The future of help

[pt756]

So about a year or or so ago, we had a guy that would help on the farm in the morning, thats when its the busiest, anyway he died at 56, single man, no woman, no kids,  the rest of the day we just dont have enough for a full time person, only 100 cows, so for about the last few months we have been experimenting with 16 to 18 year old high school help, some of those leave you wondering when and if they ever have kids what they will do to motivate them, Its been very interesting and am reluctant to go the way of lets get bigger,  Probably should learn spanish, although a lot less of them stop in looking for work, I think as they become americanised  there seems to be  alot of other opportunities for them, the very first groups would even work on the local mink ranches, now the mink business is almost gone from around here, Anyway I am going to probably age out of this business, dont like to say it but I am glad I am old, cant do anything about it anyway, 

[hillman]

I think all of us here had great role models

[Cool1566]

Definitely scary to think of the future being run by the youngsters of today. I’m sure it’s been an age old concern but I feel like these days it might be more of a problem.  

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

We have hired quite a few people over the years. It has been interesting. I will say the best help is rarely looking for a job. So often the people looking are the ones who can’t hold down a job. Everybody has some hard times, but a lot of the time guys having the most problems also happen to make the worst choices. It cuts across all age groups as far as I can tell. The best help I ever had was hired when he was 21. He manages a farm now for someone else, which doesn’t surprise me at all. I could tell he had an actual future shortly after hiring him. The hands down, worst employee I ever had, was in his late 50’s when I fired him. 

[PJW360]

Same here in the uk so it’s not me just being grumpy😂

it seems people go to work because they have to not want to and even that’s to much trouble at times

people that take pride in their work are far and few between these days

[dads706]

I agree that the good ones don't stay long. And only the bad ones are always looking. We had a guy who was a so-so employee  Monday through Friday, but since we paid on Friday you could count on him having the brown bottle flu every Saturday. We couldn't schedule him for Saturday because he would always call in "sick".  Wasn't sad when he left.

Best ones were 18-20 year olds on summer break earning next years college money. But we knew up front that they were only going to be 3-month employees, most were good employees.

[Reichow7120]

6 hours ago, pt756 said:

some of those leave you wondering when and if they ever have kids what they will do to motivate them,

Oh don't worry about them procreating. They excel there. 

I've always said. God has never made a sterile stupid person. They reproduce like rabbits. 

[Ihfan4life]

10 minutes ago, Reichow7120 said:

Oh don't worry about them procreating. They excel there. 

I've always said. God has never made a sterile stupid person. They reproduce like rabbits. 

Or sewer rats…

[cedar farm]

It amazes me at one time kids in their early 20's were building dams, bombing Germany, shooting down Jap Zero's, ect. What happened? I started reading Robert F Kennedy's book "the real anthony fauci" The global war on democracy and public health. I'm 10 pages into it and already angry. The dumbing down of America just may be a reality.

[Board Shortener Tom]

4 hours ago, cedar farm said:

It amazes me at one time kids in their early 20's were building dams, bombing Germany, shooting down Jap Zero's, ect. What happened? I started reading Robert F Kennedy's book "the real anthony fauci" The global war on democracy and public health. I'm 10 pages into it and already angry. The dumbing down of America just may be a reality.

Bullseye on that last sentence.....except it's worldwide. 🎯😉

[hillman]

16 hours ago, Dirt_Floor_Poor said:

We have hired quite a few people over the years. It has been interesting. I will say the best help is rarely looking for a job. So often the people looking are the ones who can’t hold down a job. Everybody has some hard times, but a lot of the time guys having the most problems also happen to make the worst choices. It cuts across all age groups as far as I can tell. The best help I ever had was hired when he was 21. He manages a farm now for someone else, which doesn’t surprise me at all. I could tell he had an actual future shortly after hiring him. The hands down, worst employee I ever had, was in his late 50’s when I fired him. 

