How do you hire?

[nolanola]

Hello Everyone!

We are a quickly growing sign shop and have had some success hiring but it usually feels like more effort is being expended than necessary. We are currently looking into hiring a recruiter to at least filter through resumes and perform initial phone interviews.

Does anyone here use a recruiting service that they could recommend?
Are there other systems anyone uses that gives them repeated successful results?

Thank you for the help!

 

[myront]

Occasionally an Indeed posting and an ad on our street reader board. Problem is the pool of good quality applicants is getting harder and harder to come by. My wife has also experienced this in the hospitality industry too. Not many can pass the mandatory drug test and/or background check. Not many want to work a full 40hr week. They want great pay with little actual work. They can't show up on time or always call out for every little sniffle, headache, toe ache, kids, etc. especially on Mondays and Fridays.

 

[Gino]

Welcome to the new norm.

Someone just suggested I hire some kid from the neighborhood to shovel our front sidewalk at the shop. First, it'll take about an hour, if it's a really heavy snow, but they want $50 or $75 a trip A frickin' kid ?? In just a few inches, it'll take maybe 20 minutes..... with a shovel, not a snowblower and they still want that amount.

 

[MikePro]

we use Indeed and our resources with the unions, although we have a couple employees that originated from a temp agency about a decade ago... but the dozen or so other employees we've hired from temp agencies over the years were either awful or noshows. Would not recommend temp agency route, as it seems like a LOT of them use their right to refuse the work as a means to maintain their "looking for work" unemployment statuses, and keep getting set back a day of work while the agency sends out another candidate.

also never hurts to reach out to local community college for graduating students. lots of kids with design degrees or interest in the trades, and already local.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Right now? First test is see if they even show up for an interview, don't worry if they are an hour or two late, just be happy they even came. Then, feel if they're warm and check for a pulse. If they tick those 3 boxes, give them a job.
Finding good employees is the Achilles heel of running a business.

 

[myront]

...

also never hurts to reach out to local community college for graduating students. lots of kids with design degrees or interest in the trades, and already local.

We are situated within close proximity to a major college. We found out that the Graphic Design Instructor tells there students to demand a certain pay. Had a kid come in to inquire about the graphic design position we had open at the time. Tried him out for a couple of days. Came in wearing a jogging suit and headphones. That aside the boss thought he might be a good fit. Came down to salary. He was not willing to start below a certain rate. This isn't NYC, we don't do any web page building, etc. A moderately simple sigh business.

p.s. Colleges only train using Adobe. And everyone knows how I feel about that!

 

[MikePro]

capitalism has its perks.
its your right to offer employment opportunities, his right to refuse your offer, but he'll soon learn how many jobs are available for kids with visual communication degrees and may reconsider if position is still available.
colleges are to blame for inflating expectations, nearly sinister in their means to justify exploding tuition costs and loan burden on students.
no experience, no problem, but no demands... i would direct them to come back with a year's worth of experience at another company if they wish to haggle dollars but your offer includes paid training and resume padding plus misc benefits you can quantify into dollar amounts if it makes him feel better.

Our hiring terms are renegotiated after 90day probationary period, and again on an annual basis, if that offers them something to look forward to.
That being said, we've never paid an employee minimum wage but we've never bent over backwards for an individual with zero experience and just as much office etiquette.

If he knows AI, then he'll easily learn Corel/Flexi/Gerber/etc. College is, if anything, proof that you have the ability/willingness to learn. As such, learning curves should be appreciated, and requests/suggestions down the line considered, BUT no way would I immediately adjust my system for a new hire that may soon jump ship anyways.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I don't really think the colleges are to blame as much as the idiot kids are that choose to not hear or understand they mean with experience you can expect to make a certain amount. Colleges teach trades, it's not their job to teach no nothing's how life works. Plenty of young people get it, you just have to find them which is tricky. They usually don't have to look much or at all to find good work.

 

[Reveal1]

I don't really think the colleges are to blame as much as the idiot kids are that choose to not hear or understand they mean with experience you can expect to make a certain amount. Colleges teach trades, it's not their job to teach no nothing's how life works. Plenty of young people get it, you just have to find them which is tricky. They usually don't have to look much or at all to find good work.

