Employees

[stevej]

I am looking for opinions from others that have employees. I seem to go thru a lot each season. I pay good. I am fair to each of them but yet they come and go. Anyone else have the same problems?

[Mr. Mow]

I quit using "help". I would run an add and get calls, emails, texts with mispelled words, slang terms.... Half of them didnt have a vehicle, couldnt keep their shoes tied.... criminal records... Quality help was hard to get The last one I had kept running over trash turning it into confetti. 45 year old man...WTH? One guy I used on occasion was 28 yrs old. One day we stopped at a 7-11 to get Cokes, water...etc.. He goes up to the sales counter to pay for his and he pulls out a Lone Star card (Texas food stamps) to pay for his Twix and Coke Zero. Then in the same breath he pulls out cash to buy a Black and Mild and a pack of Marlboros. I took his *** home. Thats BS.

[SC93]

It's not just you and it's not just this business, it's about every business out there.

I've even tried interviewing 3 times before I hire and that doesn't help either. I do know this..... 1 or 2 workers suck. In order to make things easier on yourself you will need to somehow get to 3 workers as fast as possible. Once you have 3 workers, you can manage enough accounts for 2 workers and grow from there. It won't make sense to the calculator at first but keep growing and the calculator will cross paths with reality once you have about 5 or 6 workers.

[Steve]

I do know this..... 1 or 2 workers suck. In order to make things easier on yourself you will need to somehow get to 3 workers as fast as possible.

Can you explain this a little more? What is it about having 1 or 2 workers that sucks and what about having three changes things so much?

[SC93]

When you have 1 worker and he quits or calls in sick and you have too much work for just you.... it sucks.

When you have 2 workers and those things happen it sucks.

When you have 3 or more, the odds of them all quitting/calling in sick at the same time are low so it makes it more manageable. I'm always way more nervous day to day with 1 or 2 workers than I am with 10.

[Chilehead]

I've had an employee who has worked out well for the past 3 months. If all goes well, will be hiring several more. Ran solo since 2002 before this.

[Steve]

When you have 3 or more, the odds of them all quitting/calling in sick at the same time are low so it makes it more manageable. I'm always way more nervous day to day with 1 or 2 workers than I am with 10.

That totally makes sense. How many crews do you like to run when you have 3 employees working with you? Do you keep everyone on one crew or do you split them up?

[SC93]

I learned 15 years ago that I can always make more profit with 1 person than I can with 2 or more. That goes with any business the way I run them. Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 or 4 people for a special job but on a normal basis... it's just 1 person. Most of my people never actually know each other.

When you put 2 or more people together they seem to want to go out on their own. If 1 person works alone, they often THINK about going out on their own but rarely do it.

[jrs.landscaping]

1 person crews do have a higher GPH on average, but they are not always the most efficient or sustainable option.

[SC93]

The reason it works for me is because I pay by the job and every job pays different. They basically get paid by the sf but they don't know that. It's kind of a pita for the guy that does the books but if his job was easy I'd only pay him $7.25 an hour. lol

[RonSonlawncare]

Finding a good interview technique will help with weeding out employees you don't want. Require simple things for the interview to see if the can follow direction.
1. Fill out an application neatly. Take the time to read it and question it.
2. Show up for an interview on time and neatly dressed. If they are late for the interview what do you think will happen when they start working for you. Remember the way they are dressed, they will be representing you.
3. Make them show up with a drivers license. If they forget it how do you think they will be?
Simple little things you do like that will help you weed out possible bad employees.

[Steve]

I learned 15 years ago that I can always make more profit with 1 person than I can with 2 or more.

So then a one man crew and they have their own truck is the ideal set up for you?

With this kind of set up, does it determine what size properties you can take on or does that not matter?

[SC93]

Everything around here is 5000fs-9000sf before the house is built. Small grass areas after the house is built. There are a few bigger lots but we don't service them. I like the small ones.