kanadaeh

After rereading E-myth Revisited and a few others I decided I want to try to grow my painting biz this year. I put a game plan together, took on more work, and tried to hire(again) One painter claimed he had twelve years exp. but couldn't fill a nail hole or roll a wall. He lasted 45 minutes. I tried a few others without success so I went back to the drawing board. I decided to hire with no exp. and train but I wanted to train as fast as passably and keep them motivated with the least amount of babysitting. So I thought of doing a pay schedule where they get a small raise for each skill they can perform correctly, consistently, and in a reasonably amount of time. My thinking is the new employees will be able feel like they can advance quickly if they apply themselves. I don't know if this has been done before or if it is even a good idea so I thought I would ask you all what you thought. I just quickly created a pay schedule is there anything I should add/change? I am also going to write a brief how-to on each task just to teach the basics. Here is the pay schedule I just created:

Pay Schedule


Starting Wage (employees are expected to conduct themselves and behave in a manner that supports the efficient operation of the Company)

Airless Spraying .65 per hour
Brushwork .50 per hour
Caulking .45 per hour
Cleaning Brushes and Rollers .25 per hour
Cleaning Work Areas .25 per hour
Filling Nail Holes .30 per hour
Hand Sanding Trim .40 per hour
Pole Sanding Walls .40 per hour
Pressure Washing .65 per hour
Rolling .50 per hour
Scraping .40 per hour
Staining and Varnishing .50 per hour
Using Drop Clothes .25 per hour
Working With Heights .50 per hour


Due to the limited number of tasks at each job site, the project manager will decide who is best suited for each task. Specific tasks can NOT be chosen by employees. Employees will be evaluated daily by the project manager and the results will be reviewed every two weeks. When a skill can be performed properly, consistently, and in a reasonably amount of time, employees will then be awarded according to the pay schedule above.

dougchips

SO on day one they master the art of drop clothes and make 25 cents an hour? I like the idea might have some issues with labor laws?

Mike Finley

I like your concept, If it was me I would consolidate some of those skills. Create maybe 3 or 4 levels, with each level encompassing a certain amount of skill sets. So many separate things like you have it looks like a nightmare for you to manage. I might do something like

Entry Apprentice
Skilled Apprentice
Journey man
Painter

As they jump from one to another the pay scale would jump to in dollars instead of cents. The way you have it is very open ended with no real start or ending. People who are motivated as you are looking for like set goals that are defined and attainable. Titles can mean a lot to people when there are multiple people on a crew. The title of Journey man vs Skill apprentice could be worth more to that person than the increase in pay.

It's all good though, just going through the process of trying to do what you are doing is going to help you immensely.

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ProWallGuy

You're trying to reinvent the wheel. Check out NAPP, they have a structure already set up.

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Paper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

Ed the Roofer

PWG,

Does that NAPP business In Gear translate to other trades as well, such as roofing?

Ed

KENNEDY

The idea can translate to any trade, but NAPPs Training Manual is set up for painters. It is like an union apprenticeship program with text books, skill levels, along with in the field training. The whole program is a pretty amazing thing and it puts the employees in charge of their own destiny. It lays out a career path from entry level to foreman/ supervisor with set pay increments tied to skill, not only time in business.

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Sean Kennedy
St. Louis Painting Contractor
Kennedy Painting LLC

Danahy

Keep that list hidden.

Pay em beginners wage to start, then after 3 months pull out that list, tally what skills that have accomplished at that point, then either give em a raise, or let em go.

Next evaluation to be held at year intervals after that.

Brian

Ed,

In Gear is very easy to translate to other trades. It's purpose is to help you identify your personal and business goals. It is essentially a process to help you build the kind of business you want to own and operate. It is a business manual, rather than a manual for painters.

Brian Phillips

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Houston Painters
Houston Radiant Barriers

George Z

We do it like this:

- Advertise a job
- 40 60 people send a resume
- everyone gets e-mailed an application
- 15 to 20 send it back
- five or six get interviewed
- one or two get hired

the NAPP training program is good,

Find out what the employee wants out of this job.
Find out early enough so you don't waste your time.
Map out a plan, a career (for them, and with them).
Specific benchmarks are great, but not that specific.

Apprentice 1, apprentice 2, Painter 1 Painter 2 etc.
with well defined skills and pay.
NAPP has that kind of thing.

And don't forget:
this is someone's job and future.
They have a life to plan, a family to support.

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Painting Toronto Blog

Ed the Roofer

Brian,

Do I need to be a member to order? How much is the cost of the package? I am a roofing contractor? Can a member purchase the package at a discounted price?

Thanks,

Ed

thom

For most, attitude is the critical element. If the employee has a positive attitude, wants to learn, and wants to do a good job, your idea will work, kinda, but it becomes more difficult to monitor than is necessary. If the attitude isn't right, don't bother keeping him past lunch the first day.

There are a few who have a great attitude, want to learn, but are unable to get it right. Some guys will never be able to cut a line, roll smoothly, or spray evenly. Cut them loose quickly also. These are the toughest ones to cut loose becuase they really do try and do have a positive attitude, they just won't get it.

About 30 years ago I was teaching in a vocational HS. I had a long talk with a counselor one day, and picked up some valuable pointers. His discussion was about a specific individual, but it could be anyone.

When you hire an apprentice who knows nothing, go slow but steady with the raises. Substantial raises quickly will lead him to believe he is becomming worth more than he is. He will then become dissatisfied with the lack of raises in the future.

Many young guys don't understand the "journeyman" concept where you have reached a level of performance that makes you qualified to do the job in total. A journeyman of 1 year and a journeyman of 20 years can show equal performance and get equal pay. They think that $1 raise every six months should go on forever, when it stops they become disenchanted with their current employer and leave.

dougchips

[quote=


And don't forget:
this is someone's job and future.
They have a life to plan, a family to support.[/QUOTE]


Thanks for the reminder George. It is really easy to overlook the fact that they also have a career path and a family to feed. Generally we focus on ---me--my company--my customers-- me me me! When I ask my guys their 1 year or 5 year plans, I have been really asking what are their plans to help me in 1-5 years and not their own goals.