I think it's a cultural shift in attitudes about work. Combination of crappy colleges that focus on granting degrees but not actually preparation for work. Parents absent or that don't teach work ethic and make excuses for the kids. I give them a basic arithmetic test and actually pull out a ruler and ask them to identify different measurements. Surprising how many college grads can't pass either. If recent grad, have they worked through school? If not I would stay away. Finally, I always pay above market wages and am quick to end the relationship if they don't produce accordingly. I would rather pay more, endure occasional employment gaps by being choosy, than have a revolving door of idiots. Of course I would never do this, but I hear some say that you can tell a lot about a person's potential attitudes about work by checking their social media presence. I guess the cancel culture works both ways.

 

[Boudica]

... I always pay above market wages and am quick to end the relationship if they don't produce accordingly. I would rather pay more, endure occasional employment gaps by being choosy, than have a revolving door of idiots. ...

You sound like my boss

 

[Reveal1]

You sound like my boss

Your boss sounds like a great person. He hired you didn't he? And I'll bet you can read a ruler.

 

[Reveal1]

I meant to say, he, she, they. Wouldn't want to get canceled on S101

 

[MikePro]

I'm curious why any student wouldn't also inquire ...why their professor isn't working as a designer

pay well and you'll attract good employees, pay good employees well and you'll retain great employees, but don't tell me you're a good enough employee to pay well if you expect me to take those sweatpants seriously.

 

[Reveal1]

I know these are stereotypes, but two that have worked over the years: for hands-on work, if possible hire someone with a farm upbringing or has hobbies that are hands-on like working on cars, crafts etc. For a good shot at work ethic, hire someone who worked through school, attended class, and participated in athletics or other after school activities. They are out there - just have to work hard yourself to find them.

 

[Boudica]

Your boss sounds like a great person. He hired you didn't he? And I'll bet you can read a ruler.

Every word is correct

That said, it's important that if you have a valued employee, value them.

But I digress, this thread is about how to find them

 

[Notarealsignguy]

If recent grad, have they worked through school? If not I would stay away.

I agree with this 100%

 

[signage]

hire and fire until you find the correct one! now don't forget to keep records before you fire them!

 

[Notarealsignguy]

The best way to find employees is to ask your good employees, vendors and customers. Good workers tend to associate with other good workers. I would never hire away a customers or vendor's employee but sometimes they leave and their new place doesnt work out, or they have a good referral.

 

[rossmosh]

You want a solid pool of decent workers? Pay no less than $20/hr. Nationwide minimum wage of $15/hr is a round the corner and it's already implemented or in the process of being implemented within the next few years in a lot of states.

The simple reality is: A lot of small businesses can't afford to pay a good, living wage. Asking someone that just spent $80k on a 4 year degree, with $60k in student loans, to get paid $15/hr, while you can make $14.50/hr working unskilled labor is a recipe for trouble.

To be clear, I also don't blame small businesses for wanting to keep wages down / not being able to afford "competitive" wages. Between competition from other competitors, online competition, and the big companies constantly squeezing for cheaper and faster, what can you really do?

 

[Reveal1]

You want a solid pool of decent workers? Pay no less than $20/hr. Nationwide minimum wage of $15/hr is a round the corner and it's already implemented or in the process of being implemented within the next few years in a lot of states.

The simple reality is: A lot of small businesses can't afford to pay a good, living wage. Asking someone that just spent $80k on a 4 year degree, with $60k in student loans, to get paid $15/hr, while you can make $14.50/hr working unskilled labor is a recipe for trouble.

To be clear, I also don't blame small businesses for wanting to keep wages down / not being able to afford "competitive" wages. Between competition from other competitors, online competition, and the big companies constantly squeezing for cheaper and faster, what can you really do?

I hope to keep this respectful of your opinion, with which I totally disagree. The problem with someone paying $80K on a four year degree is they likely got ripped off by a bloated, ineffective educational bureaucracy and terrible judgement on their part. Why should a business be responsible for that? $20/hr. might work in New Jersey, but would kill jobs and raise prices here big time. That's why a national minimum wage is a bad idea.