Difficulty Finding Decent Help??

Debookkeeper

I was just wondering how many others out there are having or have had such difficulty finding decent help? I have been going through this with the GC I work for, and have never seen anything this bad! He needs a few competent carpenters - the kind he doesn't have to babysit! He does high end quality work, so he is particular about who he hires. Where are all the craftsmen? Does everyone go through this? Are all the good ones taken? I just recently tried a construction temp agency

DecksEtc

All of us "good ones" run our own business!

nadonailer

Yep, 'fraid so - I feel fortunate that I have a few decent laborers that show up on time and not too hung-over!

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maj

Funny you should bring this up?

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The views expressed in this post are merely opinions of named poster and in no way shall be deemed meaningful by members of the herd. By no means does anything posted by named poster mean a damn thing for anyone else partaking in this thread.

Debookkeeper

I take it my GC is not alone You said the same thing recently Maj? Well, I think it's sad. I was watching his Dad (who is in his late 70's) and still works in the shop doing the custom millwork and wondered if the future craftsmen will be scarce. Okay, I am going to go right now... how do you do the quotes in the highlighted box?????

go dart

debo i battle the same thing every day. workforce thats availiable is either way past their prime (and expensive to insure) , carrying a drug problem, or have no real talent.

maj

Actually Bookie, Teetor said that quote, and I agree 100%.

Highlight what you want quoted, then click the box with the words in it, the 4th one from the right. Next to the #

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The views expressed in this post are merely opinions of named poster and in no way shall be deemed meaningful by members of the herd. By no means does anything posted by named poster mean a damn thing for anyone else partaking in this thread.

Grumpy

Ahhh that's not true! I have a few good guys working for me who have NO interest in running their own business. They know their job and they do it well. They will even work over time... but they are just interested in working 40-50 hours a week and spending the rest of the time with their family. They want to collect their pay checks and not have to worry about chasing every dollar.

The problem is these guys are few and far between, and their employers hold onto them like superglue.

rino1494

Yup, good thing for us young guys. We'll be able to charge more years down the road.

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Grumpy

An easier way is to just hit the "quote" button at the bottom right hand corner of every reply.

maj

Oh yeah, you could do that too..... DUH

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The views expressed in this post are merely opinions of named poster and in no way shall be deemed meaningful by members of the herd. By no means does anything posted by named poster mean a damn thing for anyone else partaking in this thread.

maj

Oh, wait a minute..... Doesn't that just get the quote on the same thread. What about quotes from other threads?

Like what I did with teetors. I dug it out from another thread, then put it on this one.

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The views expressed in this post are merely opinions of named poster and in no way shall be deemed meaningful by members of the herd. By no means does anything posted by named poster mean a damn thing for anyone else partaking in this thread.

Debookkeeper

2: Okay... I SWEAR I am a competent intelligent person capable of running construction companies!

Debookkeeper

Oops! It did work. Sorry, I didn't mean to get from the business forum!

dayspring

That's the way it is, and we have the same trouble, finding and keeping good competent help.

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Woz the Painter

I think other some contractors find good help, but force their [style] of doing things down workers throats, then wonder why good people leave. If a worker does quality work in a decent amount, give him or her a little slack if it isn't exactly the way you would do it yourself. One might find this can lead to retaining better people.

Debookkeeper

I am on the fence with this one. On one hand if you have a successful business with a respected reputation - you obviously are doing something very right, and therefore have the right to request your workers perform with your "style" Sometimes perhaps the employees should realize they are collecting a steady check every week, get to go home at 4-5pm and have no business stresses, and should just do what is requested. However, if they are coming out with the same quality result in a timely manner with a different "style", and the contractor is still busting chops then you're right. He would be way too rigid to work for and not worth it! I think the others are right... the good ones are already working and their employer is keeping them happy!!