician. Once again, titles don't matter because these people won't be around long enough for anyone to care.


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## Rosie (May 20, 2015)

I care. I still have to work in this situation. That's why I'm asking for suggestions.


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## JohnD (May 20, 2015)

I'm curious about the logistics of having two part timers. Will you be wasting a lot of time giving recaps during changes of personnel. Will they work every other day, with even more confusion. 
This may be a situation where two halves don't make a whole.


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## petercav17 (May 20, 2015)

The summerstock program that I work for has a TD and two ATD's who are called the Master Carpenter and Draftsman. One drafts and the other runs the scene shop. Of course, they both do much more than their titles suggests. It seems like your assistants will be pretty much helping with everything. I really don't understand why you guys just can't call them ATDs? You could always specify, ATD of lighting, ATD of Audio, etc. Like Footer said it doesn't really matter. If all else fails just tack on "Master" or "Director" to whatever they do, although it sounds like they aren't going to be directing too much...

Just don't use a confusing name like Theater Tech Manager, because someone who doesn't know the system or hierarchy is going to be like "hmm do I contact the Theater Tech Manager or the Technical Director" and mess up the whole flow.


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## Footer (May 20, 2015)

Rosie said:


> I care. I still have to work in this situation. That's why I'm asking for suggestions.


Will there ever be a time that both of them will be there at the same time? Will they both have the same duties? If so, I would just call them "technician".


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## Dionysus (May 21, 2015)

Like the others said.... I'd say it entirely depends on what the "Two ATDs" will be doing, especially as it wouldn't make much sense to have them completely overlap and taking care of the same things. Each would have an area of focus, and their title would support that. 

You could make up any number of Titles depending on Expertise and area of responsibility. As sugestted tack in "Head" "Master" or such in there...

Head Technician
Master Carpenter
Master Stage Carpenter
etc


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## MNicolai (May 21, 2015)

You'll have high turnover with this. Grossly high turnover. Remember that if it's part time for a position you and their other counterpart will be helping with, each of the two people may risk ending up with such inconsistent and sparse hours that they're constantly looking for hours somewhere else until someone makes them a better offer for their time.

If you're going to give them any title, call it "event manager" or something. The most practical way to use them will be to give them specific events to work on. After all, the argument for going to two part-time positions isn't that you have two people to help you on all events. It'll be that you have two people who can help you out on different events, independent of each other.

Excpect your job applicants to be college students looking for night work or recent college grads without enough experience to get a gig anywhere else. You won't be able to afford anyone more qualified.


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