Hiring help

[Taylortractornut]

At work dad has hired alot of folks the last few months and  we have had very little luck at it.     We pay good for the area, Laborers start out at 13.45 and  insurance  and are allowed overtime and  they get raises as new skills are acquired like   B CDL's  you get 1.25 per hour raise.     Dad has hired a few sad stories over the years that  really showed why they were sad stories.        He wanted to hire a mechanic to help  me with the maintenance and break downs.    This guy was  a pretty good mechanic but just the way he acted something was hinky about him,  He ws bragging about  job hopping  before working for the man we contracted some work out to.            I told dad I bet he couldnt pass a drug test.  i sat in the office as the interveiw went on and dad was  telling him about the pay and benefits and all that was expected.  They guy was ready to sign on then dad hit him with the big question.     Can you pass a drug test.     It fell apart from there.   Thats been the recent stories of the last few folks we had stop in.   

I have a friend wanting to hire me and put me through  2 years of diese mechanics at the  community college of my choice if I go to work for them.      Im a fair mechanic  just never did much motor work.   They offered me  a great salary and benfits and a tools plan. I turned him down because I dont really like to mechanic anymore.      I asked why he didnt  just  hire someone that was unemployed and try the job centers.

He says that  most of the new help hes getting are folks that cant pass a drug test, show up for work,3 keep a drivers liscence,  or show up to  the college classes  or the apprenticeships.   

We have a guy at work we hired as contract labor.   He was hired to pick  up blowing rubbish.    Makes 13.45 and 2 miles from his house.   He has started complaining about picking up  debris .     We had to take him off the new tractor because he was too lazy to down shift  and  just ride the clutch.   

This week was too wet for  his outside work and  we put him to sanding the old tractor down and a trailer as part of our winter maintenance plan.   He   started whining about it today. He even claimed one time today that he  if he knew all that was all he had to do he would  probably  find something else to do.  Now we got him to clean out the tracks  on the D5 and he started whining again.    I think he may be like Willie Nelson and on the road again.

[red oaks lumber]

i like to watch possible new hires walk across the parking lot, if they poke along with their hands in their pockets thats the kind of employee they will be. if they come walking at a brisk pace thats the horse i'll put money on.
 

[Woodwalker]

One thing I've learned over the years is don't be afraid to fire someone.
As it was explained to me "you may do them a favor, give 'em a chance to go get a real job and make something of themselves".
Have a probation period and use it. 

[T Welsh]

Welcome to reality! we go through help like tissue paper,I see all kinds and types and have heard most of the stories. But when the dog does not like a new hire I watch him like a hawk and the dog is a better judge than I am Tim

[sparky1]

It is hard to find good help!! I really think alot of it is that the good help is already working!!  I personally try to push my boss to hire kids that just got out of high school so YOU can train them to what you want!  Now this is also seeming to go down hill lately, kids are getting lazzzzyyyy!!  There are a some good ones out there though, dont be afraid to give young ones a shot!!

[The Canuck]

And these are all good, red-blooded Americans, right? The kind that pith and moan about immigrants, especially illegals, taking American jobs?
Seems as though the immigrants, illegal or not are the only ones willing to do hard, manual labor anymore. Everyone else has the attitude of "no experience, no education, but I'm willing to start at the top."
Just sayin'........

[red oaks lumber]

welcome to the forum canuck_49   

[Magicman]

I will also Welcome you to the Forestry Forum, Canuck_49.   

[sandhills]

My dad always said that anybody good enough (farm work) had the ambition and brains to make it on their own and weren't looking for jobs.  To a certain degree I think he's right, but everyone has to start out somehow, there are some good workers out there, and I have and still do work a few outside jobs with them.  Some of the best help I've had/worked with were highschool aged kids, getting up every weekend to milk cows at 230 am isn't what anybody wants to do but I only heard one complain and after she worked with my boss the weekend my second daughter was born, she wasn't around anymore.   

[The Canuck]

Thanks for the welcome red oaks and Magicman. I kind of regretted my first post afterwards, thinking it came across too negative; but growing up on a farm and striking out on my own at 17 makes me no stranger to the value of hard work, both physically and mentally. Those feeling entitled to a free ride on the backs of others really chap my rear.
I've been lurking on this forum for a few months now and have learned much about band sawmilling, which will be my next "adventure", hopefully in the next 12-24 months. I've also gained a lot of respect for many of the members who regularly contribute to the knowledge and overall personality of the forum. Kudos go to the moderator as well for keeping a clean house. I've been part of motorcycle forums that have degenerated into political and religious sandboxes with an elite few controlling the allowed content. Needless to say, I no longer participate there!
Thanks to all for giving me a great (free)    education in milling so far. I will do my best to add to the knowledge base as quickly as I can.

[Raider Bill]

Welcome Canuck-49!

