CanaryBoss, I’m right beside you! Our team is working on this concept currently. It’s slow going, but I’m figuring out the foundation right now that will shape the system. One major concept is managing expectation. An example- recently an acquaintance called me asking how to get to where I am in my craft. He was really asking how he could shortcut his way to running his own show, with only sawyer experience, and whether he could join our team for his fast track. I told him that it takes 5 years under quality tutelage to be properly prepared for whatever comes his way, and that only to mean he will at that point be able to better identify what is in his wheelhouse and what is beyond his skill. While many grow faster than this, I wanted to set the tone that time is not something to skimp on when investing in skill. We try to deliver the expectation that proficiency, while always being worked toward, won’t be achieved quickly. It’s not an 8 day training then go type job. The vision is of an apprenticeship into a career with many available paths.
Currently our team does have a baptism by fire approach, which is good and bad. Our owner makes a good point that putting someone in over his/her head from time to time gives them a better view of where they are and how they can grow. However, without a consistent system for them to plug into to develop themselves, the growth process can be high stress and slower than need be, and can actually DQ quality people who can’t cope with or learn in that intensity.
Let’s connect by phone and chat it out, I’d love to hear what you’re thinking and working with, and would be happy to share what I’m learning through the process.
You made some good points there. Well worded!
So, we currently have a grading scale we use for pay. I have to be careful here because some of this info is “ours”. We came up with it over years of hard work and management meetings developing this platform. I’m going to be somewhat vague but I’ll give an outline.
This is how we classify and rate our tree guys for their pay range.
Freshman; $12 an hour
-brush dragger
-raker
-equipment set out and put up
-no chain saw use
-no machinery use
-manual labor only
-supervised chipper feeding only
Sophomore; $14
-small saw use
-must be able to change a chain in under 3 minutes
-must know names of various required tree equipment
-chipper feeding, Start up, and stop
-general roping ability
-must be at this class or higher to start to train to climb
Junior; $17
-stump grinder operation
-mini skid use
-medium and big saw use
-pole saw use
-advanced roping ability
-know how to unclog chipper
-understand logistics in job layout
-drive/set up tracked lifts
-must be at this class to qualify for crew leader positions
Senior; $19
-bobcat operation
-understand all aspects of setup and breakdown for job completion
-be able to operate all machinery and move/back up/park all trucks and equipment including loader trucks
This is a general “tree guy” grading scale
For those of you wondering where the climbers and so on fit in, I’m getting there.
We offer what we call “credits” a credit is and addition to your classification. Here they are;
CDL driver with clean record; +$6 an hour
Arborists certification; +$3 an hour
Crew leader; + $3 an hour
Advanced hedge trimmer ;+$1 an hour
Sometimes we have guys who are freshman in the tree industry but do legitimately have mini skid experience so we offer a $1 an hour credit to freshman and sophomore class only for mini skid operation.
CLIMBERS;
I’m not going into details here cause it’s not necessary in my opinion but it looks like this;
Beginner; +$3 an hour
Intermediate; +$5 an hour
Ace; +$8 an hour
Some of our credits are by invitation only. Guys can’t just say; “well I’m a sophomore and I want a raise so I started climbing last week”. They have to ask us. I was having problems with pretty green guys wanting to learn to fast and didn’t want someone to get hurt so I put this in place. There are other regulations as well.
That pretty much encompasses our pay scale. It allows us to have a steadfast model to follow and a direction to go in.
We give this for our sanity and ease of hiring and rating pay but mostly to give our employees a measurable goal to meet. They can see “what’s next” so to speak. In stead of trying to learn to run the bobcat when really they need to change a chain faster.
I’m mention all this because you talked about trial by fire and learning what’s in your wheelhouse. This is the structure we developed to do so. I hope it’s helpful to others as it has been amazingly helpful to us.
This is the platform by which we would probably develop our curriculum order. There are things not listed like time required in a class to move on. Testing process. Things that I think should be added are employee etiquette and company policies. They should be on the front end of the program. We also have a company handbook but it should be taught more thoroughly.
