[BUFF]

Many of us have mentioned issues with recruiting along with the quality of the employee's looking for work and after vetting and interviewing you make a choice to hire or pass. With the quality of candidates looking generally being sub par you can hire 5 and end up with 1-2 good employees is what I'm seeing.
Once you get a good employee now you have to deal with retaining them. As an employer you use to just have to pay a good wage, offer plenty of overtime when justified, have good equipment, have good work and have benefits. Employees that shined above the rest were recognized by wage increases and advancement opportunity's. They also came to you when they weren't happy or frustrated or wanted something, could be wage increase, advancement, equipment needs / improvements, etc....
Those days are pretty mulch long gone when you have Millennials or Gen Z employees. Now it's up to the employer to know what they're thinking /wanting rather then them telling the employer and if they don't get what they think they want they give notice because the employer isn't giving them something they feel entitled to.
Recently we've had 3 employees that have been with the company for 8-14yrs give notice and leave. Common reasons were, money, career growth, not enough flexibility in their schedule and work is too demanding. All three were Millennials or Gen Z.

This is a pretty good read and not to wordy.....

https://www.theguardian.com/busines...gret-employees-quitting?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1

Many of the things mentioned in the article are things I'm seeing at work and don't see things getting better or turned around.

 

[MIDTOWNPC]

If it doesn’t work they will take me back

 

[Mr.Markus]

They wont take me back... I plan on burning all the bridges with my boss on the way out.

 

[EWSplow]

They wont take me back... I plan on burning all the bridges with my boss on the way out.

If I could find a replacement for my employee, I would. He's past his prime, but a warm body who shows up to work is better than nothing.

 

[Mr.Markus]

If I could find a replacement for my employee, I would. He's past his prime, but a warm body who shows up to work is better than nothing.

When I did work with employees I always found the older ones were harder to direct/instruct. If you gave them a task you were better off to give them a timeline than instruction on how to do it. Its almost as if they look for an excuse to not meet the timeline and if they dont it was cause of the way you wanted them to do it. Their work ethic is usually phenomenal, but as even you get older you realize age does slow you down a bit.
Hopefully you are working for the right people by then at the right price.

 

[Kvston]

I have found that finding the right work ethic and background is a better barometer than experience or tossing a hook out into the marketplace: I've been tapping guys from a local non-profit who are unhappy with the direction its going, but they have a strong desire to serve. We as a company do various things for free to help the community-primarily as church outreaches. We also offer non-traditional benefits such as the paid company Bible study Thursday mornings. People are free to attend or not, eat the food or not, but I go [someone else hosts] and pay for whoever in my organization wants to go.

I'm also trying for the first time, sending job openings direct to a carpenter trade school to see if I can get some interest there figuring at least most of these young men want to be in the industry. Perhaps one will want to do log homes and live in a pretty sweet area for outdoor recreation.

 

[plow4beer]

If it doesn't work they will take me back

That only works for superstars, that leave on good terms…..but then again, it seems we have a lot of younger people that think they're mulch better than they are.

"Putting in your time" is scoffed at by a lot of younger people today…they want it all now

 

[thelettuceman]

A friend of mine is a doctor that has is own practice. Graduates straight out of med school and internship want $250,000.00 a year. Not a typo.

 

[BUFF]

I have found that finding the right work ethic and background is a better barometer than experience or tossing a hook out into the marketplace: I've been tapping guys from a local non-profit who are unhappy with the direction its going, but they have a strong desire to serve. We as a company do various things for free to help the community-primarily as church outreaches. We also offer non-traditional benefits such as the paid company Bible study Thursday mornings. People are free to attend or not, eat the food or not, but I go [someone else hosts] and pay for whoever in my organization wants to go.

I'm also trying for the first time, sending job openings direct to a carpenter trade school to see if I can get some interest there figuring at least most of these young men want to be in the industry. Perhaps one will want to do log homes and live in a pretty sweet area for outdoor recreation.

Been doing trade school jobs fairs for aboot 12yrs and have found getting farm kids from Nebraska are the best hires. They typically have vacationed in Colo, like the mtns and the public ground access so it's a pretty easy sell. Biggest issue is some farm kids get home sick and go back home. Both schools (east and central Neb) I go to have stats on grad job placement and one of the stats is 70% that move oot of state return within a year, after the 1st year and following years the average drops but 15% per year.
Also do jobs fairs in Colo and have found the majority of the kids think you owe then and they're not serious aboot learning the trade.

 

[jato]

A friend of mine is a doctor that has is own practice. Graduates straight out of med school and internship want $250,000.00 a year. Not a typo.

Nurses in my area are now making about twice what they were making before Covid. Because temporary positions with high pay opened up and they left the hospital to take those. Out of state. Now those jobs are over and to lure the nurses back to work the hospital had to raise their salaries. And they are still short handed with nurses having too many patients and admitted patients using gurneys in the ER instead of actual rooms.

 

[Diesel Dan]

Many of us have mentioned issues with recruiting along with the quality of the employee's looking for work and after vetting and interviewing you make a choice to hire or pass. With the quality of candidates looking generally being sub par you can hire 5 and end up with 1-2 good employees is what I'm seeing.
Once you get a good employee now you have to deal with retaining them. As an employer you use to just have to pay a good wage, offer plenty of overtime when justified, have good equipment, have good work and have benefits. Employees that shined above the rest were recognized by wage increases and advancement opportunity's. They also came to you when they weren't happy or frustrated or wanted something, could be wage increase, advancement, equipment needs / improvements, etc....
Those days are pretty mulch long gone when you have Millennials or Gen Z employees. Now it's up to the employer to know what they're thinking /wanting rather then them telling the employer and if they don't get what they think they want they give notice because the employer isn't giving them something they feel entitled to.
Recently we've had 3 employees that have been with the company for 8-14yrs give notice and leave. Common reasons were, money, career growth, not enough flexibility in their schedule and work is too demanding. All three were Millennials or Gen Z.