I agree about hiring. It's a constant battle for us here. Mostly we hire Mechanics as most of our work revolves around broken or classic cars and bikes. They don't have to wrench just verify failures or apply their knowledge on paper never needing to touch a single tool.  Guys applying tell me they haven't had work in months/years then start demanding what their conditions have to be in order for them to work. Listening to them sure takes the mystry out of why they are unemployed. Most seem to want to sit home and complain about how George Bush or pick a reason caused them all this grief. I'm convinced that nobody in NYC or Chicago wants to work as I've had ad's running there for months and nobody even remotely seems to want the jobs.

[Kansas]

I have a Casey now that takes care of these things. She can be your best friend. Or your worst nightmare. Its all about attitude and a willingness to try, along with being able to show up on time and get along with co-workers. Smartest thing I ever did.

[Coon]

Hmmm, the wife says we should move somewhere warmer whee there's work to be had.     She says you could always take your mill with.    

[Tom L]

sorry to say that I don't think it is a regional problem, here in NJ I have the same issues. very very hard to find someone to work and try to learn. I start guys at $19/hr, with full medical and a pension
employees pay in nothing, I cover it all.

one bright note, I did hire a young man 6 months ago who has showed up every day and has learned to use quite a few machines out in the shop. works hard and is very smart. 21 yrs old.
I think he is around 1 in three hundred at this point.
good luck and keep looking

[terry f]

     Everything here sounds familiar. We use a temp service and it takes about 30 to find a keeper. Some of the changes i've seen the last 25 years is a third of the guys don't have drivers license over half have garnishment. We are union and it used to be the senior guys would fight over the overtime, now the junior men have to take it because nobody wants it, but they are all broke and complain the don't make enough money.

[captain_crunch]

Terry
I am clear accrost Or (cottage Grove) can pass Drug test what line of work you offering
Brian

[Carpenter]

     I'm looking for help again too.  I run a construction business, we also do some logging, sawmilling, furniture building, etc.  It's all building oriented at any rate.  I've got a pretty good reputation in this area and even in this slow economy I have to turn a lot of work away.  Had a 3 man crew during the summer, but my crew was not working together well, so I fired one.  He was a nice enough guy, but due to a past drug problem and lack of skills, he was never going to last in my operation anyway.  The other guy I thought had some potential, he sure talked a good talk but when it came to getting the job done he was just at a loss, unless I was right there all the time to tell him what needed to be done and when to do it.  I can't be right there all of the time, and a lot of times it was really faster for me to just do the job rather than to explain to him how to do it.  But, there are times that I really need an extra set of hands, so I tried very hard to keep him buisy. 
     Well, Dec. 9th was the last day he worked with me.  He just didn't show up and didn't call, and he had no phone and his cell phone had been broke all summer so I couldn't call him.  I had no idea what was going on but I gave him two weeks and then I started telling my customers that I couldn't get to their jobs if they were two person jobs untill I find somebody else.  They all understood, I may loose a few jobs over this but, I don't think I've lost any customers due to up front honesty and communication.  Fortunately, I've got enough one person jobs on the schedule to keep me buisy all winter, and they're mostly indoor jobs to boot.
     This guy finally got a phone and called me today and wants to come back to work like nothing ever happened!!!  I think he tried to strike out on his own and realized that he doesn't have the skills to make it.  If a guy wants to pick up a few side jobs for friends and family that's fine, but a little communication goes a long way.  I told him that I had switched over to one person jobs because I didn't know if he was coming back.  I also told him that if I needed some extra help that I'd give him a call.  But, I can't put a bid in on any two person jobs if I don't have somebody reliable.  And I'm just not going to work real hard to put a person to work that I can't count on.  It's really quite a bit of extra work to have employees, or maybe I've just had the wrong ones.  I've gone through several.  This situation was a first for me though.
     So, I'm looking to hire again.  I would really like to find a partner, somebody who has comparable skills, and has a vested interest in making the business succeed like I do. 

[Al_Smith]

Because this is a relatively low paying area of the country I can get pretty good "day laborers" for 10 bucks an hour .

Most of them for one reason or another don't have drivers licenses but in spite of that are pretty good help .

I imagine it would be a pretty tough deal trying to eek out a living with no marketable skills other than a strong back .

[ouachita]

In another lifetime years ago I sold material handling equipment.  After 6 months I was #2 in seniority out of 8 salesmen.  After a year, two of us were making bets on how long a new hire would last. One day a new hire came in.  We were impressed.  Young, dressed well, articulate, eager to learn. This guy will be around for awhile the two of us agreed.  Lasted 3 months.....no passion.....no emotion.  If you sell, you have to believe in your product.  If you make a sale, you are elated, if not, you are not a happy camper. 

Charles Westmoreland CF, RF
Ivan, Arkansas

[rwthom279]

I agree 100% bout tryin to find good help.  How bout this...how hard is it to find a faller that can go in and do a crop tree release and not have to give instructions and how to's?  Heck, most guys don't rvrn want to take wedges with 'em, let alone some rigging rope and a couple small pulleys.  They tear up more than what their wages are.  Thats the case round here it seems.

Controlled directional falling, wedging, rope, rigging, etc; Is it a dying art/trade?