Business Size And Quality Employees...

ruskent

I been doing alot of thinking lately. I know a lot of guys on here keep on saying that they just want to stay small, always work in the feild, etc. Than they complain about finding good employees, employees not showing up, showing up drunk, asking for money 2 days after pay day etc.

I'm starting to really think that if you are a 1 crew company, you may never find good reliable workers. I mean where can those workers take their career to?

Now if you were a bigger company, workers would have more ambition to due well. The might all start as laborers, but one day they could be a crew leader, then general manger, sales manger, district mangers, Vice President etc, etc etc. I think it would be much easier to attract better works.

What do you guys think?

Matt

George Z

I think you are right.
Someone I respect in the industry said and I am paraphrasing:
Find out what they want, what their dreams and aspirations are
and see if you can make this happen within your company.
It is difficult to convince someone in a donut shop meeting,
that your one person organization can do that.

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dougchips

If someones only talent is with a hammer, how far do they think they can take their own career? If Joe woke up on Monday and got a job swinging a hammer because it was the only trade that he knew, then his career path would be swinging a hammer. If Joe is motivated and asks his boss what it takes to step up the ladder then maybe he get get somewhere. Maybe Joe can read some books, watch some tape and learn another skill or his boss could teach him a new one. If Joe is not motivated then he can swing a hammer for his entire career which is fine. Joe's third option is to show up to work drunk and smelling like weed, bad Joe!

Your reference to bigger companies and employees with more ambition, I think of four words----Home-- Creapo--mc--donalds

BTW- I have no idea who Joe is.

George Z

I didn't get the point.

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Mike Finley

Yes.

dshcontracting

I disagree. Bigger companies can absorb the bumbling idiots easier. If your in a large company, you can move up the ladder faster even though you can't read a tape measure because there isn't as much oversight. And maybe this leads to more money, maybe not. Probably a title, like foreman. But with a small crew, as long as you reward the person for doing good work, they won't leave you. If you make your 8 dollar employee who can frame roofs on his own sweep the site and polish your shoes, he's gonna quit. Treat him as an equal and share the responsibilities on the job site, and he'll be with you forever. You also can't pay him 8 dollars. You need to compensate him for what he can really do. In the end, he'll make more money then the guy that's called foreman. My whole extended family owns companies, my parents own a machine shop. My dad has been president of large companies, managing 70-100 employees, and now he has run his own place for 17 years with 3 guys. His words of wisom "don't ever make your employee do something that he wouldn't see you doing", like taking the garbage out. Employees respect you if they see you sharing the load. As for attracting people, these days most people care about 2 things. Job security and benefits. Both usually come with a larger company and I think that is why most people are attracted to larger companies.

Dan

BTW: I can't find quality people, and I'm small, so maybe i'm wrong

Thewoodman

I think that is is harder to compete with the bigger companys for new hires. Some offer ins, vacation,ect, ect, ect...

But on the flip side some people get very feed up working with the bigger companys, having 5 suited people in shiny hardhats watching you dig a hole, dealing with all the politics, little or no appreciation.

So I think there are some good guys out there that would work for a smaller company ( If you find one treat them with respect, Let them know you appreciate them, value there input, they may stick around).

Mark

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fez-head

I was told by Administaff that I had to have at least 6 employees to qualify for their program. So I guess I would like to have 6 employees someday so I could offer the full benefits of a POE company.

Stone Mountain

We had a young carpenter start for us maybe 18 years ago. we paid maybe $10-12/hr. When I split with my brother, the worker went with him. He's still there, he's my brother's right hand man (He's a GC) and earns over $100,000 a year. My brother is a 1 man company with about 15 workers.
Now that I'm starting to franchise myself, I plan on bringing several of my guys along for the ride.

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BreyerConstruct

What's that really cheep meat that arrives in metal cans called again??


...

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ButlerDesigns

I agree, but it's hard to really find a fantastic worker anywhere. Atleast for me in VA it is. It's like they are great at one thing like lets say framing a house, but don't know how to install a door handle. This is the people I come across trying to hire after they tell me they can do anything. I need someone multi skilled!!

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Grumpy

I have said this many times and I will say it many times again, there is no good reason to be small. You have good and bad companies in the small and large categories but large companies can usually grab and hold onto better employees if that's what they care enough to do.

Someone said large companies can absord the knuckle heads, and if that's the perogative of the business management, they themselves are knuckle heads. I feel it's easier for a large company to get RID of the knuckle heads because if necessary they can always pull one guy off a crew to fill in as necessary until a replacement can be hired.

I know still being small and growing, I have been put in the position of having my hands tied on an employee I wanted to fire a few times. Having a small company means every man matters even more. There usually isn't anybody extra to pick up the slack.

The joys of running a seasonal business = it gives me a convenient excuse to clean house once a year. All the schlubs get fired first.

copusbuilder

All depends on what the worker is looking for. Contrary to popular belief bigger is not always better. I have my right hand man that runs my business 100= miles from my home. I have been in town once since before Christmas. I draw a salary every week and have the perks to go with it.
Bob, (his real name) is paid well and likes his job. Others come and go and I have a number of decent subs to help with overload. Sometimes the aggression that comes with the "faster gotta have more" mentality can make your life, and business the pits.
Only you can answer that.
I enjoy my time and do not have to dream about f-ups that occur when the company gets bigger and out of hand.... Just my 2 cents

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Danahy

I think presently I like being a one man operation. I don't think it's a bad idea to have employees. It's just at this point (12 years experience), I am still riding the high of feeling like I'm the best person for the job, and am not confident in anyone elses work, but as I mentioned - that's today. Tomorrow, or some other year when the buzz wears off alittle, I'll probably look to expand and switch more into a share mode with another generation passing along everything I know, and actually be in the mind set to give them my time to ensure they succeed... Make alittle money from them, allow myself to step downwards, slow down the pace and see where it takes me...

I think both can be equally rewarding, just depends where your heart is at the moment.

K_Tile

Some people want steady work, some want to feel appreciated, some want money, others want a job title. You just have to find the right person for your business model. Bigger doesn't mean better! If you ever look at the Big 50 remodelers they dont all have 50 employees. Most of them have about 5-10 people and 1.5+ mil annual sales. I think if you keep people happy, stay small and offer profit sharing good workers will work hard and reap the rewards and stay for the long haul.