I am curious what the background of the two men and their role models

 I don't know how a kid ( not all, most of them) can grow up in an urban environment whether it is an apartment or house on a small lot with a non existent father, or a father who is into sports, drinking/drugs and a social life ahead of work- doesn't fix or do any hands on work at home and maybe works in an office. what kind of role model it that?I can't believe how many ppl will take their kids out of school for a vacation or call in sick for work

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

2 hours ago, hillman said:

I am curious what the background of the two men and their role models

The worst employee, I knew his family well. I went to church with his grandfather. He was an old man when I was very young. He would have been considered a pillar of the community. My brothers wife is also related to him. The employee’s dad did pretty well in life and owned a few businesses over the years. He was an only child and was one of most unmotivated, entitled, lazy people I ever hired. He wrecked a semi, refused to work hard, and couldn’t be counted on to show up. We only put up with it as long as we did because of the family connection. I don’t know the young man’s entire story. He moved to the area with his young wife. I gathered that both of their family situations weren’t great and the two were looking to start over far enough away that they wouldn’t have to deal with family, especially his in laws. He had very little experience when he was hired. He was just more teachable and learned very fast and could follow directions better than about anyone we’ve hired. My only complaint about him was that he had a terrible smoking habit, it must have been 2 or 3 packs a day. I think his wife was not much better than her family they were trying to get away from. She ended up leaving him when they got established in the area. He moved back to where he was from and got a job with a large farming operation since he was experienced. They ended up making him the manager after the one they had died unexpectedly. He had been with them for several years by then. He is remarried now and we keep in touch occasionally. 

[Mudfly]

It seems to be that there are still those that can and those that can't.  Unfortunately.... or maybe fortunately... those that can typically aren't looking for jobs that require a lot of manual labor.  And if they are, they are highly sought after in the trades.  No offense and I don't know what the OP pays, but if you aren't afraid of manual labor and are in the "can" group, I would think that you would either be working in a high demand trade (plumber, carpenter, electrician, mechanic, welder, etc), or own your own business doing the same.  I know everyone needs to start somewhere, but if you find a good one, its going to cost you dearly to keep them, or in all honesty you should convince them that they could likely be doing better elsewhere.

I've actually been hiring kids straight out of college recently and I'm impressed with what I'm seeing.  Good candidates and for the ones that we have been able to get, they have been hard working and hard charging.  I'm just hoping that we can keep enough work to make sure they are busy and learning as they work, but not too much work to where we are burning them out.

1 piece of advice I tell all of the candidates we interview is that when you are young in your career the best thing you can do is say "yes".  Doesn't really matter what the opportunity is, just say yes to whatever opportunity comes up.  It will probably work out for you in the long run (caveat; as long as you are working for a somewhat reputable company)

I don't think its doom and gloom, but its going to be hard to find talented folks for what was once thought to be reasonable wages.

 

[Powered by IH]

3 hours ago, Mudfly said:

I've actually been hiring kids straight out of college recently and I'm impressed with what I'm seeing.  Good candidates and for the ones that we have been able to get, they have been hard working and hard charging.  I'm just hoping that we can keep enough work to make sure they are busy and learning as they work, but not too much work to where we are burning them out.

1 piece of advice I tell all of the candidates we interview is that when you are young in your career the best thing you can do is say "yes".  Doesn't really matter what the opportunity is, just say yes to whatever opportunity comes up.  It will probably work out for you in the long run (caveat; as long as you are working for a somewhat reputable company)

 

Where do you work?

[Finney]

In the 25 years of my previous life as a welder, foremen, superintendent and project manager dealing with employes was the hardest part. From the golden arm who showed up with gold chains and a flat billed cap who expected everyone to wait on him hand and foot, the trouble maker who thought it was his job to stir up crap, the one who worked harder getting out of work than working, the quite one who did his job with no questions. All the previous except the quite ones didn't, last long sometime not even a whole day. I hated firing guys because i would let it go until I got mad and it would take a while to get over it.

There were many success stories with some of the guys that I would like to think I was a small part of their success.

I had 2 guys from Louisville Ky, one had a lengthy record the other was a fighter. The one with the record was a good stick welder and the other one was and still is the best tig welder I ever saw and I have seen a lot of them.

