Hiring, or, How is this world going to stay in orbit

cory

Tree House enthusiast
Joined
Aug 23, 2008
Messages
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Location
CT
I need a new ground man, haven't needed to hire one for the last 4 or 5 years. It is mind boggling the quality of people out there. I could post 2 pages here of craziness involved, but among the most noteworthy is that I hire guys after phone interviews and they don't show up next AM for their new job. The latest guy was 21 years old, has 2 kids with another on the way, interviewed well, had several years experience paving (i.e. hard outdoor work) and sounded extremely eager for the job. Didn't show up next morning, didn't call. How is this gentleman going to support that family?? Welfare, I presume.

Another guy was 44 yo, had painted houses for years with his father, his father retired so he was looking for something else. Had 4 kids, sounded bright was very eager for the job. Liked working hard outdoors, interviewed well. I thanked him and said I would get back to him after talking to the other folks who respond to the ad (Craigslist, $25.00 vs $300.00+ for 1 week in local newspaper, btw). So I called back a couple hours later and offered him the job. He said he would have to talk to his wife and call me back. He called back half hour later and was sorry for "wasting your time", said he couldn't take the job, he was sorry etc, no reason given for rejecting the job. I was trying to figure out what was up there and wondered whether he was on welfare and a full time job starting at $14.00/hr might get him booted off.

Guys not showing up for their first day is something I have experienced many times before:?, but a new trend that has developed that didn't exist 4 or 5 years ago among guys seeking entry level labor jobs , is that they have 2-3 page resumes detailing in flowery bullshit language how they have worked in warehouses moving boxes and using hand trucks, and the courses they have taken and certificates they've received working at community centers changing lightbulbs and being security guards.

It is crazy to me the number of people out there who have no legal means to support themselves. I probably work 80-100 hours/week and I'm starting to feel like a sucker for being the dope who is funding the folks who are too lazy or too addled to work.

The college kid I had who was a physics major only lasted about 3 weeks. The kid had math aptitude fwiw, but zero common sense and less than zero physical strength. It is an adventure finding help.
 
I did exactly that two days ago Cory. Hired a guy, a good friend's son, and said be at the jobsite at 8:15. He followed by saying he could make it by 9:30. Um,WTF? He never showed or called. My main man now makes close to 30/ and worth every penny, but it's is seriously hard to find entry level lackies.
 
If I could find a couple good guys, I'd take over my buddy Mike's business. But that's an impossible feat. He was lucky to have one (let alone two) guys to help. It was basically Mike, me, and a third hand whenever we could get one. Sheesh!
 
@ Cory

You need more than a groundsman? Three climbers can make ya needing an extra salesman.

Class A CDL
Ct Arborist
Ct supervisory forest products harvester

And a partial college experience in horticulture.

PM with offers, can start SEPT 1st. Not kidding. :)
 
It's good to know that I could always go back to the states and probably get a job. I'm so used to breaks at ten and three, you would have to coordinate your schedules with mine, but perhaps that would be acceptable in return for a hard worker... :lol:
 
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  • #8
B, I've got a kick ass climber, I need a workhorse on the ground, but I will happily settle for a warm body who shows up.
 
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  • #9
Its funny, the lame physics kid, you should have seen him try to rake, you'd have to see it to believe it, he would gently, slowly scratch at the ground, holding the rake the way you hold a hoe. But I remember my kick ass climber's first day 6 years ago, he started as a ground guy and I remember watching him and thinking, " damn, this kid rakes hard"!

I guess ya either have it or ya don't
 
I have a really good groundie right now and treat him well with the hope of keeping him. I hate with a passion trying out new guys. Having said that I had a guy call me up who I met through making the Wraptor and ask me if I would consider taking on an apprentice climber. The kid is 22 and is an avid rock climber, worked construction for 2 years but got laid off and figured he would like a climbing job. I talked to him and he sounds OK, I told him he needs to be flexible as I need help with manufacturing, tree work and post and beam construction. I told him staright up if I hire him its to buy me some time off as all I do is work:lol:

I had a kid work for me a few years ago after a big storm and literally if you werent watching over his shoulder he would sit down and just smoke cigarettes. He lived at home and calls me every month or so to see if I need help, not his help I dont
 
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  • #14
I told him staright up if I hire him its to buy me some time off as all I do is work:lol:

Lol, I had a guy work for me a while back, said I was the best boss he ever had, cuz "he does all the work". Haha. Im complaining not bragging.

I had a kid work for me a few years ago after a big storm and literally if you werent watching over his shoulder he would sit down and just smoke cigarettes. He lived at home and calls me every month or so to see if I need help, not his help I dont

Omg, that is hilarious, and pathetic.
 
Seems it's a worldwide problem finding good workers these days. I've paid top money and even then they'll let you down, so I gave up looking and just stuck with the only good one I ever had. We can handle most stuff around here even if it takes a bit longer. I work alone a lot now and he has other part time work as things aren't as busy as they used to be.

I was taking down a couple of pines not long ago and a few doors up two guys from a big company were doing a little tree. They finished just as I started, then sat in the truck and watched me till I had them down and chipped, about two hours.

Turned the chipper off and started cleaning up when one of them strolls down the road and asks for a job. I didn't need his help either.
 
So far in my hunt for man power the best have been straight off the boat Mexican. They work their ass off but communication and legal issues make them short lived on the job.
 
If I could find a couple good guys, I'd take over my buddy Mike's business. But that's an impossible feat. He was lucky to have one (let alone two) guys to help. It was basically Mike, me, and a third hand whenever we could get one. Sheesh!

Doesn't Mike have sons?
 
Glad to know I'm not alone in my quest for a good groundsman. Of the 5 people who have responded to my ad 4 didn't have drivers licences:banghead:
And all of them were 40+ no youth is interested in working hard it seems. One good one would make my life perfect right now. Till then I'll keep keeping on.
 
Having said that I had a guy call me up who I met through making the Wraptor and ask me if I would consider taking on an apprentice climber. The kid is 22 and is an avid rock climber, worked construction for 2 years but got laid off and figured he would like a climbing job. I talked to him and he sounds OK, I told him he needs to be flexible as I need help with manufacturing, tree work and post and beam construction. I told him staright up if I hire him its to buy me some time off as all I do is work:lol:

You need to hire him as soon as possible.
 
Glad to know I'm not alone in my quest for a good groundsman. Of the 5 people who have responded to my ad 4 didn't have drivers licences:banghead:
And all of them were 40+ no youth is interested in working hard it seems. One good one would make my life perfect right now. Till then I'll keep keeping on.

Last time I advertised I got two calls, one was from some guys sister and the other one asked "what's the vehicle situation":saywhat: I said you drive here or to the job, he hung up.

Made the mistake of giving a new guy a vehicle to get home and back once, he'd worked for an old tree guy I knew. That never happened again.
 
Seems to be a common problem! Glad I'm not in the boat alone. C-list seems to have a lot of badass, family men/women looking for work but can't even show up! Drives me crazy, no accountability and poor work ethic. Seems the best solution is to find young forestry/trades workers and train them up.
 
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  • #25
Cory, what can you buy to do the work of a guy that you don't already have?

Nothing that I know of. We are well mechanized but still there is raking involved, occasional brush dragging, and I need 3 drivers for 3 trucks on most jobs.

Well, will miracles never cease, I had a guy work today from a temp agency, he actually showed up and he was basically great, bright and worked hard. Going to keep him indefinitely.:)
 
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