What are some signs of a bad company to work for?

[tJKrider]

@WannabeFireFaller - a sign of a bad company (in any industry) is one that does not want you to improve your skill. That doesn't mean they have to cater to you, just foster an environment where you have the opportunity to learn and grow. You have to recognize this and take the initiative, though, even if it just means always being focused and paying attention.

 

[HumBurner]

Drag the brush. Become more and more useful from there as time passes. If you’re smart, you will take that and make something out of yourself in this business.

It’s not that hard, one just has to be respectful and listen/learn from those that have been around a bit.

I did over five years ripping it up for a few other companies before settling out on my own (I could’ve stayed longer and learned more, ideally.

Awesome post, but I have to say:

Don't just drag the brush, learn how to handle the brush. Different species grow differently and handle differently. This translates to multiple areas, including cutting branches in a tree. Hell, different trees of the same species grow vastly differently under different conditions and with different competitors.

 

[HumBurner]

I know that one first hand!
never had a big mess up tho, sometimes its best to just stop and think, maybe come down and take lunch, and assess the situation.

Knowing when to stop is a key aspect of tree work (or any physical, dangerous, thoughtful work) be it for a minute, a lunch, or for the end of the day.

 

[tree MDS]

Knowing when to stop is a key aspect of tree work (or any physical, dangerous, thoughtful work) be it for a minute, a lunch, or for the end of the day.

Sometimes I'll come down and search youtube vids to see if I can find a similar situation to give me pointers lol.

 

[ZinTrees]

Sometimes I'll come down and search youtube vids to see if I can find a similar situation to give me pointers lol.

I thought I was the only one

sometimes you gotta watch a video or two on how to tie a munter...

ok, not me, but Traver Ahern has!

 

[tree MDS]

 

[user 188535]

And how do I make the best of my time here lol?

Been with a tree service for almost 4 months now and it seems like the training/teaching opportunities here are limited (its a Davey owned company so you'd think that wouldn't be the case). They struggle to keep and find employees and there's not a ton of long term experience here in the way of climbing. I've been able to get into more trees lately (partly because they're short staffed and need climbers) and have been able to learn and improve through direct experience but I can definitely tell by now that this isn't the best company to be with. I plan on sticking it out for a little while, at least a year, but am really teetering on the edge of looking somewhere else. Though good companies and managers are probably rare and I could just end up in the same position anyway.

I guess I just want to learn to climb well as quickly as possible so I have a skill set I can use for better jobs or to find my own jobs in the future. This may just be a stick with a ****** company for a while thing.

If they also do lawn care or if their name goes along the lines of "xxxx Lawn and Tree service"

 

[WannabeFireFaller]

@WannabeFireFaller - a sign of a bad company (in any industry) is one that does not want you to improve your skill. That doesn't mean they have to cater to you, just foster an environment where you have the opportunity to learn and grow. You have to recognize this and take the initiative, though, even if it just means always being focused and paying attention.

Thanks for the tip. I ended up finally leaving a week ago. Lost a coworker on a job and supervisor continued to be a douche so I had enough.

My last week there though we also finally hired another experienced climber and just from watching him do one small tree it was apparent to me just how much more our company was lacking in the training department.

We were taught just enough to get into trees and cut and left to our own devices after that. Wish I could've stayed and learned more from him but I won't be surprised if he ends up leaving the company himself after a short while. There's no way I'd be shown anything comparable to what I watched that guy do if at this company if he hadn't been hired. Before him our most experienced guy had a year of experience and he's leaving at the end of this month too. After him our supervisor is a pretty good and experienced climber but good luck getting him to actually show you anything.

 

[WannabeFireFaller]

Thanks for the tip. I ended up finally leaving a week ago. Lost a coworker on a job and supervisor continued to be a douche so I had enough.

My last week there though we also finally hired another experienced climber and just from watching him do one small tree it was apparent to me just how much more our company was lacking in the training department.

We were taught just enough to get into trees and cut and left to our own devices after that. Wish I could've stayed and learned more from him but I won't be surprised if he ends up leaving the company himself after a short while. There's no way I'd be shown anything comparable to what I watched that guy do if at this company if he hadn't been hired. Before him our most experienced guy had a year of experience and he's leaving at the end of this month too. After him our supervisor is a pretty good and experienced climber but good luck getting him to actually show you anything.

If they don't have a good experienced climber you can learn from, you're wasting your time there. The only thing you will learn is bad habits and what not to do.

You were so right lmao

 

[pdqdl]

Not really, just a schmuck.

When he's not working he's a lot of fun and has a savage sense of humour. But as soon as he starts working he becomes obnoxious. And grounding for him is a nightmare because he thinks you should be able to read his mind and the situation so as not to have to communicate with words at all. That's not great when you have the ropes and the pulleys in play and there are breakables - including me - below. Ack!

I had one of those guys working for me many years ago. He'd even cuss out the groundies while burying them in branches, then casually hang from the rope while they were disassembling the mess on the ground, telling them how slow they were, and why he made the big bucks.

But he was authentically skilled at doing the work. As you mentioned: "Instant prick - just add spurs"

 

[Groundman One]

I had one of those guys working for me many years ago. He'd even cuss out the groundies while burying them in branches, then casually hang from the rope while they were disassembling the mess on the ground, telling them how slow they were, and why he made the big bucks.

But he was authentically skilled at doing the work. As you mentioned: "Instant prick - just add spurs"

I'm just getting a whiny buzzing noise here.

Did you say something?

 

[lone wolf]

It's perfect to learn rigging off Youtube until you face your first "Oh ****!" moment.

Then it's all real life.

YouTube can show you how not to do things!

 

[Groundman One]

YouTube can show you how not to do things!

Amen!

Don't cut trees near a house or power lines when you have a mullet, no shirt, no helmet, and you're screaming at everyone around you.

Guaranteed YouTube hit.

 

[lone wolf]

Amen!

Don't cut trees near a house or power lines when you have a mullet, no shirt, no helmet, and you're screaming at everyone around you.

Guaranteed YouTube hit.

I would be screaming at them too LOL!

 

[Lightning Performance]

Way back when (35 years ago) when I owned a tree service in Ohio, I climbed all of them. Still have my harness spurs and ropes hanging in the garage. Not any more. Too dam old now.

Define too old please

 

[Groundman One]

Define too old please

When age matches injury and they coalesce to form a loveable and painful bond.

 

[Lightning Performance]

When age matches injury and they coalesce to form a loveable and painful bond.

Then I should have never ever been a climber. Endurance is my issue not really worried about broken parts. When they rest they ache. When I work my mind forgets. Once you live decades at pain leveks of 4-6 you don’t really notice the day to day stuff if your mind is focusing on the task at hand. You can't or you won't be any good I'm great for half the time I used to be so being hired isn't an option now with five hours or less ability to stay in a canopy. Slow and steady with experience in rigging or whatever isn't what today's market wants. Bucket operators seem to get paid far less in this area compared to good climbers who can rig, redirect and run the thing from up top in my experience. The companies are always looking for babysitters, crew leaders, and paying unskilled labor wages. Pretty much decided not start another crew myself or look for it now and just stop climbing soon. Had my own thing part-time and keeping up with equipment, people, estimates and such became a 24-7 job. Parked it to just climb some years ago but that is faded somewhat as I went back to more felling and now doing two types of milling for myself mostly. The pain is still there but the desire to teach others is quickly fading in favor of more milling or engine bench work. It kept me in good shape all those years. Nothing like getting paid to go to workout.