We were on a tough job in eastern KY when they showed up. I told them I didn't care what they did in the past, what I cared about was what they did tomorrow and the rest of the job. I watched them for a couple of weeks and saw they did good work.

We had a large mechanical room to build with 3 boilers, 4 chillers, cooling towers on the roof and a lot of pumps. I called them in the job trailer and pulled them off what they were doing and gave them the plans and told them to build it. They both tried to back peddle saying we don't know how to do layout. I told them it was a good time to learn and if you run into a problem come get me. They did a excellent job. Every day when I got the paper work and meeting done I would go work welding, fitting or laying out. They came and got me a lot the first 2 weeks for help and then it was less and less. At the end of the mechanical room we had to make a hot tapp on a 8" gas line, they came and got me and said we don't no how, I told them to not worry as I was going to do it. They tried to argue and even went to my wife who ran the office. She told them to watch and learn and they could do it next time.

They stayed with me for the last 10 years of my career and are both superintendents.

The guy from western KY whose family row cropped 5,000 plus acres. I had to lay him off every spring and fall for planting and harvesting. Not a welder but extremely smart. He now owns his own company and doing very well.

The fitter from Litchfield KY, now a superintendent.

The labor from St. Louis who came to us to escape the gang life. He works with the 2 guys from Louisville.

The welder from Jackson TN. who finished out his career with us and now runs his own small shop as I do.  (better welder than me)

These guys and others saw me succeed and fail. i tried to teach them, if they screwed up fix it and go on, do what's right no matter the cost. They saw me not back down when it cost me a lot.

I am very proud of these and many more guys for their success and I still get calls from them.       

[mike newman]

Great story,Finney......but as a bloke with a degree of antiquity .....I wonder at the future of man..when I see these useless ,unmotivated  entitled young males , driving a vehicle in which the only equity would be the  current annual license fee......just a waste of oxygen...

Socialist Governments have a lot to answer for......................

Mike

[mike newman]

14 hours ago, cedar farm said:

It amazes me at one time kids in their early 20's were building dams, bombing Germany, shooting down Jap Zero's, ect. What happened? I started reading Robert F Kennedy's book "the real anthony fauci" The global war on democracy and public health. I'm 10 pages into it and already angry. The dumbing down of America just may be a reality.

Cedar farm..I have that book....I read it over last summer, whilst working with my Eldest Daughter at the Rainbow Station Toll Gate....I could only absorb  one chapter at a time...A horrendous indictment against the evil that is , obviously, quietly waiting everywhere...to pull us down to serfdom ......

Its everywhere...and even in my microscopic corner of the world, the total BS  we have to jump thru to follow obvious pathways is alarming... with the high- vis brigade to the fore...little men of little consequence....

What would the men and women, who built our countries without the high-vis brigade  to 'assist''....  think of todays imbeciles..???

Sometimes its really good to be ancient...in fact I tell folk ...''the only thing I have going for me , is my age..""

....but of course you think..''what about the kids....and the little grandkids..""  

what sort of a crap show are they going to face ??

Sigh  

Mike

[Mudfly]

3 hours ago, Powered by IH said:

Where do you work?

Where or what line of work?

I will go as far to say that I’m in engineering and my company is hiring degreed engineers.  The last 2 we hired in June have been working their butts off all summer and fall.  We are not just ‘carpet walkers’ as some trades folks call us.  We are out in the field getting things done.  

Just made an offer to another engineer today.  He has about 4-5 years of experience, hope that one works out also.

Now you have to be hard working and fairly competent to get an engineering degree, so that’s why I say those that can and those that can’t.  For those that can, there is a lot of opportunity whether that’s in a technical field like engineering or a trade.  If you can’t, well good luck.

@Finney stories above basically mimic what I’m saying.  Give people a chance and opportunity and hopefully they will succeed.  You can generally tell how a person will do in a short period of time.  

