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Post by cff on Mar 11, 2008 20:17:26 GMT -5
CFF...........Slips up on top of soap box and takes a deep breath.
(The good part of my weekend)
With little choice I had to fire an employee Saturday, all of my attempts to correct some pretty bad work behavior failed. A business can deal with the total lack of work ethic for only as many days as it takes to wade through all the documentation to remove the problem child.
(The bad part of my week)
I have to deal with taking applications from a youthful generation with few skills and little or no work ethic.
I can teach the skills for a job in our plant in about three weeks, but I find it near impossible to teach a good work ethic to 95% of today's youthful applicants.
Slips off soap box to get a beer and ponder where the work ethic has gone.
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Post by lavandulagirl on Mar 12, 2008 0:04:50 GMT -5
Um, like, what's the pay, dude? And, like, can we get advances on our pay? Cuz, see, I'm like, looking to make at least fifteen an hour, right? Oh, and um, I don't like, work weekends, and yeah, before nine AM. Actually, eleven would be better, dude, cuz you know I'm out nights, gettin' my freak on knowwhuti'msayin'? Oh, and um, yeah... you don't do drug testing, right? Cuz, like, I'm more about the drug tasting! Give it up, dawg! Of course, I'm not above a forty or two, when the funds are running low. Kinda brings me back to that pay thing I was talkin' about... think I could get in on the management gig, dude? Yeah, then you'd have to watch you're back (laughs through nose) Oh, wait, that's my cell - gotta get that! I know my homies are scorin' some killer blaze. So do I start Monday, or what? Oh, and can I get Tuesday and Wednesday off?
Love ya, Hayne, and I totally feel you anguish! ;D Good luck!
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Post by canadamike on Mar 12, 2008 0:55:46 GMT -5
We are nearing the days where we all will hunt for mildy handicapped people. Its great news for them, but bad news for our youth. At the very least they work hard, end up being fonctional if not much better than those so funnily, but truely described by Lav, and they love you for the opportunity, and won't steal a penny. I would give it a try, Hayne, if there is a specialized school or some program in your area. And I would bet there is grant money for that. Up here, the GVT even pays most of the salary. I will make a little prayer for you, that's all I can do, but you should maybe consider buying a pair of very pointed boots and start kikin' some ass when it comes to that situation. At least it would make you feel good ;D  Michel |
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Post by PapaVic on Mar 12, 2008 9:56:08 GMT -5
Aren't there any good, honest, hard-working, Hispanic immigrants in Carolina?
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Post by landarc on Mar 12, 2008 10:48:04 GMT -5
Truly, if I was running a labor crew again, I would look for those hard-working Hispanic laborers again. That being said, I am sure there are a bunch of good hardworking youth out there. Like anything, you just have to wade through the chaff.
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Post by plantsnobin on Mar 12, 2008 15:30:30 GMT -5
Not to sound too old fashioned here, and I know that this will come out wrong when seen typed, but here it goes. From the kids that I have seen, the ones who don't have strong role models around don't have a clue. I'm not saying that only two parent households are capable of raising productive children, but many young men have not had anyone to look up to. If dad took off, and mom is working her ass off to try to put food on the table, the kids aren't learning much except how to play video games. If dad did stick around, but spends money giving his kids stuff, instead of spending time with them, the effect is pretty much the same. It seems too often we complain about 'worthless kids', but I think if we take a closer look, it is often because of 'worthless parents'. In our white-bread, redneck town, you wouldn't believe how many kids are growing up without fathers, with mothers who use drugs, and with nobody to care about them. My daughter seems to bring home a lot of these kids, and some of the saddest cases are the ones with money, but no love in the house. These parents are too wasted and self absorbed to be bothered with their kids. OK, I'm done now. Sorry to be so long winded. Karen
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Post by pugs on Mar 12, 2008 18:05:41 GMT -5
Not disagreeing with what you said plant, but this "... but many young men have not had anyone to look up to..." leaves out the young women. I think there are as many young women without a good work ethic as there are young men; for what ever the reason.
