Employee longevity, pro's/ cons /recruitment

[SeanRuel]

Sean, wasn't trying to dig at you or your motivations/ideas. I just think there has to be a better way, and we just need to figure it out. You have a chance to try something other than the same old model, and that's pretty cool.

Hartney did something like pay a lower wage for the first year of employment to buy a stake in the risk/reward of ownership. Dividends after operating costs distributed based on your% investment. Raises given as increased investment or money, depending on what the employee decides.

I'm an employee 3 days a week and do my own thing the rest of the time, very small scale, subcontracting my buddy and his chipper when needed. No employees clearly. Within 30 min if me there are three larger outfits, 4- 10 employees, and probably a dozen one-two man shows. Almost everyone has decided against being a climber for someone else.

Again, no dig at you. I've always enjoyed reading your posts and you seem like a super fair dude. You have great points about working smarter and saving your body. Just saying there are tons of ways to get and keep good people and it's not necessarily all laziness. Actual investment in the company by workers seems like a positive economic model.

 

[treehumper]

Davey, Lewis, Wright, Emery are all employee owned, just to name a few. It's not a panacea for the industry. All subs doesn't work unless these subs are actually able to dictate their own hours, and develop other clients. Kinda undermines the business' interest in maintaining their workforce.

To think that because they are employees they are not invested in the business and go home to a life of carefree bliss isn't appreciating the challenges they face and what plays on their minds. Sure you the owner have more concerns however, employees are ever watchful of your decisions, good or bad, and the impact on their future. I've been with 2 companies that went bankrupt due to bad business decisions made at the top. It cost me and all the employees and threatened there families and homes. Scrambling to find work and hope to be able to make ends meet isn't carefree.

How about some mutual respect. That goes the furtherest to improve relations between employers and employees.

 

[southsoundtree]

Sean, no dig taken!

I'm open to ideas.

Do you then only get people willing to work for less with the hopes of staying multiple years? What if they only stay 9 months? Do laborers and independent-minded climbers fit this for mom-and-pop?

How do employees take it if there are not as many dividends because of equipment upgrades, or maybe a big-enough chunk of metal makes it into the chipper, stumper gets tipped over into a wetland, etc?


I'm 44. Worked regularly since Jr. High, except for Freshman year and 8 months after getting laid off (downsizing) before doing tree work. Hard to see that kind of investment in a mom-and-pop. Davey will be around next year, the year after, the...