Can't seem to hire an employee

[kkottemann]

beowulf,
Thanks for the idea. I'll have to put some feelers out on that one. I tried to attract a couple of part timers but all I got to respond to that ad was toothless meth heads. I guess sometimes you really have to get lucky and be in the right place at the right time to find good help. My next try will be at an offshore heliport. I worked offshore to pay for school off and on for 5 years. All the guys who I worked with out there would come back and hustle various jobs. Mabe I could attract some decent help by posting a help wanted ad there. I could possible get a few guys rotating from the rigs to make some extra coin on their time off. Unfortunatly I lost all contact with the people I used to know out there.

 

[Jumper]

That might be worth a try. I am retired military and in between other employment work in the tree service industry. I can not outperform a 20 year old in good shape, but I can and do drag brush and lift heavy hunks into the truck. The really big stuff, use a heavy duty dolly and get home help with the lifting. As I mentioned before it is just plain negligent to expect even an 18 year old to hump 200 lb chunks by himself with no MHE, and certainly against the law here in Ontario. There are so many pieces of equipment out there that make a groundsman's life easier, eg Goods, dollies etc, some people just do not want to invest in their operation I guess.

 

[Treeinnovator]

it is just plain negligent to expect even an 18 year old to hump 200 lb chunks by himself with no MHE, and certainly against the law here in Ontario. There are so many pieces of equipment out there that make a groundsman's life easier, eg Goods, dollies etc, some people just do not want to invest in their operation I guess.

more equipment to help groundies = higher overhead = higher prices = less customers = less $$$ in my pocket. i don't like that formula very much. besides, i've put it in their head that they are getting a work out and not having to pay for a gym membership. seems to work too.

 

[Jumper]

I'd argue that having such equipment would make you or your climber more productive, and result in more revenue. Your approach does not seem very innovative to me! You could save money and gas by getting rid of all your chainsaws and use handsaws instead! I also would think your employees would want to contribute to an organization that is equiped with the best out there, and might also indicate to them that your really give a hoot about more than the bottom line. The Goods is a prime example, many removals are much much quicker using it.

 

[spacemule]

You could save money and gas by getting rid of all your chainsaws and use handsaws instead!

Why throw all that money away by buying handsaws? All you need is a good flat file. Train the groundies to grind their teeth to points, and they can then knaw their way through the wood. Think of all the money you'll save!!

 

[darkstar]

Ya'll must know, treated right, payed right, creates loyalty= money. So many good posts here about this, grats and goodonya. To the others I have this to say. This pos attitude about 'pay 'em as cheap as they'll come' finally got a post out of me. I am considered a fair man in my circles and when I had my own salvage co. at 19yrs payed more than what some suggest here as today's wages; this is over thirty years ago btw for those to lazy to check peep's profiles. Buncha druken bums they were, fun and worked their guts out, hey, fair to me starts at 100$ a day min. for 6-8hrs no questions. To base ones wages on what others are ripping people off for is unconscionable, on race or culture no better. Fer cripes sakes! If that is what it means to make a living I'd rather be poor than work for a using person. Humans desreve better than that imho. Though the wages here aren't much better than down south for K-mart type stuff there is not anyone worth their weight in pinecones that would do ground work for under 15$ an hour up here, completely insured of course etc.. These are men, so it becomes un-necessary to hire many others at low wages to do the work these people will, when payed right. My last ground job (a huge dougy (120ft 200yr old between houses) took 6rhs max and I walked away with 25+ and hour easily, 8yrs ago. Oh, the water was free, as was lunch and afterwork brews. OMG> It is my experience that says pay 'em great and make them work well out of gratitude. It will always be a 'wheat from chaffe' thing but once you get a good crew there is no better thing, lean, smart, hungry machines happy with their work. Who gives a sht if they learn and leave, the dumber you are the sooner they'll leave, the worse the comp.. You get someone though that has learned a great deal then they deserve to get out on their own if they can and the best you could do is support them (especially if there is tons of work out there in your area) and not look at it as a detriment but an asset.
It could be a consideration that it may not be a case of the people who are being hired, but the folks hiring.

