It was then that Haylee was introduced to what she calls the ‘carrot dangle’. Eventually her colleagues started talking about promotions, about an Assistant Manager’s position Haylee’s dream job. This world will never suffer a shortage of young people who want to work in a video games store.
At one point a superior informed her in no uncertain terms that he could “replace her in five minutes flat”. Eventually she started to question why so many of her worked hours were unpaid but she didn’t question too hard. “It was just like this awesome club, and you were a part of it.”
“Everyone I’ve ever talked to talks about how much they loved working at EB and wanted to work for free when they first started,” explains Haylee. Speaking to a number of current and ex-EB employees, this is a consistent theme. Many times she did it because it was expected of her. Sometimes Haylee did it because she wanted to. Haylee would turn up to help at midnight launches and she wouldn’t get paid. In a strange way she was just happy to be among friends. So, in the beginning, Haylee thought nothing of doing a few extra hours for free. In time, some would become lifelong friends. Working with video games, with people who would become friends. Working long hours, going out for drinks afterwards. “My first few weeks at EB,” she says, “I was just kind of filled with awe at how cool the job was.”
That dream job would turn into a nightmare. We spoke to a number of people for whom working at EB was a dream job. Of course they do why else would they be working at EB Games? A place where everyone loves video games. The dream job: being involved with the games industry, with like-minded people who have the same hobbies, enjoy the same things, speak the same language. In the beginning, everyone loves working at EB Games.