[searcyfarms]

Its hit or miss what i see in the corp or farm environment - some folks complain some folks work - some folks try to get around it some embrace the challenges and opportunity to learn - i hv high expectations i dont like whiners and believe in teaching a man to fish 

U cant teach desire or common sense 

[hillman]

7 hours ago, Dirt_Floor_Poor said:

The worst employee, I knew his family well. I went to church with his grandfather. He was an old man when I was very young. He would have been considered a pillar of the community. My brothers wife is also related to him. The employee’s dad did pretty well in life and owned a few businesses over the years. He was an only child and was one of most unmotivated, entitled, lazy people I ever hired. He wrecked a semi, refused to work hard, and couldn’t be counted on to show up. We only put up with it as long as we did because of the family connection. I don’t know the young man’s entire story. He moved to the area with his young wife. I gathered that both of their family situations weren’t great and the two were looking to start over far enough away that they wouldn’t have to deal with family, especially his in laws. He had very little experience when he was hired. He was just more teachable and learned very fast and could follow directions better than about anyone we’ve hired. My only complaint about him was that he had a terrible smoking habit, it must have been 2 or 3 packs a day. I think his wife was not much better than her family they were trying to get away from. She ended up leaving him when they got established in the area. He moved back to where he was from and got a job with a large farming operation since he was experienced. They ended up making him the manager after the one they had died unexpectedly. He had been with them for several years by then. He is remarried now and we keep in touch occasionally. 

I think your 50 something type guy is in every generation

[hillman]

2 hours ago, Finney said:

In the 25 years of my previous life as a welder, foremen, superintendent and project manager dealing with employes was the hardest part. From the golden arm who showed up with gold chains and a flat billed cap who expected everyone to wait on him hand and foot, the trouble maker who thought it was his job to stir up crap, the one who worked harder getting out of work than working, the quite one who did his job with no questions. All the previous except the quite ones didn't, last long sometime not even a whole day. I hated firing guys because i would let it go until I got mad and it would take a while to get over it.

There were many success stories with some of the guys that I would like to think I was a small part of their success.

I had 2 guys from Louisville Ky, one had a lengthy record the other was a fighter. The one with the record was a good stick welder and the other one was and still is the best tig welder I ever saw and I have seen a lot of them.

We were on a tough job in eastern KY when they showed up. I told them I didn't care what they did in the past, what I cared about was what they did tomorrow and the rest of the job. I watched them for a couple of weeks and saw they did good work.

We had a large mechanical room to build with 3 boilers, 4 chillers, cooling towers on the roof and a lot of pumps. I called them in the job trailer and pulled them off what they were doing and gave them the plans and told them to build it. They both tried to back peddle saying we don't know how to do layout. I told them it was a good time to learn and if you run into a problem come get me. They did a excellent job. Every day when I got the paper work and meeting done I would go work welding, fitting or laying out. They came and got me a lot the first 2 weeks for help and then it was less and less. At the end of the mechanical room we had to make a hot tapp on a 8" gas line, they came and got me and said we don't no how, I told them to not worry as I was going to do it. They tried to argue and even went to my wife who ran the office. She told them to watch and learn and they could do it next time.

They stayed with me for the last 10 years of my career and are both superintendents.

The guy from western KY whose family row cropped 5,000 plus acres. I had to lay him off every spring and fall for planting and harvesting. Not a welder but extremely smart. He now owns his own company and doing very well.

The fitter from Litchfield KY, now a superintendent.

The labor from St. Louis who came to us to escape the gang life. He works with the 2 guys from Louisville.

The welder from Jackson TN. who finished out his career with us and now runs his own small shop as I do.  (better welder than me)

These guys and others saw me succeed and fail. i tried to teach them, if they screwed up fix it and go on, do what's right no matter the cost. They saw me not back down when it cost me a lot.

I am very proud of these and many more guys for their success and I still get calls from them.       

I think there's one more pretty good guy in your stories. YOU   I have worked for some complete arce holes. there's 2 sides to an employer /employee relationship . Some employers don't feel that way and some people skills go a long way. The boss sets the culture

I have worked for more good ones than bad ones and its amazing how everyone responds to a good guy and he doesn't need to be a pushover  either