This is a pretty good read and not to wordy.....

https://www.theguardian.com/busines...gret-employees-quitting?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1

Many of the things mentioned in the article are things I'm seeing at work and don't see things getting better or turned around.

God forbid anyone younger than you wants a career.

 

[BUFF]

God forbid anyone younger than you wants a career.

Where and how did you come up with that?

 

[BadMechanic]

Where and how did you come up with that?

Im assuming his rear end and with his fist.

But Im no doctor.

 

[Philbilly2]

I got a few things on this topic.

#1: I blame the parents
I still laugh at my dad to this day. To much pride to ask for help. I can't count the number of times that he will struggle with something for days before he would ever ask for help. That simple put your head down and do work attitude is learned... if you think your kids are not paying attention to their parents work ethic... I got a 6 y/o at home that can tell you different.

#2: These kids have never been threw a recession.
Jumping around jobs is fun, but typically, if you are not a rock star... last one in... first one out.

#3: I don't think any of these kids look ahead. (or if anyone is telling them to?)
I can remember my grandpa asking me at 18 if I started an IRA yet? I told him I didn't need one cause I had a union retirement. He shook his head and said not to rely on anything that is not "yours"

 

[plow4beer]

#3: I don't think any of these kids look ahead. (or if anyone is telling them to?)
I can remember my grandpa asking me at 18 if I started an IRA yet? I told him I didn't need one cause I had a union retirement. He shook his head and said not to rely on anything that is not "yours"

While i agree with your entire post, this one (invest into your own retirement account - IRA's/mutual funds/individual stocks/etc…regardless if you have an employer program/pension/etc) is something one of my grandpa's beat in my head early as well, and I'm very great full for it…and ive been telling the same thing to my kids, as well as all my nephews/nieces/etc.

 

[BUFF]

While i agree with your entire post, this one (invest into your own retirement account - IRA's/mutual funds/individual stocks/etc…regardless if you have an employer program/pension/etc) is something one of my grandpa's beat in my head early as well, and I'm very great full for it…and ive been telling the same thing to my kids, as well as all my nephews/nieces/etc.

Dad told me damn near the same thing when I was young. He also told me, when you get a raise put the increase in wage away and continue living as you have been along with, when you get a bonus keep $100.00 and spend as you want and put the rest away.
So work and retirement are one in the same , you get what you put into it...just different times in you life.

 

[jomama45]

I got a few things on this topic.

#1: I blame the parents
I still laugh at my dad to this day. To much pride to ask for help. I can't count the number of times that he will struggle with something for days before he would ever ask for help. That simple put your head down and do work attitude is learned... if you think your kids are not paying attention to their parents work ethic... I got a 6 y/o at home that can tell you different.

#2: These kids have never been threw a recession.
Jumping around jobs is fun, but typically, if you are not a rock star... last one in... first one out.

#3: I don't think any of these kids look ahead. (or if anyone is telling them to?)
I can remember my grandpa asking me at 18 if I started an IRA yet? I told him I didn't need one cause I had a union retirement. He shook his head and said not to rely on anything that is not "yours"

You pretty much just described my upbringing to a tee. My Dad grew up the youngest of 5 on a farm, to a Dad that "drank and screwed away" any discretionary money when he went to town. His parents got divorced in 1953 in an area that might as well been the Bible Belt. And his grandparents also got divorced in the early 30's in the same area, which was unheard of in that time.

Needless to say, they grew up poor, and and my Dad still likes to believe he still is, although I can't fathom a scenario where he can't outlive his wealth. He was raised to bust his hump and a dime an hour might not be much, but it's better than a nickel, which is why I'm confident he's still working as hard as possible at 77.

I still avoid using the word "can't " to this day, after being told by him for many years that he didn't recognize the word. Finally, at probably 11 years old, he unleashed on me one day and said "why don't you just be honest with me and tell me that you're too [email protected]?! lazy to do it rather than use the word can't! " Not sure I've actually muttered the word since.

He also installed the power of saving money as well, always reminding me that I'd retire off of the money that I stowed away at 18, not 50......

PS, point #2 hit's the nail on the head as well, and I'm confident that none of us here has functioned through a recession like we're about to see......

 

[Mark Oomkes]

PS, point #2 hit's the nail on the head as well, and I'm confident that none of us here has functioned through a recession like we're about to see......

C'mon man...inflation is a good thing. Govco spending has nothing to do with inflation...it helps it. If you can't afford gas, go buy an EV cuz you know...the thing.

 

[Diesel Dan]

Where and how did you come up with that?

Recently we've had 3 employees that have been with the company for 8-14yrs give notice and leave. Common reasons were, money, career growth,

I didn't, you did :laugh:

 

[BUFF]

I didn't, you did :laugh:

Ok... guess you missed the part where the millenial / Gen Z employee expects the employer guess / know what they want rather than being vocal about it and letting the employer know even when given a chance.
Part of the annual review process includes a section for what they felt they accomplished this past year, what they want to accomplish the coming year for career growth and what they feel can be done to improve the company. Most employees don't fill out their section and the majority are millennials and Gen Z employees.
I wasn't a helicopter parent for my kids and won't take on a similar roll for an employee.