Had a couple employees quit on me this week. Wouldn't even say why when I asked to see if there was something I could do to keep them. We are a family small demolition business. I am the son. My dad started doing this in 1978 and I've basically been doing it since I was born in 1988. We treat our employees very well in my opinion. We provide clothing including outerwear, vacation paid, not too serious if you call out sick unless it turns into a problem, very easy to talk to if there is a problem. Like I said we are small usually 7-8 employees total so I know everyone in and out no feeling of disconnection with management. I'm trying to get a feel for the current job market. I know some people don't like to give this information but figured it doesn't hurt to ask. What do you usually start employees out at and if you wouldn't mind what is current pay. Basic laborers, non skilled just picking up and raking. Drivers both Cdl and non. Equipment operating is basically just me and my dad but I'd be curious to know. I've been talking with my dad and just want to get a broader view. We are rural small state small town. Thank you guys for any information. I will say I've paid all different rates and no matter what it seems it's hard to get people that want to work these days. Thanks again guys and if this is in the wrong forum I apologize.
As you said, just laborers... Weather is getting colder and better (in their mind)jobs are opening up after a long drought. People stay in a job because the alternatives are worse, pay less, or there's some future benefit. What would entice you to stay as a laborer in your business ? Answer that and you can solve your turn-over problem.
a company I know cant hang on to labors because of drug testing the pay is about 10 dollars an hour which isn't bad to be a labor and the chance to move up. the ones that do stay are able to move to do better things be operators or something else no one wants to stay labor forever no matter the pay everyone wants to advance some how.
What do you currently pay?
Just as a point of reference on pay rates. A couple miles from my house a new Fastrac station is nearing completion and they have a sign out front looking for people that states pay rate of $10. to $16.00 an hour. No idea of what if any benefits or if it would be full time or part time. Don't think many just starting are able to understand the value of benefits, money in hand at payday is all some see. You say "I know everyone in and out no feeling of disconnection with management." But if they won't even give you a hint at the reason they are leaving seems to me that they must feel different. I know back around 45 years ago when I was working at McDonalds and I got the chance to work in the new shop at the local quarry my boss at McDonalds asked me why I was quitting. I was honest and told him what the quarry was paying, forget what it was but probably around $3.00 an hour, I was worried he might be upset. To his credit he just said "Well I can't beat that, but if it doesn't work out let me know and you can come back here." As a side note I think I might be one of the few people working at a McDonalds to ever get paid overtime! Only happened once when I had to fill in for another guy on a Saturday. Another thing is I very rarely worked weekends and never nights!
If you have multiple people quitting at the same time, and they won't tell you why, pay rate is not the problem.
This is a tough one. The first thing I would look at is your screening process. How are you finding these guys, and what are the criteria they need to have to be working for you? It could be the quality of people you have working for you is not that all that great. As joispoi mentioned if multiple people quit without telling you why, it’s unlikely that pay is the problem. Pay is important for a lot of people, but I don’t think it would be a reason not to tell an employer. After all, employers understand that employees must do what’s best for number one. The second thing I would look at is your communication with your employees. As kshansen mentioned, there might be a problem. There can be things that you will never be able to find out as a boss, simply because there is a divide between you and the employee. Have you allowed for open and honest feedback, without the risk of reprisal? At some of the places I’ve worked, people all knew what was wrong but didn’t want to say for fear of getting fired. I have no doubt that your intent is in the right place, but you approach might need some work. Hope you’re able to work this out.
I hate to say it DEMOGUY but if you say you know these guys in & out.. and they wouldn't talk to you.?? money AINT the problem.. I'm sure you'll hear about it sooner than later.. you know how people like to talk.. Hope it works out for ya.. IF you DO find out.. let us know, maybe it'll keep some of us from makin that mistake.. NOT SAYIN' you made one.. you know what I mean.. Heck, maybe one of the guys was going into business for himself and took the others w/ him?? THAT would be a reason NOT to talk!! I hate it when THAT HAPPENS.. cuz you KNOW they'll try to steel your customers..
Sometimes all it takes is one starts complaining a little bit and then other guys get on the bandwagon. It could be over something really stupid like how come we don't get to operate the machines or how come we have to do all the grunt work, or come the boss or others don't help us, etc. It's not because anybody did anything wrong. Some people even though hired for a specific job want to do someone's else's job even though they don't have the experience. You could have a laborer watching an experienced excavator operator thinking it's easy and he could do it just as good or better but put him in the seat and he won't even know how to take the safety off.
