hiring tree workers

[Yellowdog]

I am wanting to hire tree workers to assist my land clearing operations. I have never had employees. Could someone suggest some questions to ask them? Also, should a tree climber come with his own equipment? I usually sub out this work but would like to have more control. Any ideas?

 

[spreaderman]

question # 1

have you ever run a chainsaw before, if they say no , question number 2 is, ever drag brush before, if they say no, yell NEXT

 

[Yellowdog]

Seriously, that's a great question to start off with!

 

[monkeypuzzle]

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

If you have to ask that question then your not dealing with the right people.

What equipment do you have?
explain the different felling knothces you know.

 

[Newfie]

Do You have a Green Card?

 

[TREETX]

What are you felling down south - Mesquite?? Prickly Pear?

What part of south TX??

Green Card is optional - so is english.

 

[Greg]

---tell me one positive thing that your previous boss would tell me about you.
---Now tell me one negative thing that your previous boss would say about you.--(for some reason this question always gets them If they are going to lie it is very obvious.)

Greg

 

[Jock]

Give them a rope and harness, pick a tree and tell them to climb it, it wont take long to find out if they are worth even thinking about.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

That sounds good in theory, but in application it can open a can of worms for liability. Unless you are bringing on a subcontractor, have your lawyer and insurance agent look at any physical testing you may have for job applicants.

 

[treeclimber165]

Doesn't sound ideal, but you have to remember that you don't have as much to offer the 'ideal' employee. You've never had employees so you have no history as an employer, and you are doing land clearing rather than fine pruning or technical removals over expensive houses. The best climbers will go where they can use their talents and get paid well for those talents. You will have to pick from what's left over.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

If someone convicted of a violent crime hurts someone on your job you can be held liable. Your insurance may not cover it and if they find it in an audit they may raise your premium.

Not the most moral thing to do, I've known many a good man who did something stupid 20 years ago. Sometimes you just gotta CYA.

I would have to think hard, especialy if it ment leaving him on site without good supervision.

 

[Yellowdog]

CYA is wise. That is one reason I have always worked alone or with independent contractors who I know and trusted. Taking on employees is all new and has a lot of things attached to it.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Depending on the W/C in your state the payroll expences could be from 40-60% of total payroll.

so in your estimating, to make 40% on the manhour you would need to double it at least. Pay 20, bill 40, make 8. And that does not even start to cover equipment and other overhead.

 

[Jumper]

My $.02, or about Cdn$.03

Guess the questions to be asked depends highly upon what you want the employee to do. I have worked with climbers that were skilled, but came only with a saddle-no ropes, safety equipment,carabiners-ziip. Seems to me if you want to be taken seriously as a potential professional climber you would have the equipment to go along with the position. Personally I would not hire someone that does not have all his gear, but climbers are so scarce around here that you might have to. I can not see the sense in asking a potential ground guy to climb a tree, but that is exactly what my boss did with M who was being interviewed to be a climber; there is a big oak in the back yard and he was told to climb it. Ground guys, hummmmmm. Given that pay is at the lower end of the scale here, you are not going to always get the cream of the crop. I know when I was hired for the first time I made in impression when I said I did own a chainsaw, and had all my own safety equipment, which surprised my boss. As far as having experience dragging brush, no, not specifically, but my resume did indicate I had on many occasions gotten dirty, cold, sweaty etc. In fact V. had spoken to his father in law, a retired Infantry major to ask what some of the jobs and courses I had in the Forces I mentioned entailed. So I got the job. On the other hand, if you have the time and patience, someone who seems earnest, intelligent and interested in the trade might be worth the time and effort.....I speak from personal observation (twice), they will not last long if they do not like it-employee number one's Mummy phoned up to say we were working her darling (out of school/quit at 17, soft and somewhat naive) too hard after he was made to shovel chips for a few hours, and number two lasted less than two weeks as, at age 27, he still had not decided what to do, and found this line of work too hard as well (the first bad indicator I saw was Daddy drove him out to the initial interview, number two was he was still living at home). Dunno you just get a feel for when something is not right. As far as felons go, probaby not a good idea in a lot of cases, but call me soft, SOME people deserve a second chance.