Silos in the Workplace
Silos are easily established in the workplace. In the building where I work, there are 11 floors. My building is attached to a different building, which also has (I think) 11 floors. Each building belongs to two separate, individual, NASDAQ, fortune 500 companies. Each floor on my building serves a different function under the umbrella company, but each of these floors do not represent the multiple divisions that stretch across state, national, and international boundaries. This company I work for is global, well known, and right now, profitable.
I work on the 11th floor. When exiting the elevators, you can go left (toward the window) or right (toward the receptionist desk and plasma screen TV). On the side where the window is, there are mostly contractors (consultants, as they are termed) and a few full-time, salaried employees. On the plasma side, you have a similar set up, but majority full-time, salaried employees and very few contractors.
On that floor, I sit in a cubical, where the walls are less than mid-height from floor to ceiling. At my desk, there is one overhead cabinet, where I'm supposed to store all of the DRAFTS, REVIEW COMMENTS, and PRINTED (Marked-up) COPIES of the manuals and quick reference documents I write. Other than that one cabinet, there are no other storage compartments. Where do I put my purse? Other consultants who work there are huddled in the cubicals together, bumping into each other with rolling chairs, when they are in the office on the same day.
Just across from me (if I stand and step immediately to my right) are the cubicals for regular full-time employees of the company. In those cubicals, which are the same height as mine, you'll find more space (width), more storage bins (two overhead and at least three under desk cabinets that run from the desktop to the floor, each having three drawers each, with the bottom drawer, long and wide).
There are large offices at the south end of the building, and along the walls behind the elevators are more offices. Executives or upper-level managers sit in these offices. Some are reserved (called Hotel offices) for executives and upper-level managers who travel, and need a place to crash while they are away from thier home based offices.
Its pretty easy to distinguish contractors, regular employees, upper-level managers, and executives. So, what are some of the distinguishing characteristics of my workplace silos. Employees get supplies. Contractors have to purchase their own or ramble through slim pickin's to get what they need. The badge strings for employees are black; for contractors, they are blue. Employees had headsets to use with their phones; contractors have to use the mute and speaker keys (and their phones are older models). Employees are scheduled to attend business meetings; contractors are rarely invited (contractors, for the most part, usually receive 2nd- or 3rd-hand information about the state and status of the product; information is translated and re-translated). Contractors are expected to work a full eight hours with a one hour lunch break, so they are on campus 9 or more hours. Employees are hardly ever on campus for that length of time.
What's great is the fact that contractors get paid more by the hour; the downside is that there are usually no medical benefits. BUT if you have a spouse who is being compensated and has medical benefits, the business is your oyster.