New hire

The new hire process is weird. I'm just a climber. And my company just sends you to the job with the top guy there and you show your stuff the problem is if there's no advanced trees you can't get a feel for the climber except for what he says. But we just had one guy who came on that really talked the talked and he's gonna come in for a few days and almost see if we re worth it for him. I have no solutions but the topic is interesting
 
Do you have a new hire handbook? Laying out expectations, boundaries, and consequences in written form for them to keep is a good start. It doesn't necessarily weed out bad hires, but it allows you to move them on more easily and keeps them from claiming unemployment against you.

Also, try to set the tone with your ads. Make sure anyone that calls already knows what will be required of him/her and that there will be no shenanigans. Culture is everything, so don't be afraid to set the bar high.
 
Crimsonking said:
Do you have a new hire handbook? Laying out expectations, boundaries, and consequences in written form for them to keep is a good start. It doesn't necessarily weed out bad hires, but it allows you to move them on more easily and keeps them from claiming unemployment against you.

Also, try to set the tone with your ads. Make sure anyone that calls already knows what will be required of him/her and that there will be no shenanigans. Culture is everything, so don't be afraid to set the bar high.
Click to expand...

Great advice:

I start with a good ad that does just that. States what my expectations are. In this industry your going to get everyone who has run a chainsaw applying to your ads. I know you understand this Mark because you have been doing this longer than I have been alive.

My next step is a phone interview where I am screening them. Asking them questions. I typically get a few guys who just want to talk about how there is not a tree they can't climb, they have been doing this for 24 years Bla Bla Bla. I trend to steer away from them and look for the more humble guys who already know there good and want to show me instead of telling me over the phone. Education is huge for me. I like to hire people who have shown they are actively involved in the advancement of their skills and education.

Then I schedule a trial day. Two days at least, 1 day for them to see how we do things and another day for us to put them in the hot seat. I schedule the work based on their sill set. If I'm bring a 25-30 hr guy, he is not going to have to show me he can work the toughest of trees.

Yes, everyone will talk their skills up. I have worked with guys who were super-stars at their previous companies but then worked with us and they were not nearly as skilled as out middle level guys. The reason is some employees forget that the salesmen might be saying no to all those nasty jobs. Well what happens when you go work for the company that does not say no, and takes the job other will not. It forces you into a position that maybe your not too used to.

Screen, screen, screen. Do trial days, it can tell you a lot about a person when they are in the heat of a large removal, or mature tree prune. Might take a really good guy some time to get used to the way you work.
 
I developed a small portion of a arborist application process for a company. Not really the human resources part. More along the lines of an in-office filter

The HR director would give the test if I was out of the office. A few questions. Then they were given a six foot length of 3/8" cordage and instructed to tie a bowline. The resulting knot was left for me to grade. The pass with flying colors answer was if the applicant asked "Which bowline?" I'd have applicants with three years of claimed experience who would tie a ton of knots...nothing close. Others were tied without setting or super long tails. Or tied in the middle of the cord with a huge loop. Not a fail
But not as n a configuration that was used. I'd ask the HR person if the applicant struggled to tie or just whipped it together in an instant.

This piece turned out to be a pretty good filter. After hiring an app that tied a crappy bowline I got feedback from some of the climbers he worked with who said that his years of experience were a fantasy but he talked a good talk.
 
Gorman said:
As far as I've seen every new hire over states their experience level. You just have to see them in action to tell.
Click to expand...
Worked for 1 guy who had an entire translation chart:
"I'm good with a saw" means I've seen chainsaws before.
"I've been cutting for like 5 years" means you have actually run a saw a few times.
"Oh yeah, I'm a climber" means you had a tree house as a kid, and so on, and so on.

I've been asked before by potential employers how they know if I'm legit? If it's a company that has already made it to my short list, I usually offer to work for them for a day. "At the end of the day, pay me what you think I was worth for that day, and we'll discuss hiring and pay at that point." It's a good 2 way street, because it also lets me see better how they work and what they expect for the money.
 
@Jeff, Thanks for that idea. So, folks actually let you work for them for a day without filling out any paperwork? I can see how it might be tougher to get someone to do that nowadays, with all the worry about liability that seems to exist at this point in time.

