What's new
What's new

Son is moving on. Need to hire new help. Best method for job posting?

wrustle

Titanium
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Location
Massachusetts
So, I knew this day would come. Actually been dreading it for the last couple years.

My son who has been with me since back in grammar school (he is turning 30 this year) is moving on to greener pastures.

He has been my rock out in the shop, and there's virtually nothing he can't do out there on any of the machines, be they VMC's or Turn centers.

Anyways.......it's not about the money, it's not about his skill set, it's 100% he just wants to do something else. Started school for his CDL back in October, and just passed his final evaluation last week.

Next up is his road test, then he's off to start his new career driving trucks.........something he has always wanted to do. With several job offers already in his hand, his time with me is near.

Very sad day.....very sad.

Don't get me wrong, I'm VERY happy for him because he wants to do this and it is his dream. I'm living mine, so I'll be fine, but I also understand the feeling of pursuing such dreams and the feeling of achieving them, and I want that for him as well.

It is bittersweet though. I will miss him terribly, but it will also bring some relief in the fact that if I were to walk out the door one day and never come back for whatever reason, (illness, accident, death) he will be just fine and be able to provide for himself, and not just rely on me being here for a job.

We all know (myself, my wife, and my son) that he could not run the business, so if something were to happen to me, he would be lost and out of a job.


So.........now the time has come to find a replacement for him.

I have been rather fortunate over the years to find help locally just by word of mouth, but this time it is different, and I will require a much higher skill set than what I was finding before.


To those of you in the hiring position, where are you looking for qualified candidates?

Craigslist? Temp agencies? Job recruiting agencies? Does anyone under 50 even read the newspaper anymore or know what it is? Is it even a viable search method anymore?


I would welcome your thoughts and ideas and most importantly, your proven methods if you want to share them.

Right now I have to get back to work.............doomsday is approaching fast!


Best Regards,
Russ
 
Becoming future owner of your machine shop or
"In 8 weeks you too can drive the big rigs"

What did you doo to drive him away ?
 
To go from a machine shop to driving a truck?? I don't think that will last...boring and poor money being two of the reasons. See the country and get paid? You gotta be kidding! A really poor career choice in my mind.
 
I have used Monster in the past, but now prefer Indeed. My experience, temp agencies are a waste of time, they were only able to provide some one who was not employable on their own. Head hunters can fill the job, but that is a really expensive way to go. I would suggest offering your son a leave of absence, it may not work out with his new plans. But if he were to come back, why do you say he couldn't run the business. You say he knows the technical end, can you teach him the business end? That's what I did / am doing with my son. He got his engineering degree, then served an apprenticeship, now is learning how to work with customers, vendors, and everything else to do with the business. If he is just not interested that's one thing, but I had zero business experience before going out on my own 34 years ago. How did you learn the business end?
 
To go from a machine shop to driving a truck?? I don't think that will last...boring and poor money being two of the reasons. See the country and get paid? You gotta be kidding! A really poor career choice in my mind.

Yeah, plus potential mass automation of truck drivers in the near future.
 
QT:[and there's virtually nothing he can't do out there on any of the machines]

Perhaps the better work is going out selling jobs...likely he should think about that..for when driving gets old and the machines are not running full..

Likely if cant hold son then won't be able to afford the best guy off the street...

Lay the rules down in writing and hold to it...No cell phone on the clock.. 2 days off a month and out the door..cant do as agreed out the door..1/2 hour in the bath room and you go see your doctor.. late twice a month and out the door..Drunk or high out the door..

All this for $15 per not likely to happen unless you are one very lucky duck.

QT [so if something were to happen to me, he would be lost and out of a job.] *By now he should know the drill from A to Z...Who's fault is that ....Build skills and confidence..Your job and his..It is not too late..

Required reading on the road a Dale Carnegie book or two...*Yes you go buy these books...

I have known people as dumb as a rock who were successful Just because they kept trying...
*Guess if he wants to try driving nothing wrong with that...
 
Wow tough spot man, you must be hurting, as a father I get it big time. Finding help is the worst thing right now you may find a guy who can do it all but it still takes months to get him acclimated. It's hard to watch and be patient while the dollars are flying out the door and into the gutter.