Serge

AMEN TO THAT< I pay 20 an hour but my men deserve near 50 . The s???eating competition that lames around schrounging for a tree job asking for money up front; likely spiking limb removals on historic old oaks , makes it damn near impossible to pay more in my area .

The state helps alot to keep wages low ,they consider a skilled climber nothing more than a laborer. Workmans comp is not even required by law unless you have at least 5 full time year round on the clock employees.:bang: :bang: :bang:

 

[kkottemann]

I am 29 years old. I do not like to stuggle anymore than I have to, so I do not expect any one that works for me to strugle any more than they have to. I have a grapple truck, skidsteer and two log dollies to move heavy wood. Anyone of any age would be able to work on my job if they have the interest to do so. My next chipper will have a grapple on it to feed the machiene. I do realize the extra expense of this, but like the idea of taking the man away from the infeed as well as saving some back breaking work creating a more productive and more safe work environment.
The big company I started out with made us lift the heavy wood into the back of the chiptruck. The owner was always preaching to us about production and how to be more productive. One day he was yapping to me about something I did that related to production and I posed the question. How productive is it to have your crew cut 50 inch water oak trunk into a managable piece that two men can life 4 feet into the back of a loaded chip truck, not to mention the wear and tear on saws and chain? He never answered me. Hey boss, how about a skidsteer!!!!!
We had one he just did not let it go out all the time.

On another note. I drove by a lowes and shell station this morning. Both were loaded with latinos looking for work. What do Ya'll think. Should I pull in there and try my luck or what.

 

[Shaun Bowler]

At this time I do not have time to respond as I would like to.
However, I want you to know that I am 47 years old.
I work out every day, I have physical issues.
I would like to tell anyone who thinks there is some correlation between age and product is very immature.:deadhorse:

 

[Treeinnovator]

At this time I do not have time to respond as I would like to.
However, I want you to know that I am 47 years old.
I work out every day, I have physical issues.
I would like to tell anyone who thinks there is some correlation between age and product is very immature.:deadhorse:

there's a factual and statistical reason why medical insurance, disability insurance, and life insurance ALL increase in cost as you get older. i'd work your a-- into the ground if you were on my crew.

 

[beowulf343]

Yeah you're right, fixing sprinkler systems all day would wear anyone out in no time.

 

[coydog]

there's a factual and statistical reason why medical insurance, disability insurance, and life insurance ALL increase in cost as you get older. i'd work your a-- into the ground if you were on my crew.

reban this joker mods

 

[Jumper]

Ditto

 

[Treeinnovator]

reban this joker mods

that wasn't meant as a harsh or jerk comment. it was meant in a joking way. if it was taken that way, i apologize.

i work my crew really hard. they probably lift more weight per chunk than most other tree companies. i'm simply saying... in general, a guy who's 47 stands less of a chance (statistically) of outlasting a 19 yr old athlete-built groundie.

 

[coydog]

...and all I was saying was this:

rule#18. If you are banned or suspended from ArboristSite.com you are not permitted to register under a new name. Only one user name per person is permitted. All additional user names or new user names without permission from ArboristSite.com will be deleted from the system.

 

[Fireaxman]

... My next try will be at an offshore heliport. I worked offshore to pay for school off and on for 5 years. All the guys who I worked with out there would come back and hustle various jobs. Mabe I could attract some decent help by posting a help wanted ad there. I could possible get a few guys rotating from the rigs to make some extra coin on their time off. Unfortunatly I lost all contact with the people I used to know out there.

KK, I think you've got a really good idea there. Look for someone working a regular 7/7 hitch with one of the majors, catch somebody on A crew and somebody on B crew. If you can find someone from one of the majors, they will already be doing the drug testing and a lot of the screening for you. Be careful of the "Contractors". Many of them work odd shifts (21/7) and/or keep their people offshore unexpectedly when a "Relief" doesn't show up.

