In company development, are workshop workers more important or office staff more important?

No need to ask. If you’re a factory worker, you would definitely think you’re more important. But if you’re an office staff member, you’ll surely believe office personnel are more important. This is a trap question—no matter who you favor, you’ll offend some people. Since someone asked, I’ll try to analyze it. Please go easy on me!

In our company, we often see people arguing passionately over who is more important or less important. Factory workers might say, “We’re the most important because we produce and assemble all the products. Without us, the company has nothing to sell, and everyone would be out of a job.” HR in the office might say, “Everyone was hired by us, so of course we’re the most important. Without us, no one would do any work, and the company would go bankrupt.” Sales might say, “We sell the products. Without us, there’s no revenue, and everyone would be left with nothing.” Finance might say, “We’re the most important because we control all the money, even the boss has to show us respect.” R&D might say, “We’re the most important because all the products are developed by us. Without us, there would be no products to produce or sell.” Quality control might say, “We’re also very important. Without us, the products would be unqualified, leading to customer complaints and returns, which could cause the company to fail.”

Each department claims to be the most important. But who is truly more important? Actually, a company is like a large machine—every part is useful. Missing a part could cause the machine to stop working properly. The same applies to different departments in a company. They all need to do their jobs and play their roles to keep the company running smoothly. So, every department is important and indispensable.

In the company’s development, is the factory worker more important or the office staff? First, it’s clear that both are very important and indispensable. Since they are both crucial, if we must compare them, what’s the best way? The simplest method is to compare their salaries. If the office staff’s salary is higher than that of factory workers, I would say their importance is higher. Conversely, if factory workers earn more than office staff, then I believe their importance is greater. Additionally, we can consider the technical complexity of their roles. For example, if factory workers need specialized skills that require years of training and learning, their technical content is high, which might make their importance higher than that of office staff. On the other hand, if office staff need more advanced professional skills—requiring solid theoretical knowledge and years of continuous learning—their importance could surpass that of factory workers.

Finally, I want to emphasize again: a company is like a large machine, and each department is a part of that machine, performing different functions. Missing any part could cause the entire machine to malfunction. No matter which department you belong to, as long as you do your best and become a core member of your team, you have the opportunity to thrive!