Hiring help

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

My full time job is working for a major electronics manufacturer and I have been there for almost 25 years. I started as a Associate Engineer with an Associates degree in Computer Science Technology. I went on to get a Bachelors Degree in Accounting and Masters degree in Management and worked my way up into an upper management position where I frequently have to hire to fill positions.

What I have observed over the past 25 years is dismal to say the least and goes a long way to explain why the unemployment rate is so high in this country. Good job candidates are definitely few and far between. As previously mentioned, you are lucky if half of them can pass a drug test or background screen. Then you can lop off about another 20% that have bogus credentials or worthless degrees from non-accredited on line papermill colleges where the only criteria for graduation is your ability to make your monthly tuition payments. Factor out the ones with bad attitudes, poor employment track records, or with "delusions of  superiority or adequacy" that think they are far better than what are and your are lucky if you have 5% left to select from. It is not uncommon for me to have to review upwards of 50 resumes to fill a single position.

On the other hand, we have had great success in meeting the staffing needs of Busy Beaver Lumber and I will share with you what works for us:

1. We use several outside contractors, many of which do their functions as side jobs to earn extra money, and this has worked out very well for us and them. They are aggressive small business owners that simply do not make any money unless they are working, so they have an incentive to show up and provide the services they are contracted to perform and appreciate the steady work we provide them with. We use them to supply us with firewood and to deliver our firewood and finished goods.

2. We do hire part time labor to wrap firewood and load the trailers and trucks when it is time to deliver the loads. We also hire labor to assist us running the sawmill and with other assorted tasks. Here we have limited our hiring to only some family members and close family friends and it too has worked out very well for us. They are fantastic with our customers and a pleasure to work with. We do treat them very well and go above and beyond what other employers would do for their employees. For example, they are paid daily, have access to unlimited, company provided beverages, receive company paid for meals each and every day, and we do several company sponsored BBQ's and a yearly Christmas* party to honor them. All of these are good investments on our part as we have a very loyal and cohesive work force that appreciates us as much as we appreciate them.

3. To give our workers and sub-contractors even more incentive, we do offer them a commission on any and all sales or sales leads that generate income for our business. This way as our income grows, so too does their income. To us, it is the right thing to do and I am constantly shocked at how many other individuals would disagree with this approach.

4. We listen to our employees and sub-contractors and encourage them to come forth with suggestions and concerns. We do not take the attitude of "We own the business and know it all, so just do it the way we told your to do it". I can tell you that many of their suggestions have led to more profitable, more efficient, less stressful ways to accomplish the tasks and have even led to additional sales. To reward them for these efforts, we pay them a bonus on top of the commissions on any additional sales generated. Plus we avoid the regretful pitfalls and associated frustration often encountered by many employees when they feel like they have something to contribute, but are just ignored or not rewarded for their initiatives.

5. We believe that offering good wages and some benefits are important, but that this alone is not sufficient to attract and retain good employees. I know guys that make six figure a year salaries and have full benefit plans that could care less about their employer or their job and show virtually no initiative and minimal loyalty to their employer. On the other hand, I can also introduce you to some individuals that make far less and have a much higher work ethic and level of devotion to their employer because they feel a sense of belonging and feel that they have an attachment to the business they are helping to build. Rather than dread going to work, they actually enjoy it and look forward to being there.

6. Break down the barriers between owner and employee. Get to know your employees, their families, and what their goals are in life. Be a part of their lives and care for them and assist them when they come on hard times and you know you can make a difference. Foster a work environment where they feel that they work "With You" and not "For You". In our operation, my wife and I work side by side with our employees, often doing the exact same tasks that we hire them to do. We do not sit in a cushy, air conditioned office area, while they are out in the main building sweating in 85 degree temperatures. Allow them to get to know you and afford them the opportunity to kid and joke with you. At our building, it is common for the people that work with us to kid around and call me "Mr. Beaver". I in turn kid with them and have names for them like "Mr. Woodchuck" for the fellow that does a lot of our wood moving, "Papa Smurf" for one of the contractors that brings us wood and has a beard, and "Mrs. Beaver" for the wife. I also like a good chop busting and accept it as well as I can give it out. It makes the day go a lot faster when you can have a few good laughs and enjoy one another's company, but most importantly, it keeps everyone happy.

7. We also strive to be different in terms of how we view what others would call our competitors. We have been very successful in turning what would traditionally be a competitor into a business partner. Why waste a ton of money trying to out advertise each other instead of trying to find a business relationship in which you work together to try to maximize both of your incomes. These relationships have proven very profitable for both us and the other companies and I could easily author and entire thread on that and would gladly share that info with anyone that is interested in cultivating such relationships.

[shelbycharger400]

busy beaver...
ive been told i have a bad additude... but they know what i know, and can back it up. i have one diploma in automotive,  im about 80 to 90 percent done with robotics and automation,  and i have taken quite a few machining classes.

we are comming into the busy time at work, the temps will be comming soon. Its all too often  i see what your talking about with unskilled labor. I have to say,  Most of my bad additude is generated by the upper management that dosnt listen to what you say, or their lack of involvement. Their has been times when i told the engineer (several of them) how to do a task.   In my opinion, Companys run, mainly by the workers, treat them right, things will go smoothly.

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

Shelby

In the good old days, people showed up for an interview with a positive, cooperative attitude, and whether they continued to maintain that positive attitude after they started working for the company, was largely dependent on how they were treated by the company and what opportunities they were afforded for advancement and the recognition they received for their accomplishments.

Today, I see people with horrible attitudes right from the get to, especially brand new college graduates, who think they should be hired for the entry level position today, and be promoted to CEO by the end of the year. They spend half the time in the interview telling you what "They Want" or what they are NOT willing to do. They spend very little time telling you how the company will benefit from hiring them.

I actually had an Electronics Engineer, who claimed to have 20+ years of experience, actually refuse to take a simple 20 minute, entry level electronics screening test and tell me that he was insulted and thought it to be an invasion of his privacy. I tried to convince him that it was a very simple quiz we gave to all applicants, and that with his degree and years of experience, that he should be able to breeze right through it, but he still refused to give it a go, and the interview ended 30 seconds later as I walked him to the lobby.

[shelbycharger400]

maybe he was blowin smoke up ur way...  I too have seen what i call Paper Engineers,  years in "school" but have to pratical experience , and some have no interaction skills.

i have had to take a math test, blueprint, and a measurement test just to move up to a assembler c position, kinda odd.