I'll toss in my honest $0.02. Like it or not I'm honest and fairly experienced. I've been everything from a laborer on our family farm to a factory worker to a construction supervisor with up to 30 people to now owning my own business and currently hiring employees. The old saying of "people don't quit jobs, they quit bosses" holds 90%+ true IMHO. Communication is the #1 killer. Hearing and listening are two very different things. Even as a supervisor and now an owner I try to make sure my guys are "co-workers" but at the same time knowing I was going to make the final call. Giving the employees a little buy-in on a job means a heck of a lot more than wages. Give them guidelines and let them have a little say in the little details where possible. I will lay out a job with a foreman and the crew by telling them what we need to accomplish and what wasn't acceptable. I would only poke my nose in if I saw a wreck coming. Ownership of a project is huge and each employee needs that to a point. You refer to them as laborers and you and Dad as operators. Do you ever let anyone try out a machine at the end of the day or on a non-specific job? You may just cultivate a diamond in the rough. A little fun at work at the end of a successful job builds great moral. I don't mean to sound like management was the problem here but I highly doubt it was wages unless they were terrible. I've quit jobs paying well over $30/hr with great bennies and stuck at places making half that. It was because of management that I left, and the work environment and the chance for advancement that I stayed. Keep us informed. Twisted
Yes, better working conditions over more pay any day! A lot of times all you hear is when you make a mistake or do something wrong. Employee's like to feel appreciated. Giving them kudo's for doing a good job goes a long way, especially if they weren't really expecting it or if they solved a problem in an efficient way.
I like the way you think Twisted.. I'm going to print that and hang it on the company bulletin board.. I left a job once and took a 10 grand pay cut because the boss was such a tool.. and I had it made.. I actually only worked 1.5 weeks out of 4 and all the o/t I could stand.. and left.. Money isn't everything..
Welder, I agree 100% with you on this. A couple years back our local plant had a meeting with the "BIG BOSS" for the state. The only thing anyone can recall about what he said was how good a job the "Salesman"(one of his buddies) had done in the last year. We wondered how good a job selling stone this guy would have done if the equipment operators, plant operators, and maintenance people had not shown up and put in all the effort to get the product in those stock piles and the loader operators and scale people to process the customers had not done there jobs. 98%+ of the complaints I heard around the quarry were guys complaining about not being allowed to do repairs that were needed or just not being able to do work they were well experienced in doing for years.
I agree with many of the above statements. Labor is a high turn over job though too. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Think of your employees as a bank account. You can only get out of them what you have first put in. Investments not only come in the form of wages but compliments, benefits, training, good work bonuses, etc. Once the account is dry, they're looking for a new place to go. Keep the account well funded and turn-over becomes nil. Some employees may seem like they are not worth investing into their "account" and you only want to withdraw. I ask why they are still employed with you then. I can continue this theory but don't want to ramble. Good luck.
Those are good comments posted above. I'm in the same boat; trying to keep a handful of employees working productively. What I've learned about it is that money isn't everything. Always give the guys credit where credit is due. Always take the blame for your own mistakes. Don't talk anyone down, behind their back, to someone else. To paraphrase kshansen, you are only a success after a bunch of other people have done good work. Like twisted said; give some extra to the guys all the time, and you can get a lot back from them, when you really need it.
To add to what I said before. Years back the man in charge of the eastern part of the US division of this company would stop by our quarry I'd say at least once a month. He may have not taken time to personally say hello to every worker, but if you were say in the shop when he was walking through he would at the least say "How's it going?". Might not sound like much on the surface but at least you knew he had acknowledged that you existed! Everyone knew who he was and if you had the opportunity to say hello felt comfortable to say "Hi! Bernie!" Now after Bernie retired the guy who took his place, I can only recall one time in maybe ten years that I knew for sure he was at the quarry. He may have been there once a year when this black car would make a quick pass through the plant with windows up but who knows! Right today I can not recall what his name was/is, so different than his predecessor! Sad thing is last I knew Bernie was not doing well, Alzheimer's had taken away most of his memories. I can only hope somewhere deep inside he knows how much the people who worked WITH him respected him.