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UGLYMRJ

Plastic
Joined
Nov 10, 2020
Looking for some feedback on the best places to find new operators. We've tried Indeed, Craigslist and LinkedIn. None of them seem to be good sources for experienced or trainable operators.

For context, gun drill & hone.

Any feedback is appreciated.
 
Buy robot or use gunpoint.

Seriously the current environment is the problem. Take away that if the incentive and reward is not there then expect the new normal is training people yourselves. These trade school people finish with debt and have been told they will make money. They will follow that. Gone are the times when they will stay when they look in their hand and there is nothing there.

It is encouraging actually to see such rational appraisals from the younger generation. They are different than we were. They can perceive reality and will go wherever they can earn to a desired level. In manufacturing it is where opportunities for advancement, pay, and benefits are offered.
 
Buy robot or use gunpoint.

Seriously the current environment is the problem. Take away that if the incentive and reward is not there then expect the new normal is training people yourselves. These trade school people finish with debt and have been told they will make money. They will follow that. Gone are the times when they will stay when they look in their hand and there is nothing there.

It is encouraging actually to see such rational appraisals from the younger generation. They are different than we were. They can perceive reality and will go wherever they can earn to a desired level. In manufacturing it is where opportunities for advancement, pay, and benefits are offered.

Yeah, it seems this latest generation was raised on the "I breath, therefore I deserve' mentality.
My grandsons thank God are not like that, fresh out of high school our eldest has already started his own LLC landscaping business here in PA and has his younger brother who is even a harder worker employed and working for him. I have two construction company owner friends of ours who are chomping at the bit for my youngest Grandson to turn 18 so they can snatch him up...both are having a hell of a time finding good help.
 
Millenials and Genz got is so hard up the ass by what will go down in history as the worst generation ever, the baby boomers, the OG ME generation.

 
I'm a big fan of stealing employees.

That nice girl that gets your coffee every morning? The one that
is always friendly and hustling.. She is your next employee.

That really helpful kid down at the hardware store, or the car parts
store.. He's working at a parts store because he likes mechanical
things.. He just doesn't even know what we do exists.. STEAL HIM!!!
He WANTS to do mechanical things, he WANTS to make things...
 
I'm all for giving the green tech school kids a chance. I don't own a business, so my opinion is just that and basically worthless, but I remember hearing about internships. Training kids to do the job your way and the value that investing in a young person can bring. Two good Richard Branson quotes: "Train people well enough to leave, treat them well enough to stay" and "Take care of your employees and they'll take care of your business." Personally I think these are considered outdated philosophies. I get there are bad eggs, but those can be weeded out.
 
I'm all for giving the green tech school kids a chance. I don't own a business, so my opinion is just that and basically worthless, but I remember hearing about internships. Training kids to do the job your way and the value that investing in a young person can bring. Two good Richard Branson quotes: "Train people well enough to leave, treat them well enough to stay" and "Take care of your employees and they'll take care of your business." Personally I think these are considered outdated philosophies. I get there are bad eggs, but those can be weeded out.

I really liked those quotes, here is another from Zig Ziglar “The only thing worse than training employees and having them leave is not training employees and having them stay.”
 
I really liked those quotes, here is another from Zig Ziglar “The only thing worse than training employees and having them leave is not training employees and having them stay.”

That was Henry Ford
 
That was Henry Ford

Really? Then Smith a Associates got it wrong, that is where I got it from. Maybe Zig quoted Ford and they thought it was his.

Either way it is a good quote, and if you are correct, then thanks for the heads up
 
I really liked those quotes, here is another from Zig Ziglar “The only thing worse than training employees and having them leave is not training employees and having them stay.”

That is a good quote. I've only been at machining professionally for a little over 10 years, so still a pup to most. I hated running into the catch 22 of you need at least x years of experience. I need experience to get a job most places, but if I can't get a job, how am I going to gain that experience? These young-ins need to catch a break somewhere.
 
