How much compensation for a employee with zero experience/competency?

[Signbot]

I've started new shop employees at $7.50/hr. If I could go lower, I would, because I know I'll be doing this 20 hrs a week. "SOB, WHY THE F**K DID I HIRE HIM?!?!?"
I'm just wondering.
How much do you compensate a new fast sign production employee with zero experience and competency?

 

[letterman7]

Prevailing minimum wage, since it's the law unless you're in an industry that collects tips.

 

[Billct2]

Around here if I want anyone with any kind of potential it's gonna be $10 to start. And it's with the understanding that if they hang in there and show real promise they'll get some good raises quickly.

 

[Gino]

Lower than $7.50 an hour ?? Seriously, what kind of ANYBODY would even think of applying for a job with you other than some crack addict ??

Advertising that starting wage would not get a single soul through our door.

We start at $12.00 an hour and you basically have 3 months to prove yourself. That person will be taught the necessary ropes at entry level and if they excel or better yet.... look for more to do, they're a 'Keeper'.

If I had someone working at even $9 or $10 bucks an hour, I'd know they'd be leaving in a split second, when something else came along, then I'd be out all that money and time going into a NOBODY. Ya gotta step up your game or just keep hiring losers.

 

[phototec]

Wow, just wow!

As others have said, your the problem, you want to pay like a smuck, then you wonder why the guy you hired is a smuck.

Paying (the minimum by law) $7.50 you are attracting only fast food type labors, and you want somebody to work in a high tech sign shop?

You'll be lucky if he stays very long at all, and then he will use all the training you gave him at your competitors sign shop down the road when they offer him $10-12 per hour.

Didn't you ever learn, "you get what you pay for", that goes for hiring people also!

Why not just pay a decent wage and hire someone you can invest in the future with, and someone who will make you money not waste your money.

 

[Shadowglen]

Well Good luck Training your future competitors because that is all you will draw in with that kind of wage. People who want to get some experience and then open their own shop when they see what they could be making on their own. If you are actually getting people to work for that wage you are either in a jobless area or you are getting all of the unhireable people that cant even sling a spat at Micky Dee's.

 

[Signbot]

WOW, aren't you guys quick to judge! lol.
I AM TALKING ZERO EXPERIENCE, GUYS!!!HELLOOO???
An employee with zero competency will yield far more errors and exhaust more money than someone with just even an years worth of experience.

How many hours of your time and others will be committed to this person throughout the process?
How much vinyl and materials are you going to waste because of their lack of experience?
How much blood will be shed just because he forgot to keep his thumb away from the blade?
Btw, this person quits the next day because he has an epiphany and wants to join the Cirque de Soleil.
You KNOW the expenses of training a new individual! right? I certainly hope so.

Anyhow.
Raises are given just as fast as experience and competency is GAINED!
I repeat that to everyone I hire.
I could potentially give you 10 raises in a month! If you're that stellar, that is.
I've given 6 raises to an employee in the past year. Why?
Because he constantly displays improvements and less mistakes are occurring.
Which means I am gaining and no longer losing!

Its okay guy you can put down your pitchforks now.

 

[J Hill Designs]

zero experience is WAY different from zero competence.

 

[nashvillesigns]

how much?

(puts pitchfork back in closet.....)

 

[Chriswagner92]

So you hired a guy with no experience and didn't have any other people with some experience walk through your door? did he just walk in one day and ask for a job? Are/were you advertising you were hiring?

Depending on where you live wage varies. NYC should be double what your paying him. if you are very rural I would say your still too cheap. Where im at, pretty rural, but within an hour of 2 cities, I started at $10 an hour.

personally, from a non-managerial perspective, if I needed help around the shop I would advertise you were looking for help, and sort through the candidates until you found someone with just enough experience to have an idea of what they were doing, but just little enough that they didn't request 15 an hour.

I think wage should be discussed during the interview, if there is one which I hope there was, If hes not competant offer him one wage, but if hes experienced offer him the other better wage.

If you're not happy with the work he does at 7.50 either bump him to 8 or 8.50 and see if he improves, or cut him and pay 10 or more for someone with experience, or at least some kind of aptitude for the position

 

[Signbot]

zero experience is WAY different from zero competence.

zero experience = zero competency, thank you.

 

[Ponto]

zero experience is WAY different from zero competence.

THIS!!! +1... when hiring it is up to you to determine whether an individual has an APTITUDE for the trade.... not everyone does.......