There is no magic formula, we know what we need and have to spend the time and money finding it. One piece of advice would be to be up front with every guy, give them a short leash and let them know on the day you make an offer that for this amount of money per hour they have X amount of time to become productive and prove they can do the things on the resume.

Take notes review them weekly let them know how it's going. DO NOT let a guy hang on or around if he is not getting it done. Just move on it's best for you and best for him. It's hard to be a dick to a nice guy who is doing his best and keeps things neat and clean but all that matters is YOUR balance sheet, Your family depends on it.

I am with you Wrustle

Make Chips Boys !

Ron
 
Sorry for not responding to your direct question but. . . My 1st thought is have you had the father/son discussion about taking over the business- those can be very difficult and get emotional and simply don't happen because its a hard thing to do well. As an owner, do you treat him like your son or like a business partner? Might be why he wants to go drive truck perhaps. You are a smart guy- there's a reason that, after being in the shop for at least 15 years you don't feel he could run the business. Best of luck going forward.
 
Craigs list and indeed are the only two sites i look at when looking for work. If i were you i would post on one or both
 
I've tried all websites I could find and have had the best luck with Indeed and our local department of workforce development(job center for dislocated workers). Although the last year has been pretty difficult to find anyone with half a brain in our area via any job board. As most of the machinists that are worth anything are already scooped up.
 
To go from a machine shop to driving a truck?? I don't think that will last...boring and poor money being two of the reasons. See the country and get paid? You gotta be kidding! A really poor career choice in my mind.

Looks like another trade where the pay has stagnated and not kept up with inflation. even the exaggerated claims of trucking schools tout yearly pay that a trucker with a good job was making more 20+ years ago.
 
Yeah, give him time driving trucks, the newness will wear off pretty fast once he is doing it full time. Is he taking his Haas with him?

Wrustle has expalined before that running the business is just not something his son is capable of, just not in him. Perhaps this truck driving adventure will help, I am sure he will learn a lot from it.
 
I can see the appeal, however. Instead of being stuck in the shop and occasionally get a glimpse out the window (at least I have windows; some shops don't) he gets to be "king of the road" for a while with scenery and endless possibilities flowing by the windshield. Of course, long hours, bad food, and sleeping in a parking lot because the place closed ten minutes before he got there will get old after a while, but it will take a couple years.

Mean while Russ needs to replace him.

Dennis
 
IMHO you need to look more at the person than just there skill set, the thing that comes up time and time again is training is easy with the right people - mindsets, but a nightmare with the wrong ones!

I do know were your coming from, my partner wipes ass at a care home rather than make parts with me for similar sounding reasons, she too most definitely could not do what i do or even keep it going.
 
Yeah, give him time driving trucks, the newness will wear off pretty fast once he is doing it full time. Is he taking his Haas with him?

Wrustle has expalined before that running the business is just not something his son is capable of, just not in him. Perhaps this truck driving adventure will help, I am sure he will learn a lot from it.


Spot on David.

I'm not even going to respond to the posts passing judgement on me or him regarding the choices. It is his life, and he should do what will make him happy.

Any of you who have started your own business from scratch with nothing but sheer determination and a few bucks in your pocket will certainly understand it is NOT for everyone regardless of how you are brought into that mindset.

Later,
Russ
 
QT [so if something were to happen to me, he would be lost and out of a job.] *By now he should know the drill from A to Z...Who's fault is that ....Build skills and confidence..Your job and his..It is not too late..

Likely I am the one thought to be passing judgment to be ignored….But what when the driving fails? Yes I hope it does not…

What would he need to run the business? If a viable business it should near run it self with hiring the right talents…
Perhaps shop work is not his liking...That is understandable..
QT:[He has been my rock out in the shop, and there's virtually nothing he can't do out there on any of the machines, be they VMC's or Turn centers]…..That puts him highly valuable IMHO.

Agree he wants to try the driving job nothing wrong with that.
 
Why is he not capable of running the shop? Doesn't want to, understandable; can't quote without loosing shirt?; can't manage people?; can't do it the way the dad does it?.....

I worked a long time ago with a PhD chemist that hated chemistry. His folks forced(?) him to take up chemistry. Finally he quite the company and started up doing what he wanted to do, repair cars.

Tom
 








 
Back
Top