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OK,
To all you bosses out there, like me, who hire carpenters…..
What, to you, makes a great employee?
What’s the difference between a “good” employee and a “great” employee?
Now I don’t want to hear what the “ideal” employee would be……I’m talking real world here.
I’ve got my list of do’s and don’t, but I want to see what you will tolerate and what you won’t.
Thanks,
Ed. Williams
Replies
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cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and irreverent..
punctual, hardworking, resourceful,painstaking,
plans ahead, attentive, goal oriented, customer centered....knows his worth, a leader, careeer minded, can grow with the job, stable home life, loves his /her work....
a desire to make the organization grow so he/ she can grow with it..
a sense of humor to get thru the rough spots..
doesn't smoke, doesn't drink to excess,
shares their lunch with me....
*LOL, Mike. I'm not a big employer; mostly it's just the old Booger and me....when it's more, I kinda like it when it gets back to Booger and me.I can tell you what I like about him; it's not technical skills, cause he has a ways to go. It's not people skills....and his memory isn't great. He doesn't have a lot of tools; I've been buying some for him lately. He's lacking all kinds of things the ideal employee should probably have.What he does have is a great sense of humour and an ironclad work ethic. He's 100% honest (I'd give him 110% but that's stupid and always bugs me), and respectful of what I'm providing and trying to work towards. I trust him completely, and I know he's got my back, and I know he knows I'm doing the best I can for him. And he's always trying to work to my standards and better. He's pissed me off, he's screwed up more times than I can count, but he has never, ever let me down in the crunch. He's a good man; I'm gonna try and get him to demonstrate ankle-dancing (weird form of Cape Breton stepdancing at Caperfest...this sort of tough, stout short guy flopping around on his ankles to East Coast fiddle music....funniest thing you've ever seen...but he's shy.)Bottom line: he's not a great craftsman (yet; improving), but for me, he's a great employee.
*All our employees are good employees. They are honest, fun to be around and try to do their best. That's all we ask for. One of our good employees was asking one day why Bill (a great employee) was such a good worker. After pondering the question for a minute, I told him that Bill was highly motivated. He looked at each task as an opportunity to achieve a higher level of efficiency and quality and then fully applied himself to that. The good employee didn't know what I was talking about. The great employee was made a partner in the company.
*I've been thinking about this question all morning, and I'd say one of the most important things that makes a "great employee" is the position you put them in. They would certainly have to be competant at whatever skills are needed for the job, but not to the point that they are not challenged by the work. That would lead to boredom and frustration. At the same time, the work can't be over their head either.The personality thing is huge. If you hire someone who is basically a loner, and expect them to work as part of a team, that might not make for a good fit. Hire the same person to work alone all day in the shop, and you might strike gold.If you hire someone who has a need for approval from others, they might go to great lengths to please your customers, but not help the company's bottom line as much as someone who isn't much for chit chat, but really produces day after day. I remember reading in JLC, I think it was by Tim Faller, a few case studies of what different companies were looking for in their "lead" guys. The one that struck me was a company near a major university that said it was as important for their lead carpenters to be able to discuss The Russian Revolution, or maybe famous painters, with the clients as it was for them to know principles of good design. Seemed real odd to me, but I can't say I was surprised. Very complex question, well worth thinking about.
*Yeah, but sharing their lunch with you is important too. Booger also makes incredible smoked mackerel, and has been known to bring me a rabbit or two. I like that in an empployee.
*...yeah, lunch sharing is good, but after considering this all afternoon, I'm thinkin' that to be a great employee, you have to share lunch AND be good with a radial arm saw.
*Lunch sharing is key....Yaa....I am with Mike on that...If yaa can slap together some PB&Js to get a crew through a long day far from home and they appreciate it...success.near the stream asking the next guys what they like for lunch,aj
*Jim, Agree with the lunch part but having trouble with the radial arm saw part ;)
*OK, I started this so I'll put in my two cents.Great employees are usually just plain good people too. They usually have manners (they call if they can't be there, say excuse me, don't spit on the floor, etc.) They know enough about what they do to know they don't know it all.Prima Donnas are not welcome on our crews, and neither are scammers, gold-brickers, or those prone to throw things across the room in a temper tantrum.You wanna be a professional? Act like one. That gets my respect.Ed. Williams
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OK,
To all you bosses out there, like me, who hire carpenters.....
What, to you, makes a great employee?
What's the difference between a "good" employee and a "great" employee?
Now I don't want to hear what the "ideal" employee would be......I'm talking real world here.
I've got my list of do's and don't, but I want to see what you will tolerate and what you won't.
Thanks,
Ed. Williams