realpurty2

I don't usually get on here and rant, but what is it with the labor market anymore?? We are on overload so I've been interviewing like crazy for weeks now and out of 30+ applications received, only two were actually qualified for the job they applied for. I can understand and expect some embellishment on their application but we seem to be getting some real doozies lately.


For a carpenter position, it's required to be able to read a tape measure (duh) so the application has a few images of a tape measure and the applicants have to write the correct measurement down. Seems simple enough right?

Today's applicant took the cake on bad answers.
7 and 31/32 on his paper was "7 and a smidgeon under 8"
11 and 7/16 was "11 and a half of a half"
Difference between a mitre and a bevel cut? "To keep things straight"
Sad part is, he wasn't even applying for a laborer or carpenter, this guy wanted the Lead Carp/Foreman job.

Worst Plumber answer to date...
What is Plumber's Putty? "Golf supplies"

You don't even want to know the off the wall things a supposed 13yr experienced electrician answered on his testing.. (nor do you want him doing your electric work)

We've tapped every resource we know of in the area and even managed to snag two great ones from a competitor, but we still need atleast 5-10 more guys and as soon as we could get them. I don't want LaborReady temp service trash... but has anyone ever used the Recruiting services like Aerotek?

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Woman in a Man's World.

Tscarborough

We need 2 drivers, 4 yard guys, a purchasing agent and 2 counter people, and have for 6 months or more. All we get for drivers and yard guys are those who lose half their checks for child support/judgements, and require special hours for parole officers, court ordered classes, etc.

No one even applies for the other positions.

Mike Finley

That one seems close enough for me, 7 31/32 is pretty much a smidgeon under 8, give or take a smidgen, what are you building particle accelerators?

YOu need 10 guys!?! Wow!

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bathroom remodeling - Denver, Lakewood, Littleton, Arvada, Westminster, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Englewood Colorado.

MKamis

I might suggest that you at least consider looking into workers with different experience looking to get into the trades. I myself was a tool and die maker for quite a while before going into remodeling. All of the important qualities are already there in a metals trade guy...

Knows measurements more exactly than you will ever need

Has a good eye for detail

Has a great understanding of anything mechanical, assembled, etc.

Awesome troubleshooting skills

Understands the need for effeciency without sacrificing quality

Is willing to put in overtime when needed

Is used to having one shot at cutting/grinding something accurately, therefore will not waste a lot of material




There are a hell of a lot of shops that have closed their doors, and there are a lot of guys with great skills, but their job experience doesn't translate well into any other markets. That is why I got out. I am now hiring a guy I used to work with in Tool and Die, and he has a bit to learn, but he is willing, able, and hardworking.

roofwiz74

rejects are rejects,they are in every trade.the best people to hire are the ones who take care of their responsibilities and willing to learn.

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You have ONE advantage over me.....you can kiss my butt and I can't!!

mahlere

you are in an area that pays $10-$15/hr for experience...anyone with experience will go out on their own and make a decent living...anyone willing to work for $10-$15/hr is going to be what you are seeing...sounds harsh, but think about it.

Chris Johnson

I am at the point now where we are starting a field test on the guys that apply, a lot of good tradesman can do the job good, they just can't tell you how they did it, they just know. I have started by having them build a simple item, as an example a 3x3x3 cube, there are several ways to get from point A to point B, so I just watch and see how they do it and time them. I have found this to be effective in getting decent guys. Some guys are all huff and puff and can't build this simple cube, and others who can't even fill the application out in full can sometimes amaze me in their skill levels.

Just a thought, but give it a try

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Chris

roofwiz74

I've worked with roofers who could barely read.Some were talented tradesman some were just stupid.

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You have ONE advantage over me.....you can kiss my butt and I can't!!

lukachuki

If I were you I would look for guys who have been in business for themselves for a short amount of time....say 1-5 years or so. Many of these guys, me included sometimes, would jump at the chance to jump back into a stable, low stress, good paying job. Many of these guys would be eminently qualified, but just couldn't put everything together to make a business run. Many people figure that running a business just requires knowing how to do the work....which of course is just a small part of the whole equation. After a certain amount of time many of these guys, due to financial pressure want back their stable 40-50 hr a week job but have burned a few bridges in trying to make it on their own. If you could offer a bridge you might get a few to walk. Don't know if this makes sense as I'm typing it as I eat lunch in pizza joint and I can't hear myself think.

