I find myself needing to hire a new tender, seems like every year I am looking for someone. Any tips on finding a decent laborer that is not going to bail after a couple of months?
What questions do you ask during the interview?
Thanks
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No I don't. Pray, god, balckmail. I've never really heard of such a thing
we had ended up hired female tatoo pierce ex convicts, because they not nobody that wants a job here.
Any tips on finding a decent laborer that is not going to bail after a couple of months?<<<
Probably no more than for a helper getting fired after the jobs over...
You know, not to generalize, but the 29% of people who still support President Bush are the ones who love to pronounce themselves more patriotic than the rest of us. But just saying you're patriotic is like saying you have a big one. If you have to say it, chances are it's not true.
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
The Mason,
most of my guys buy equipment instead of people for just the reason you mention..
after last summer I work solo -something about paying a person by the hr. and them talking on the cell phone a good 25 min. out of every 2 hours that gaulds my butt, you should know more than anyone that masonry is not for everyone and us masons are by and large a different lot.The best masons-helpers - tenders I have hired where what you call hungry they needed money and at the time I had it and paid well above the local scale plus practiced nepotisim on a grand scale if I had a good worker then more than likely some kin of that worker would also be a good hand-" this is a hireing practice a lot of large companies plus uncle sam has started to revert back to doing."hey man if I was up that way I would come to work for you in a heartbeat I tended quite a few years before I started laying brick and before switching to rock work there just isn't much going on here in southwest va. right now even the latinos are moving out to look for something else.
Best piece of advice I can offer is to hire in groups...
from these the creme rises..... when it does give them a reason to stick around. spread the wealth don't be greedy. make them feel like they are on your level. give them a "sub" job with conditions.. like I'll pay xxx if you do it in a certain amount of time, otherwise i'll pay wages... it's a no lose for them. trick is to make it a no lose for you either.
look for the young guys and delegate to them. Be a mentor on more levels than the job. and pay them well and respect them. you as a boss have to be about chemistry and what works..........
be respectable and you will be respected
JK
Have you tried any half way houses yet?
One summer I needed a strong guy to work with me, installing in-ground pools. It's a lot of pick and shovel work, etc. Maybe not quite as hard as tending a couple of masons but...you get the idea.
There was a large old farmhouse, couple of miles down a nearby dirt road, which was then supposedly an Alcoholics Anonymous facility. I saw a number of young black men (very unusual for rural dairy country) hanging out there whenever I drove by so I figured that, whatever the place was, I might be able to find someone there who wanted to get away from the place for some exercise and a change of scene. So I went over and asked to speak to whoever was in charge. I was introduced to a gentle older man who invited me into his office for a chat. I told him what I'd heard about this farm house and he explained that the place was under lease to the NYS Parole Department. All of the men who lived there were in a half way program which was intended to reintegrate them slowly back into society.
So I explained that I lived nearby and was looking for one strong man to work with me for about three-four months. He was in favor of the idea and said he'd give me a call after talking with the two men who he said were ready for that kind of change. As a result of this careful approach, I found myself with one of the best helpers I've ever had.
Thomas was in excellent shape from regular weight lifting in prison and he was very happy to get out of that heavy environment every day.
Having different backgrounds didn't work against us because we both enjoyed hard work. Even though he had never done anything in construction, he was very willing to learn and picked up each new skill quickly. I'm sure that his positive attitude and efforts were rewarded in the warm way he was received by every homeowner whose pool we installed that summer.
This was a definite win-win for all involved, particularly me. The structured life at the half way house meant that Thomas was always well rested and ready for work on time. He kept up my pace with ease and carried his end of every load without complaint.
As I said, one of the most willing and hardest working men I've ever hired.
Edited 4/12/2007 9:04 am ET by Hudson Valley Carpenter
hudson Valley Carpenter,
great story!
good example!
I need to ask you one thing, did you do a letter of recommendation for him?
Here's what is likely to happen if you didn't. He may have forgotten your name/phonenumber/address etc. that he should have for his next job.. with a letter of recommendation it's there further more when he applies for another construction job he's got something to show to potential empolyers about his ability to work and his suitability for being hired..
He's got a couple of strikes against him.. help him from getting the thrid..
All a letter of recommendation needs to say is
To whom it may concern..
so-and so worked for me doing this and this and that. I found him willing, eager to learn, and pleasant to work with. He met/ exceeded/ surpassed my expectations. If I were ever in need of his help again I would hire him and recommend others consider doing the same..
<<I need to ask you one thing, did you do a letter of recommendation for him? >>
Yes. It was on my mind as the pool season came to an end so I spoke to the head of the house to make sure that I covered all the important points when I put my thoughts on paper.
In fact, Thomas's great attitude got him a job as a counselor at the house where he'd been living. He was happy to be staying away from his former world of problems in the city and glad to be helping other young men with similar backgrounds.
One more thing worth mentioning. I learned enough from that summer with Thomas to allow me a better perspective on a child's/young man's life in the inner city. It didn't come directly, from conversation on that subject, nothing like that. Just a little insight here and there, all of which added up to a much better connection with the ghetto experience.
