What does it take to find a decent worker?

Hey Ecks-Man,
Yeh its not easy mate especially with the young blokes!!
I always go for the older guys now, 40+ preferably, when i am looking to hire someone.

No attitude, mortgage to pay, they just want to go to work, do their shit, get paid and go home.
Too easy!!

Oh, i agree with you…………. Friday :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

I employ people every now and then for our company. There are two types I prefer – the over 35’s for reasons as mentioned by Trailraider and ECKS or young kids straight out of school – no bad habits, no attitude and generally keen. If I have to employ someone in their 20’s or so, I have the mindset that if they stay longer than 2 years, its a bonus. And I am not talking about doing shit work and shit pay. There is no commitment or loyalty left these days. :unsure: I must be getting old Cheers budge

I could not get reliable, competent good humoured tradesman for love nor money. I tried for months but could not get anyone (that I would employ).

Had to sponsor from overseas. Didn’t want to. It was expensive and the paperwork was a nightmare.

Had no choice, business was suffering badly, even though I was doing the work of two blokes on the tools.

Best thing I ever did.

The guys I got are hard working, reliable and ridiculously GRATEFUL for the chance I have given them. No attitude, no 15 sick days per year, no taking 4 hours over a job that should take 2. How I was when I came here and worked for my first boss.

Rant over.

Wigster

hay wigster sounds like your the one with an attitude figjam for sure maybe no one decent wanted to work for you it can be hard to find a decent boss.imperting tradys should be banded put on an apprentice and train up a local if its that hard.you may have kids what if they want a job one day :S

Living on the north coast means you deal with a real laid back attitude a lot of the time , I agree with Budge that if you employ straight from school , lay down the law and stick to it you can end up with a good tradesman.

My current employee started with me at 16 as and electrical apprentice and has been with me 10 years this year. I never put up with bullshit from day 1 , smoko is when the job allows and isn’t set to 20 minutes or 1/2 hour lunch. If we’re busy it might be a quick bite if we’re not we might have a surf. We go home when the jobs done and if you wake up with a little headache or sniffle , work it off , it’s not a reason for a day off. And so on …..

On the flip side I pay what they are worth , in my latest employees case that’s almost double award , it’s the only way to keep a good tradie loyal and keen.

I have taken on some already ” qualified tradesmen “that have worked for larger contractors and we produce 50% more work a day with a higher quality , I’m not sure why but they start keen then within a few months slack off every chance. It is frustrating and for a small business crippling.

Good luck Ecks

Nick

Thanks for your reply rocket. It wasn’t personal at you I just thought you may have been a bit hard at Wiggy. To clear something you wrote up. I do work for a large company now and get paid monthly. I have worked for myself with a staff of two, stopped that because I was costing me to much to employ people. And I do pay my house of like you? I don’t understand that, the company doesn’t give me one :laugh: wish they did. I have also managed and supervised workplaces with up to 40 staff big international companies and mid sized workshops. In that time I never gave a tradesman that did his job a hard time because he did his job, but I did to plenty that didn’t. Sadly our system doesn’t reward often enough those better because of the work place or the people in it. I have also worked with some amazing tradesman in my time, some are here on this site and are legends at their trade because they care about what they do.

I will add when I ran a large workshop for a well know earth moving machine manufacturer I only started sourcing apprentices from rural NSW like your area Rocket. The country kids seemed better than the city kids which I believe is because of their up bringing and if they came from the land well they were better

Enjoy your ride

TB

No attitude here mate, just a bloke with a small business, a mortgage and a family to support.

Oddly enough, until last year I would have wholeheartedly agreed with you about importing overseas tradesmen and skilled workers. Considering I wasn’t born here I am one of the most patriotic Australians you are ever likely to meet. But let me give you a bit of background….

I had two excellent tradesmen work for me for over ten years in both cases. I pay well, I worked side by side with them, their hours were eight til four with morning tea and lunch ALWAYS taken (insisted on by me, I like to have a coffee and a decent bite too). They got private use of the company vehicles (brand new Hi Lux’s) with FREE petrol for private use (how much that cost me over the years God only knows).

Generally speaking four days out of five we would be finished at three ish in the arvo. Did I make them say back until four? Of course I bloody well didn’t. I liked them as blokes and I think they liked and respected me. Both were VERY competent tradesmen. Sounds great don’t it?

Unfortunately both left within three months of each other. One went interstate and one went back to the Central Coast to start his own business (he is doing really well and still contracts for me two days a week).

Now the not so good bit.

For the next six months I had constant ad’s in both digital and print media to try and replace them. I was working 60/70 hours a week on the tools, as well as coping with all the admin after that. I was taking physical risks that I shouldn’t have been (I work with glass). Not complaining, just telling it like it was. You just got to get on with it and hope you don’t lose an arm!

Over that period I arranged eight interviews. Six people didn’t even turn up.

Of the two that did, one bloke I found fast asleep in his ute in front of our office at 8am. No problem, perhaps he’s so keen he’s camped out overnight (he hadn’t). At 9am (an hour past the time set for the interview) he was still punching out the zed’s so I tapped on his window and woke him up. Thongs, stubbies and a singlet. I wasn’t expecting a suit and tie but FFS. Anyway, I phoned his old boss who’s number I had found on his hand written CV. And I quote. “I don’t know why he is using me as a reference, I wouldn’t touch him with your dick”. End of quote.

So, on to number two. Seemed OK, a bit edgy. Only 21 yet had worked for about six different firms since he had finished his trade. Same deal with his old boss (‘s) “cannot take instruction”, “rude to customers”, “threatened other members of staff”, and the clincher “suspected drug issues”.

I am not making this up by the way.

I get that good bosses can be hard to find. I should know, I’ve worked for a few pricks in my time.

But, White Rocket, I’d be interested to know what you would have done in my situation.

We haven’t met but you ride an off road motorbike and you are an Old Bull, so the chances are very high that you are a top bloke. But you need all the facts at your disposal before you label me as “The Boss from Hell”. MMMMWWWWWWhhhhaaaaaaa

Wigster