Pugs
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Post by plantsnobin on Mar 12, 2008 19:34:14 GMT -5
True, true, didn't mean to be sexist. As to the Hispanic suggestion, the government is cracking down on hiring illegal aliens, making it not worth the hassle for most employers. Good luck finding white boys/girls to do the job, most wouldn't even begin to want to do the hard work. There is a Mexican restaurant in town, I eat there at least 2-3 days a week. When they first moved in, I thought it would never go over here, because of so many racists around here. Now, they are full everyday for lunch and everyone loves them. One of their kids, a young boy maybe 9 or 10 is there after school. He seats you, and you can tell that he is proud to be helping out. Their culture seems to be more geared toward working for the good of the family and community more than for the individual. This country could use a lot more of that, whatever the skin tone. And if any of you ever find yourself in Paoli, IN, stop by El Compadres-they make the BEST Long Island Iced Tea on the planet.
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Post by PapaVic on Mar 12, 2008 21:04:27 GMT -5
As to the Hispanic suggestion, the government is cracking down on hiring illegal aliens, making it not worth the hassle for most employers. Where did I suggest hiring "ILLEGAL ALIENS?" I suggested hiring good, honest, hard-working Hispanic immigrants. If after you hire an immigrant and she or he turns out to be a great asset to your organization, and he or she has a glitch with the Immigration Service ... why not help sort things out. Wouldn't that be the right thing for an employer to do? I don't know about Paoli, Indiana ... but there are plenty of LEGAL immigrants over here in Evansville, Indiana who are good, honest, hard-working people ... Hispanic, Asian, Eastern European, Middle Eastern, etc. |
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Post by sandbar on Mar 12, 2008 22:25:44 GMT -5
<Borrows CFF's soapbox>
Before I left a sales management position to go to work as a Christian school principal, I hand picked my successor. Smart, clean-cut, young man with strong people skills. While he only had a high school diploma, I fully believed he had great promise. I was also certain that I could train him to take over my job and it would give him a substantial salary and a company car.
I trained him for over a year. Personally taught him every single aspect of the small division I managed from product sales, quoting, equipment installation, service techniques and procedures, inventory management, vendor price negotiation ... everything. Left there and handed a sales system I had honed and built from scratch over the past several years. When I left, he was awarded a salary $10k higher than what I was being paid to be a Christian school principal ...
Within a year, I was called back three or four times to clean up customer-service fiascos and try to whip him into shape (good friends owned the business and they were flat frustrated with him and paid me to try and straighten him out) ... he was using the company credit card for personal purchases ... going to the gym on company time ... coming in late ... leaving early ... not managing the business ... what a mess.
Everytime I had a break at school (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.) ... there I was trying to get him to understand his faults. He never did. I finally counseled my friends to fire him and went to the meeting in which he was fired. He never saw that anything he did was wrong.
Unbelievably frustrating.
They hired the wife of an employee who used to be self-employed ... about the same age as me ... mid-forties. Great work ethic ... go-getter ... trained her over two months and off she went. Am glad to see her successfully running that business. Solid, dependable employee.
Sorry, CFF ... haven't found many worth keeping under the age of 40 ... unless they've been self-employed ... SUCCESSFULLY ... previously.
Good luck, buddy.