My life is richer as a result of taking that one step outside my normal, white, frame of reference, my comfort zone. It wasn't the first time I'd found something greater than I'd imagined in someone else's cultural background. Those small revelations continue to reward my willingness to participate in the lives of others, people who may appear to be different from myself.
Hudson Valley Carpenter,
Congradulations!
If more people would do as you did the world would be a nicer place.. Thank you from my heart..
hey! thats the exact same strategy i use in looking for dates!
whoda thunk the dating strategy would work in trying to find employees!
Hola Sr Segundo,
You havin' any luck with that? What happens when it gets close to curfew? Does your car turn into a pumpkin? Wait, maybe it's the girl who turns into something else, eh?
no, i had no luck with it at all, and had to turn to the internet to find dates.
not to be a total jerk about it, but just to get a certain perspective before broaching the subject (manipulating the thought process), if i make money from someone elses labor i have ethical issues about what is fair, and how much i make from them.
your scenario was a classic win win, yet you received better than average services for the money by targeting someone down on their luck.
many people in this country justify hiring new immigrants because they are better employees for the money, or because they will work for less than natives/old immigrants.
the lose lose in either scenario is the cost to society, E = Mc2, and there is no such thing as a free lunch. if we as a culture/society continue down this road we are fostering economic slavery.
i guess what i am trying to say is there is no win win, and as we take advantage of any circumstance as it is presented to us, there will be a loser somewhere. the world is getting smaller all the time, i wish i had the solution, but all i have are questions.
Yes I got a good day's work, better than average certainly, but I didn't target anyone. And I wouldn't characterize Thomas as being "down on his luck", nor would he, I strongly suspect. Coming back up from a low point, is a more accurate description. He was not powerless, working for me, just because of where he was living. He had many options available to him, almost as many as anyone else. Other than having to get around on a bicycle, he had the same opportunities as anyone new to the area. And he always had the option of negotiating with me for a higher wage, if he didn't believe he was being adequately paid. That's part of the responsibility which falls on the wage earner, finding out the prevailing wage and speaking up for what he deserves. Fairness is negotiable on both sides.
Regarding "targeting". At the time, checking out the half way house was just one step in the process of finding someone to fill a job. The nearby location, about two miles from my home in a sparsely populated rural area, made this house the second step in a series of logical choices. I must also point out that opening my life to a group of convicted felons put me and my possessions at greater risk too.
I understand what you're saying about targeting and I agree that exploitation of immigrants is widespread. But without proper documentation, such a person has little power to negotiate. Another thing which new immigrants must grasp: Although Americans have certain Constitutional rights, those rights only belong to us as individuals when we stand up for ourselves, one by one, and object to being treated poorly. Getting together for a rally is fine for morale and other feelings of empowerment but standing up to tyranny as an individual in the workplace or in any life circumstance is the duty of the individual. If you'd like to experience permanent self empowerment, stand up on your own against personal injustice, whenever it happens to you in daily life. Believe me, I know whereof I speak.
With Respect, Peter
Edited 4/15/2007 7:25 pm ET by Hudson Valley Carpenter
are we surprised when someone doesn't want to work long term doing something meniall, for little money. i've noticed many carpenters, as well as masons looking at help as just that, an extra set of hands. i want an extra brain as well.. givie as much knowledge to a helper as possible so he can view what he is doing as a trade, as opposed to a job. a trade has a future, a job, for many mason/carpenter helpers, a job does not.
i've always thought a small profit share would be well worth having an employee who is motivated, and reliable. but who knows.
I work just me and a tender so I try and teach them along the way with the goal being that they not only learn the trade but also that in time I can hire another tender so the other guy can concentrate on laying obviously this helps me get jobs done quicker which in turn brings in more revenue it also allows for personal and professional growth. The problem I am having is that most of the guys can't see past the end of the week and their next paycheck so they jump ship as soon as someone offers them a little more money.
it takes maturity to recognize that for forty or fifty extra dollars a week doesn't neccessarily mean it's a better job. knowledge is priceless.
A pretty good source is vocational schools. The instructor already knows the students, they have basic training. and an interest in working in the trade. The instructors will often be in touch with former students that may be looking. There are often several types of schools in many communities, high school level, technical college and specialty schools like "Future Builders".
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
would try the local colleges who have kids who are learning the trade. Here is SoCal we have construction classes in the junior colleges. Some classes have waiting list. Kids wanting to learn the various trades. One such college which has a very good program is Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa Calif. They have a very good electrical and plumbing, framing both metal and stick classes and a cert program. These are pre apprentice classes but teach some very good stuff. Thats one ofthe places I learned. My bud Victor took classes with me, Now hes a licensed electrician making scale and happy. Thats where I learned the basics of cabmaking, as well as the other things that go along with it..electricity, plumbing, framing etc....
Great college.Another is LA trade Tech. It is a basic apprenticeship school. teaches kids the trades. It has a 2/4 year program depending on the trade.Thats where I would go. Those are the avenues I would take. Now I got to go finish those cabs Ive been milking :>)
View Image "We fight not to enslave ,but to set free"
Thomas Paine