Worth a shot, though.

Tim
 
TimBr said:
@Jeff, Thanks for that idea. So, folks actually let you work for them for a day without filling out any paperwork? I can see how it might be tougher to get someone to do that nowadays, with all the worry about liability that seems to exist at this point in time.

Worth a shot, though.

Tim
Click to expand...

If there paid through your payroll then their covered under your w/c policy. That is how my plan it. I just recently checked because I was bring a foreman and wanted them to do trail days. They said I was good. All worked out.
 
Crimsonking said:
Do you have a new hire handbook? Laying out expectations, boundaries, and consequences in written form for them to keep is a good start. It doesn't necessarily weed out bad hires, but it allows you to move them on more easily and keeps them from claiming unemployment against you.

Also, try to set the tone with your ads. Make sure anyone that calls already knows what will be required of him/her and that there will be no shenanigans. Culture is everything, so don't be afraid to set the bar high.
Click to expand...

I'm curious about your reference to preventing people from claiming unemployment against you, and the "no shenanigans" policy.

Is the idea here that you might accept someone for a position based on what they state as their capabilities, only to find out that they are completely unqualified for the spot? And that they do this entirely as a ruse in order to try to qualify for unemployment benefits?
 
This is all great info. I am looking to get more info for after the hire. I am putting together a plan and process for the different steps to training/evaluation and corresponding documentation.
For instance: I do a training for proper chainsaw use and safety then document it. hat would the order of importance be for certain skills? chainsaw is an obvious first and driver evaluation.
 
Mark we have 2, 18 yr old high school interns. (I know, brave, right?!) they each have a folder with a simple excel spreadsheet. As they aquire new skills, or are trained in new techniques, it's written down and I (CTSP) sign off on it. It travels with them daily, mostly cause I won't remember to slow down to right it down if it's not on site. It helps me know what each has been trained on, and how far along they are. If I'm not onsite when something new is learned they review with me asap and I sign off ( or not) it helps me track what info they are retaining, and over time how to judge pay scale and raises and such.

Come to think of it neither have any kboom expierence. Gonna have to set up a play date to fix that Good help is hard to come by, best of luck my friend!
 
Tom Dunlap said:
I developed a small portion of a arborist application process for a company. Not really the human resources part. More along the lines of an in-office filter

The HR director would give the test if I was out of the office. A few questions. Then they were given a six foot length of 3/8" cordage and instructed to tie a bowline. The resulting knot was left for me to grade. The pass with flying colors answer was if the applicant asked "Which bowline?" I'd have applicants with three years of claimed experience who would tie a ton of knots...nothing close. Others were tied without setting or super long tails. Or tied in the middle of the cord with a huge loop. Not a fail
But not as n a configuration that was used. I'd ask the HR person if the applicant struggled to tie or just whipped it together in an instant.

This piece turned out to be a pretty good filter. After hiring an app that tied a crappy bowline I got feedback from some of the climbers he worked with who said that his years of experience were a fantasy but he talked a good talk.
Click to expand...
What if said applicant were to splice and whip an eye in the knot test rope?

Reed Wortley
CTSP #01739
ISA CA #SO-6953A
 
TimBr said:
I'm curious about your reference to preventing people from claiming unemployment against you, and the "no shenanigans" policy.

Is the idea here that you might accept someone for a position based on what they state as their capabilities, only to find out that they are completely unqualified for the spot? And that they do this entirely as a ruse in order to try to qualify for unemployment benefits?
Click to expand...

We had some guys who had skills, but brought down the team's morale, were late regularly, missed a lot, or compromised in a lot of little things, enough to show an unwilling attitude, but no "serious" problems. All of these things drain a small company, so we spelled everything out. That way it was easier to confront, and if they kept going, we could let them go (as stated in their handbook) and contest their unemployment claim with their own signature from the handbook.
 
if the applicant has significant firefighting seasonal work chances are they are just sending out applications to perpetuate their ui claim. I've seen some stellar firefighter applications over the years, dudes with hard core experience and training....all from places 3 states away 'looking for work' in the winter trimming trees. Uh..... right. So, I guess, in your process you may want to add criteria that tends to screen away insincere applications of this sort as you are looking for the gold.
 
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