Discussions about Hiring and Hiring Practices

[medixgrad]

I get offers on top of offers alot. I never know where I'm going. I think I accepted a harvesting job on Jane's farm only to find myself plowing on Bob's farm because as I clicked on Jane's offer Bob's offer came up in front of it.

I think the first offer that comes in should cancel out other offers and maybe a pop up could appear with the chosen avatar in it saying. Thanks but I've accepted another job or something along that line, so others don't think they are being ignored etc...

[me0716]

Is there a way to fire some one who is on your farm working? I had a girl plowing for me today and she was so greedy that she was fighting me for my own farm.

[causingchaos]

How do you mean fighting you for your farm? You hired her to plow? Was she plowing? Why hire someone to plow if you want to do it yourself?

[me0716]

I no longer seen her so I figured she had left. So I was going to finish the job by myself. Then she reappeared.

[Deanna J. Lloyd]

Originally Posted by baickle

Hi all,
I've been searching and searching the forums but can't find any information on the double hire for plowing practice. What exactly does it do and does it effect the person doing the hiring? ie, exp points or costs?

When you're hired to plow, your "tool" is a red/green grid the size and shape of a single field. It will turn green when you are aligned with a field and you can click. You don't have to be perfectly aligned for it to work, but many of us find it slow and annoying.

If you are hired a second time, the grid disappears and you are left with a pointer/arrow/whatever your cursor is. You simply point at an area of the field, click, and it's plowed. Much faster and easier to do.

The effect on the person doing the hiring? Usually, a more thorough job done in record time. Therefore, you're ready to replant sooner and earn those XPs sooner! It's a win/win.

One word of caution: If you have two or more people you are going to hire to plow, either double hire both or don't double hire at all. Double-hiring only one gives them an unfair advantage.

[Deanna J. Lloyd]

Originally Posted by MamaMootz

.. I went back to hire someone to finish the trees and plow and somehow hired 2.... and the minute they got to my farm they were asking plow? plow? which I thought was rude. I had to tell them 2 times to please finish the trees. And they still left a grove undone that I finally just did myself in frustration. Then they both plowed and didn't even say thank you. . . .

I'm wondering what the right answer is as far as hiring people - I want to hire someone who pays attention to what I'm asking for and says thanks.

MamaMootz, how is it that these rude, non-responsive people were able to plow your farm? You are under no obligation to hire someone to plow -- ever! If they do a thorough job harvesting for you and pay attention to what you ask, then certainly I would want to hire them to plow -- because I would expect a thorough job plowing. Also, almost everyone eventually wants XPs, so hiring them rewards good behavior.

As far as hiring someone who pays attention to what you're asking and says, "Thanks", you can tell a lot by how they behave in the Marketplace. I have taken to announcing what I am hiring for, e.g., large crop of peppers, and then watching the chat box to see if someone responds. I look for them to use my name or say something about the peppers, so I know they've read what I wrote. Those are the people I hire!

I also look for people who interact with others in the MP. Saying hello to someone they recognize, asking how the weather is where people are, etc. -- just making small talk. I do it myself, and I'm rarely in the MP for more than 20-30 seconds. And if I am there longer, I will usually start making funny comments to liven things up. I've been known to "hit on" handsome avatars, which frequently starts a lively interchange with other "women" chiming in with their own opinions.

It's a game, so have fun. Ignore the people who fill the screen with begging or who do crazy things with their names so they hog the chat box. They will get hired by some, but not by me. I use good manners in the MP, and I reward those who do the same. I have six full-size farms under two different accounts, so eventually, people figure out how to behave to get hired by me.

[eljae]

Originally Posted by medixgrad

I get offers on top of offers alot. I never know where I'm going. I think I accepted a harvesting job on Jane's farm only to find myself plowing on Bob's farm because as I clicked on Jane's offer Bob's offer came up in front of it.

I think the first offer that comes in should cancel out other offers and maybe a pop up could appear with the chosen avatar in it saying. Thanks but I've accepted another job or something along that line, so others don't think they are being ignored etc...

I came to the forums to ask about this very same thing. Three times today I've responded to someone who was hiring and as soon as he/she sent me a hire request 2 or 3 more popped up on top of it. I've learned from experience that if you click off one, it cancels them all. I'm starting to wonder if this is a "clever" way to send potential "competition" out of the MP (and make them look rude on top of it.)

All three times today I was able to PM the original person to resend the hire request, but it's just silly that I have to.

Thoughts?

[Deanna J. Lloyd]

The cascade of offers makes me crazy too! I may be in the MP for a minute or more & no one offers to hire me. Then, for reasons unknown, I am bombarded with offers with no chance to actually choose which one I am accepting.

Would it be possible for the developers to build in a 5 second delay before the next hire pops up? And a queue for the offers. That way, we would have time to accept or reject each offer in the order received.

[Duck Duck Goose]

I only hire 1 neighbor to do my entire farm. Why hire 6 ppl so that all 6 make like 50 bucks? Screw that. It's not worth working a job if you have to share it with 3 or 4 other ppl.

I'm not in THAT big of a stinkin hurry that I need 1/2 of farmtown to work my farm.

People certainly can run thier farm anyway they see fit, but personally if I'm hired and i get to the farm only to find 3 other ppl already there, then i say

"Thanks but no thanks. You already have too much help", and then I leave.
I dont care if it's raspberries or pineapples. I wont work with multiple ppl.
Whats my incentive? - 50 bucks? yea right.......

We all know the server sucks on this game as it is. Multiple ppl working the same farm only increases the chance you'll get timed out on the server.

If you dont have time to wait on 1 person, then you obviously dont have time to play the game at all. Besides its not the person's slowness - its the crappy server speed.

I bet the person that just made 100000 off my pineapples are much more willing to stay the whole job than any 1 of a multiple workforce employee.
Solo work allows for work to be done neatly and in straight lines.
1/2 of farmtown working for you leads to workers RACING each other to get more than the next guy so it might be worth it more than it is.

Ok I said my piece. I'm just ticked because it's almost impossible to get any money and points out of the marketplace because there are too many of these bad hiring practices, that I dont even bother going there anymore.
If you can't make it worth my while then do it yourself or hire somebody else....

[eljae]

Originally Posted by Deanna J. Lloyd

The cascade of offers makes me crazy too! I may be in the MP for a minute or more & no one offers to hire me. Then, for reasons unknown, I am bombarded with offers with no chance to actually choose which one I am accepting.

Would it be possible for the developers to build in a 5 second delay before the next hire pops up? And a queue for the offers. That way, we would have time to accept or reject each offer in the order received.

I actually think it would be better if these windows weren't on top of each other at all. Each offer should have it's own separate window so you can filter through to find the one you want when this kind of thing happens.