<Gives CFF his soapbox back and thanks him>
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Post by cff on Mar 12, 2008 23:40:20 GMT -5
I have to admit I love the business world, its been a real challenge for me. I actually enjoy going to work 90% of the time. The dreaded 10% when I have a hard time enjoying work almost always involves people with issues. I hired a 24 year old kid last year that started off super. Always smiling and when I asked him how things were going he's always say " just glad to have a job boss" He had been unemployed for a year when he finally landed a job at a local gas station for minimum wage, when I would stop in for fuel he was always busy. I asked him one afternoon if he would be interested in interviewing for something that paid a little better. He was all smiles and couldn't wait to come by and talk to me. We start all our associates off at $11.00 an hour so the first day on the job the kid received close to $5.00 an hour more that his previous job was paying plus some weekend overtime. During his second month he drove in one afternoon in a new car, two weeks later he asked me about a raise. I explained the yearly performance review policy to him, he seemed a little disappointed so I reminded him about the store he was working at and the large raise he had just received by just changing jobs. He seemed a little better about it and I encouraged him to do his best and I would do my best for him when he was due for his performance review. The next week I received a call from another employer asking about his work references. I gave them the information and called my young helper to the office. I asked him if he was planning to leave the company and he admitted he was looking for something else. I thought he was really enjoying his job so I had to ask him if something was wrong with it?? He tells me ...........Naaa boss it ain't the job really, I purchased me and my girlfriend both a new car last month and this job just doesn't pay enough. I thought to myself ............. just unreal ................  Such is life, I' maam go deal with it. So I hereby donate my soapbox to Sandbar ........... use it in good heath while I go looking for a 40 year old Hispanic guy who speaks English. ;D |
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sammyqc
grub
Urban, small raised beds, Zone 5 (Canada)
Posts: 94
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Post by sammyqc on Mar 13, 2008 0:24:16 GMT -5
Well, just a thought, but here, 11.00 dollars an hour is piddly. Minimum wage is 8.00, and cost of living is much higher, but still...you can't blame someone to be looking to make more. If you have a good employee, that you want to keep, then maybe a raise is in order, despite what the company's schedule is. Company loyalty is a thing of the past, too many people have seen just how 'loyal' companies are to there employees when hard times hit.
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Post by cff on Mar 13, 2008 5:42:00 GMT -5
On May 25, President Bush signed a spending bill that, among other things, amended the FLSA to increase the federal minimum wage in three steps: to $5.85 per hour effective July 24, 2007; to $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008; and to $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009 www.dol.gov/esa/whd/flsa/In less than 90 days this kid went from tickled to disappointed, was this due to the company's schedule or his spending? Once he over exstends himself " it becomes my problem" that I should help him fix ?  Well, just a thought, but here, 11.00 dollars an hour is piddly. Minimum wage is 8.00, and cost of living is much higher, but still...you can't blame someone to be looking to make more. If you have a good employee, that you want to keep, then maybe a raise is in order, despite what the company's schedule is. Company loyalty is a thing of the past, too many people have seen just how 'loyal' companies are to there employees when hard times hit. |
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Post by plantsnobin on Mar 13, 2008 8:25:48 GMT -5
Now, Papavic, I didn't say he should hire illegal aliens, just that often there is the perception that a company is going to bring undue attention if they hire Hispanics. Though honestly, I think the idea of 'illegal' is kind of funny. I think the Europeans who came here and killed off the natives should be the 'illegals'. Now, now, just kidding. On another note, if $11.00 an hour is considered piddly in Canada, I may head north! I worked in a hospital for several years for less. About the employee who bought the two new cars and then realized he didn't make enough to pay for them-WHY WOULD A BANK loan him enough money for two cars? On the job for two months? This is the kind of reckless lending that has caused most of the problems that our economy is facing now. Banks used to have guildines they followed for loans, and if someone made a loan that should not have been made, they could lose their job, plain and simple. There just seems to be no accountability anymore. Maybe that lays at the heart of poor work ethic-screw up and taxpayers will bail you out in one form or another.
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Post by landarc on Mar 13, 2008 11:00:40 GMT -5
Sammy, you make a valid point to the extent that folks have a right to keep in looking, to keep trying to find a better job. As an employer, you have to be careful of stepping out of the process as you open up the company to chaos. By establishing processes, you level the field for both management and labor to understand that everyone works on the same schedule.
As for the lack of quality labor, part of it is that there is no mentoring of young people by people outside of the nuclear family unit. There was a time that even young folks were taken under wing of a business person and taught the ropes. Now, many businesses want a plugin employee, someone that will be profitable. Kids in their early teens are so over prescribed for activities and sports that there is never time to have a job for an uncle or friend. By their late teens, they get plugged into chain stores, fast food places and shopping mall jobs where pay is low and reasons to excel are non-existent. Parents that only complain about work and never revel in their own jobs and professions also serve to teach children that work and job are necessary evils to pay the bills, and not opportunities to take pride in a life well lived. It isn't the fault of youth, I can remember my uncle saying about me and my generation that we didn't know how to work, yet that generation drove one of the greatest economic engines in the history of the world.
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