I was a supervisor offshore for a major for 20 some odd years. Although my company had a policy against side jobs, I suspect many of my better employees picked up extra work on their days off. I did not investigate. One of the guys that worked for me actually left a good paying job offshore and started his own tree business in Mississippi.

I've been retired for 6 years now, but a trip to Venice or Leeville might pay dividends.

About Latinos - be careful. I worked a bunch of illegal immigrants on a seismic crew in Michigan 30 years ago. Buddy, they WORKED! Had to, in Lansing in the winter with only the rags they brought from Mexico. I bought them boots and gloves out of my pay, the little contract outfit we were working for didn't have a budget for it. But the language barriers were formidable, and I only had to teach them to stick seismophones in the ice in a streight line. I would hate to be up a tree trying to explain something to a Mexican groundie over a background noise of chain saws and chippers.

Also, they were very good for 6 months to a year or so, but they sent 9 cents out of every dime back to Mexico and then went home as soon as they had enough to "retire". And, they really are putting a strain on our social services. A nurse from the charity hospital in New Orleans was complaining to me last week what a burden they are putting on the health care system, without any contributions through Social Security. I would not want to encourage that.

 

[kkottemann]

Fireaxman,
I really do not want to give a job to an illegal. I realize the social implications hiring one will have on our system. I am just stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. I did post a question a couple days ago if anyone knew how to go about finding a legal migrant worker and thus far have had no response. I personally wouldn't know where to look. I even registered my company with the unemployment office, so far no response. I guess I have to keep in mind I am located in an area that is in utter chaos right now. 61% of the population is gone, nobody knows whether to rebuild or just go, and fema and other associations are literally handing out money and free housing right now. Burger king is paying $11 per hour plus a singing bonus. So much for that old saying that there is no such thing as a free lunch. I actually might be going to do some fema work. They need another crew on the northshore. I have been talking to one of the quality control managers. He has some guys with the will but no equipment, one is a climber. He has set up a meeting for us tomorrow. This might be a break. Fema needs a crew, need a crew. I get the guys, fema gets the crew + six weeks of work from me and hopfully the guys will stick.

 

[Fireaxman]

FEMA Feedback

I'm getting some Really Bad feedback on FEMA from homeowners here on the North Shore. My church has had a work request in for them for 3 months and no sign of any response. I finally took down the most dangerous hangers for them as an offering, but I have plenty to do if FEMA will finally take care of the rest of them.

Worse, I have a close freind in Mandeville that has had work marked for them for a couple of months. Crews have been out there 3 times and still have not removed the first limb. Each time they come out, they find an unmarked limb that needs to be removed. The supervisor on sight doesn't have enough authority to approve the change, so he/she calls out other supervisors. According to my freind, 3 additional levels of "Supervisor" have been called out, and still no work done. The last one decided they need a crane, and wont start any work untill all equipment is on sight. I've seen the work of course. Any good climber could do it easily, maybe 1 day at the outside for a climber, a groundie, and a chipper. A few pieces would have to be controlled.

Meantime, the crew is standing by with their hands in their pockets. According to my freind, they are being paid on piece work. No Piece, No Pay. So, they are starving to death while FEMA plays beaurocracy.

 

[elmnut]

Hey did you ever think of contacting colleges that offer arboriculture, forestry, horticulture, etc... Most have a career day or job fair. These are people that have an interest in our industry. By the way I went through a BOCES course, I did not like math. I was awarded a scholarship to attend Paul Smith's College of the Adirondacks were I was introduced to modern arboriculture. I now manage a successful tree care company. I work with my people, they don't work for me, everything is a team effort. Goals are established to determine raises etc..
Karma has a way of coming back on people that make jokes about the handicapped. They did not ask to be challenged.