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Tim

Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the night. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. - Terry Prachett

mdshunk

Seems like it's time to raise your prices, so you'll get less work. This will require less people, but your bottom line will remain the same. Just my opinion.

mickeyco

That gave me a good laugh, just what I needed today, thanks. I might have excepted the "smidgeon" answer if the rest where correct.

mdshunk

I worked with a guy once upon a time that read his tape rule in "nicks and clicks". "Fourteen inches, two nicks and a click", he'd say. Guy showed up faithfully every day, worked hard, and brought in home-made baked goods from time to time. The cookies and pies made up for the fact that he wasn't so good at reading a rule.

Same Old

When I did a lot of carpentry we had a system of 1/8ths with plus or minus.

i.e. 9/16" was either 1/2" plus or 5/8" minus. If it was 19/32" that would be 5/8" minus nothing.

It worked really well.

mickeyco

Hell, for home-made baked goods I'd overlook a lot, for some reson I'm now hungry for home-made cookies (Snicker Doodles) and pies (Apple). I did work in the US with a guy from the UK that still used a metric tape, pain in the a$$.

mickeyco

I have got to post this, MD starts talking about baked goods and an hour later my girlfriend comes home from work with bake goods and that's pretty rare , not home-made, but still, brownie cookies and cinamon cake. MD you need to start talking about motorcycles and strippers. I have attached a picture of the treats because if someone told me this story I might not believe it (yeah I know, I could have already had them at the house but I swear she just walked in with them).

Attached Images

 

Terran

Hi everybody,

I'm new here. It seems like you all have some good info. I'm a business major planning to go into construction.

Just thought I'd chime in on MKamis's point. My dad's a GC and he's had good luck with former chefs. His theory is that they're good at following directions and learning new processes (like recipes), so even though he had to teach them everything about construction, they are pretty quick studies.

Realpurty, is there any chance you'd be willing to post that application? It sounds like a good way to weed out the obvious "no's."

mdshunk

Must be some test they fill out at the interview, because here's their general app:
http://www.kandrconstruction.com/ten...ical_jobs.html

theartisan

if she brings home motorcycles and strippers i expect pics

realpurty2

And more... that's just what's needed as soon as we can get them.

Yep, which is why we doubled it for the truly experienced. We start everyone out on a 30 day probationary pay rate and at the end of the 30 days, if they have not missed, been late, and have truly been able to back up all they claim on resume's and applications, their intro rate doubles, plus Labor bonuses and benefits.

Love ya to death, but completely counter productive to what we are trying to accomplish. Prices have been raised, and for the market, we are actually rather pricey, but much to my surprise, we are closing even more now than before. It all snowballed after some good word of mouth hit the right ears. Not complaining, just trying to keep everything in perspective.

That is exactly what we are trying to get away from. Just like Mahlere said, we are in a low payscale area in general, so the labor pool is slim and none as far as good ones go. For years now we've tried to be the "open arms" giving anyone a chance, willing to teach them and allow them to learn as they go on our nickle. When I sat down and looked deeply at the labor cost, and just how much we had spent on unproductive employees who had frequent mistakes/redo's, poor work ethics in general, and had to be trained for even simple task.. it just is one big loss anyway you look at it. I ran the numbers , testing the concept in the field and we make more by paying more for qualified people who do not take long to become income producing employees.

Any way you look at it, if your employees can not function without direct one on one supervision or instruction... they are a burden not a help. We got rid of the flunkies, hired one top notch crew and turned them loose on a job....and the profits are soaring. (not bragging, just being honest.) Now I just need more exactly like them.

Sure, just give me time to get some other higher priorities finished over the weekend and I'll post it here.

Such as this one...

No fair MD... that's our old website and I don't have the new one up yet. That's another thing on my To Do list.

Anywho... thanks to all who chimed in. I'll find the cream of the crop eventually and until then, the ones we have are enjoying all the Overtime.

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Woman in a Man's World.

mdshunk

'Enjoying' and 'Overtime' only go in the same sentence for a few weeks.