Questions for a new employer

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Thillmaine

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Messages
329
Reaction score
16
Location
Upstate NY
What sort of quesions shoudl I ask about a new company I may be goign to work for...I mean besides the obvious I am looking for some insightful questions to help understand the business, how it worksa, how much money is made, what I deserve for pay, etc..
 
Ask to talk with the crew one on one without the owner there. Just asking will usually put him on the defensive. So after the owner has told you "this and that" you can confirm with the crew.
You can ask for past employee references as well.
 
What sort of quesions shoudl I ask about a new company I may be goign to work for...I mean besides the obvious I am looking for some insightful questions to help understand the business, how it worksa, how much money is made, what I deserve for pay, etc..

Questions like: Do your checks clear? Can you pay me in cash? Is that what you call a climbing line? How long have you been only using half the oil bottle for the saw mix? Are you nuts, I wouldn't do that for under four hundred even if it only takes me three hours? Where is the gas card?

DON"T ASK! then you won't feel like they LIED to you. Know your market and be really keen.

My last " interview" happened just a few hours ago. Guy in a brand new rig who went from scraper to treeman stops me on my way in" I hear you sub out for other guys" he says. I say sure, sure and all that and he asks how much so I start laughing and say we will talk about it. He says " I pay "my" climber 20 per hour but I won't let him do this tree", I start laughing harder.
 
Ask to talk with the crew one on one without the owner there. Just asking will usually put him on the defensive. So after the owner has told you "this and that" you can confirm with the crew.
You can ask for past employee references as well.

Yeah, that will about freak the living crap out of everbody right off the bat. But if you land that job you are the king.
Now back to reality.
 
If you are good, and are really looking for a good employer asking them to talk to the employees will tell you LOTS in seconds. You will know if he is a liar, if he pays, ect. If he does not want you to talk to employees then you don't want to work for him.
Asking about past employees is just to turn the tables on him. If he can produce great but its all technique on how to get what you want.

treemandan, I agree most lie to us.. feed us a bunch of bull. Try it the next time. The look on the face of the "scraper to treeman" should be something to really laugh about. :jawdrop:
 
I would ask him why he is in my office and not out making money:laugh:
I would ask how many family members work there, this is from experiance!
Family in the workplace stinks and promotions or career opportunities will
go to them.
 
If you are good, and are really looking for a good employer asking them to talk to the employees will tell you LOTS in seconds. You will know if he is a liar, if he pays, ect. If he does not want you to talk to employees then you don't want to work for him.
Asking about past employees is just to turn the tables on him. If he can produce great but its all technique on how to get what you want.

treemandan, I agree most lie to us.. feed us a bunch of bull. Try it the next time. The look on the face of the "scraper to treeman" should be something to really laugh about. :jawdrop:

I know, I did it a few times. Thing was, I was just doing it for giggles, I can see the train coming.
Funny how what is described as a good crew is just work release rejects, but you have to know how to hang and be prepared. I don't go for trying to turn any tables, just plain old an eye for an eye is fine, anything else I would just stay home.
 
I would ask how many family members work there, this is from experiance!
Family in the workplace stinks and promotions or career opportunities will
go to them.

+ 47

Although I will help out any of my family and can understand where the boss might be coming from if it's a family run business know that you are always a step behind regardless of your skills.
 
First question here is are you looking for a job because you don't have one for what ever reason or are you just feeling around to see if the grass is greener?
If you are in need of a job, you probably don't have too many choices and best advise is take what comes your way then feel around for something new.
If you are just feeling around, remember, when you go in, you'll be low man on the ladder. Some questions to ask;

Is the company year round and will the company keep you on daily?

If they are not year round do they allow for you to apply for unemployment benifits?

On rainy/snowy days, will they still call you in or will only upper personel be called in that day due to it being possibly slow?

Is there a probabtion period? Some places have a probation period that allows the employer to see if they actually want you to stay. Sometimes, after the probation period is over, a raise is included.

What is the schedule of raises and when are you qualified to inquire or expect one?

Raises with further education/certifications?

Overtime possibilites?

Paid holidays?

None of the above are too offensive and can be easily answered by any employer. I wouldn't be offended and neither should anyone else. The answers shouldn't be a secret.

Good luck! :cheers: :cheers:
 
In addition to some of the other excellent questions posted:

You can find out a LOT about an employer by asking for a look at their books. Many won't even consider letting that happen, but a well managed, financially solvent company will already have the standard reports available to let you peek at. You should want to see a balance sheet, an income statement, maybe a listing of the accounts receivable. A really telling report would be a peek at their NCCI experience mod report: this will tell you how many work related injuries you should expect to see.

Naturally, if you don't understand anything about this stuff, there would be no gain to seeing the reports. Learn a little bit more about that stuff, and it might make you a better employee with greater potential for climbing the new ladder.

If you are going to be part of a management team, expect to see these reports. If you are just going to be the most recently hired tree monkey, don't expect to see any of that kind of info.
 
1/2 of what I need to see is their equipment.

Take this landscape outfit I worked for the first few weeks when I moved here.

The office looked great. The trucks were washed. Awesome presentation notebooks for customers with completed landscapes and irrigation.

But once inside a work trailer:

- messy

- disorganized; even pitchforks in big cans with tines aimed up at eye level

- pesticide bags poorly stored

Sparkling clean image on the outside - but infiltrated with lack of care on the inside.
 
it's a tough one to get the truth.

they have to sell most BS to get you on.99% of the time you'll figure out they were BSing you before the 1st day is over.

i agree,appearances mean a lot.

i usually ask what happened to the guy that i am replacing.it will always be his fault though.

only person i ever worked for in this business that didn't BS me is treemds.he's about as straight up as they get.
 
Last edited:
Again, if he was outta his chair I would set down in it,prop my feet
up on his desk and say, does a secretary come with the position?
I of course have been at it too long to apply for anything but a position. I, if am going to do the work end, it is for my own gain. I would be interested in running a 100 man line clearance operation and have the experiance to make it successful. Positions would be all I am after, as; they pay better!
 
Thanks for all the replies keep em coming

Well I would be leaving my current job to move closer to the girlfriend. And also leaving on great terms with my current employer..So Cape that answers your question. I have a great job and wont be low man when I get there ( i hope) its an up and coming company and they are expanding so my position wouldnt have been filled by anyone else. I am just trying to make sure I get a good feel for the company, I am gonna work with the guys for a day or two as well as talking to the owner etc..
 

Latest posts

Back
Top