JP

 

[J Hill Designs]

an incompetent person have have alot of experience but still suck at what they do

a competent person with no experience can learn

 

[Signbot]

Although I have very little experience in this department, I will say this: I wouldn't want to work for or around you with that attitude.

Instead of looking at employees as useless monkeys that you want to reward with as little bananas as possible...why don't you look at them as being tools, that when taken care of and looked after will make your job easier and will help with things around the shop in general.

If you're already wondering how little you can pay a useless employee why don't you learn how to hire the right people, and be in a position where you're wondering how much you can AFFORD to pay them to make sure they stick around?

I dunno, seems like your perspective and attitude is the problem here, not new employees.



Carry on...

oh yeah. I'm judging you buddy....
Please don't hastily jump to conclusions.
If you want a banana you better be nice.
Thanks.

 

[OldPaint]

i have to go here.........
how much EXPERIENCE do you have in thw sign business?
and how many yrs have you been an EMPLOYER?
AND how did YOU wind up being the boss????
now iam 68.........i can ask these question as i been self employed 28 yrs)))))

 

[Gino]

oh yeah. I'm judging you buddy....
Please don't hastily jump to conclusions.
If you want a banana you better be nice.
Thanks.

Yeah, I can see why you attract the good employees. You just have a way with words not only with your help, but with the very people YOU are coming to for help.

Hastily jumping to conclusions only happens when people don't explain things correctly from the beginning. It's quite evident, you aren't a people person. You wanna fit in, but don't..... or can't. Makes no never mind to me how you solve your problem with hiring street people and then b!tching about them, but it does matter to many here..... how you conduct yourself with your peers. Ya see, without the people in this community, if you can't solve this simple problem, you gonna be looking for a new job at seven fiddy an hour, too. So, try not to be too harsh.

 

[Signbot]

I don't like bananas, and I'm not jumping to $hit. Your first post says it all.

As someone who has been training a helper who started with ZERO experience in the field, I'm happy to say that she is proficient with running the laminator, edge, and small plotters after only a couple of months. Within a few more months I'm hoping to have her running our large format Roland.

I still stand by what I said before - you're looking at this the wrong way. Don't hire idiots then complain that they're incompetent... find people that have potential and teach them to do things the right way.

I'm not sure there's any other way to re-explain that.

Oh yeah, I'm sure you're capable of doing ALLLLL of that, plus be here all the time
Let's see how long it takes until you post "NEED HELP REPLACING ROLAND PRINTHEAD!"
Yeah GL with that.

I'll make it simple, my little banana loathing monkey friend.
1- I never complained. and
2- Yes, you did jump to "$hit" with your overly-critical and mildly pretentious post about me.
On what basis do you get to make those remarks. Hmm...none!
Although, I'm sure you'd be more than delighted to know who I am, you simply do not.

As you've mentioned, you have "very little experience in this department".
Therefore, your input has "very little" clout.
So please take your bellicose behavior elsewhere.

Anyways, moving on.

 

[Marlene]

wow, it is a wonder that you have anyone working for you. no experience, whos fault is that? you hired them with no experience with what, the promise of on the job training?

 

[the graphics co]

$12/hr,

I would have interviewed the person first to determine if they are competent. Part of being the person doing the hiring is being able to judge peoples strengths and weaknesses within the confines of an interview, or two if you aren't sure after the first.

If you are regretting hiring the person, then explain that it isn't working out and let them go. It happens all the time, not that big of a deal. Especially at $7.50/hr

 

[AnthonyRalano]

I would fall on my own x-acto knife for $7.50. U.S. wages that is.

 

[Signbot]

wow, it is a wonder that you have anyone working for you. no experience, whos fault is that? you hired them with no experience with what, the promise of on the job training?

We've all had a terminus a quo somewhere, no?
I am open to the idea of giving others opportunities.
This one individual that I hired is not as fortunate as others, however I did see a glimmer of hope.
If I notice potential, I will hire and exhaustively train you.
And as mentioned, raises occur at any time if I've witnessed consistency with work.
$7.50 could easily be $10+ at any time. EASY.
I hired a designer last year and started her off at over $20+.
So please don't get me wrong.

I am a über fair man and beyond giving to all my employees.
We have a modern and amicable workspace and clients love to just solicit.
None of my employees stares at the clock waiting to desperately leave at 6.
They often work overtime and don't even seek OVERTIME pay.
That IS how good I am. :Big Laugh (Nonetheless, I do break bread)
Anyhow, not the most desirable conversation I was seeking, but whatever.
Goodnight!

 

[player]

I guess I am out of the loop...

I have never heard someone ask for help on a forum and then call people answering the question "monkeys".