That was Henry Ford

So if you do a quick google of the quote nearly every site credits Zig Ziglar.
Not trying to point out you being wrong, I just like to give credit where credit is due when it comes to quotes.

Quote.JPG
 
Definitely steal employees, or look to the family of the employees you have. I'm a youngin' working at the same factory my mother does, because I grew up with a love and appreciation for manufacturing. So when they needed help and were willing to train, I jumped straight on that opportunity.
 
I did a Signing Bonus of $500 1/2 after 2 wk balance at 90 days .
I hired 1 that lasted about 4 months.
 
I have been hiring "kids" from community college programs since the late 80s.
If somebody spent 2 years of their own time and money learning, its a pretty good sign they are commited.
I always calll up the instructors, and get them to send me the best students.
Over the years, I have gotten to know the local teachers at the couple of community colleges that train around here, so they send me grads who are a good fit.

The funny thing, though, is they are seldom "kids".
I have had 2 or 3 that were 20 or 22, but the range of ages and previous jobs has been huge.
Several vets, ranging from almost 30 to over 40, who went back to trade school on their veterans benefits.
A couple of ex cons (both great employees) who got free tuition thru a state program.
A few mid life crisis job changers,
I would say the average age of the people I have hired from 2 year AA programs from public community colleges was 30.
People who are well past their wild years, in most cases.

Find out if there is a community college with machining or manufacturing technology programs near you. SPEAK, not email to an instructor or department head, describe your shop, and ask for their best students.
Its been my experience that you get quality employees that way.
 
There's a lot of that stuff on the innertubes. Lots of songs from the fifties get covered by someone now, and the innernet credits this newby kid who wasn't even born when the song came out.

Google search is not really good for facts :(

So if I understand you correctly, Google is a lot like EmanuelGoldstein, not a place you go for facts.
I see
 
What is sad is I was up for a supervisor position somewhere and they heavily hinted they only wanted to hire the local farmer's kids and most were backyard hicks. Now, don't get me wrong, I want to hire those guys too , but when they didn't care about the two community colleges each within 1.5hrs of the shop. I knew the shop wasn't worth the headaches.

Whether it was local economic development/tax breaks or the just wanted to pay less in wages I wont know.




I have been hiring "kids" from community college programs since the late 80s.
If somebody spent 2 years of their own time and money learning, its a pretty good sign they are commited.
I always calll up the instructors, and get them to send me the best students.
Over the years, I have gotten to know the local teachers at the couple of community colleges that train around here, so they send me grads who are a good fit.

The funny thing, though, is they are seldom "kids".
I have had 2 or 3 that were 20 or 22, but the range of ages and previous jobs has been huge.
Several vets, ranging from almost 30 to over 40, who went back to trade school on their veterans benefits.
A couple of ex cons (both great employees) who got free tuition thru a state program.
A few mid life crisis job changers,
I would say the average age of the people I have hired from 2 year AA programs from public community colleges was 30.
People who are well past their wild years, in most cases.

Find out if there is a community college with machining or manufacturing technology programs near you. SPEAK, not email to an instructor or department head, describe your shop, and ask for their best students.
Its been my experience that you get quality employees that way.
 
What is sad is I was up for a supervisor position somewhere and they heavily hinted they only wanted to hire the local farmer's kids and most were backyard hicks. Now, don't get me wrong, I want to hire those guys too , but when they didn't care about the two community colleges each within 1.5hrs of the shop. I knew the shop wasn't worth the headaches.

Whether it was local economic development/tax breaks or the just wanted to pay less in wages I wont know.

Was it a Hub Zone thing? I worked at a place that was Hub Zone.. What a pain in the ass.
The lines moved every year, and half of your full timers had to live in the Hub Zone..

Can't hire him, he doesn't live in the Hub Zone. That guy was in the HUB Zone last year, but
now "The Zone" ends in the middle of his street.

We were actually 2 companies. That shared pretty much everything, same owner, same building,
quite confusing. So some people working for one company actually got checks from the other
company and vise versa just to keep the HUB Zone certification.. Absolute pain in the ass.
 








 
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