The Best Job - Climbing Arborist - Wish List.

jmcscrap said:
I agree that money gets your attention, gets you in the door possibly but after you have "the climber" it becomes much more than the paycheck as some have pointed out
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100% correct!!! I was joking around about the money, and you're right, money is nice, but I'll take decent boss/decent coworkers/average pay any day over big $$$$$/loser coworkers/grumpy boss. The mental side wears you down quickly, no matter how much $ they're paying you!
 
Naturalway said:
... We want people who want to learn, teach, and produce. We want long term employees... ...but I want to know what are the most important things climbers are looking for in a job and in a company? How to attract and retain top climbers...
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Bottom line is the bottom line... No one climbs for free. Top climbers aren't into broken bodies, and thus want a good sales rep behind them who can put the proper amount on a job so the time taken is within a comfortable margin. That there will be work every day with a guarantee that they can support their families and have enough left over at the end of the day to be fully interactive at home.

Your top climbers have been in the industry for around 10 years and have relied on tree work to see them through thick and thin and probably don't require too much training in the "art of pruning [tree care]".

I would advise you to come up with a finite amount to charge your clientele based on cost to produce, labor, and market value that corresponds with an hourly rate, per man. My company charges $60 per man per hour, on the cheap side. This allows a sales team to estimate how many men would be required on a job and how much to charge for said job based on the time taken to complete the job.

If you manage your company's production rate accurately and attentively and LISTEN to your climbers when they tell you how they had to complete said job and pay attention to the details, then you will retain them in the long run, and grow as a sales rep. Climbers don't want to be rushed on a job, it's not safe and its taxing on the body.

P's&Q's, dot and cross. Happy workers are productive workers.
 
Nish said:
... The employer must be compensated for being "out till 8 0r 9...plus all day Sunday...."

But we are on to something: To attract and retain top climbers, you'll need to pay them so much, and yourself so little, that trading places doesn't tempt them.
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People often fail to realize the cost of production, and the affects of having a fat pocket. Company I worked for last year had an annual profit of roughly 2.5 mil after production costs. But as much as the boss would love to adequately compensate each of his men, his men first have to care more about the job than they do their wallet.

It's unfortunate, because i'd love to pay each of my guys more than they make now, but seeing how each of them settles into their first raise tells me a lot about how money affects them. So few are inclined to sit on that shit and grow as individuals, and instead hit the bar hard and heavy every night.

Even before running my own crew, I always hit about $18 - $23 hourly and would never allow any more. I changed my life around outside of work to foster growth via reducing expenses... Even then, a fifth a night, visit to the local bar, and a weekend at the old boys' house to boot... Granted, never affected me at work.

That being said, no one should ever make more than the person they work for. They lose respect and begin to assume priorities they ought not be, and all of this entire post happens so subconsciously, we are all susceptible to it.
 
where i work is great, but its a fast paced and demanding place to work, constantly keeping up or aiming to get ahead of a schedule. we have a good team with good equipment, so its go go go, which does beat the hell out of us i think. one thing that would improve spirits of the guys on my crew is if our boss gave us a "thank you" or "good job" more often when we work thru rain or make a job happen ahead of schedule. he will say it to me when i tell him we are done, but the other guys i work with dont want to hear it from me, it means a lot when they hear it from our boss directly.

we will beat ourselves down cause it makes us look good and we take pride in that we do it, just show its appreciated from time to time. that doesnt even mean Dunks gift cards or Gatorades. a "Thank you" in person before leaving the yard in the morning can totally change the mood after being out till 530 - 6 or working thru lunch or rain the day before
 
Opportunity for seasoned employees (ground and climbers) to buy into company, receive education bonuses, and or transition to training new guys, bidding, or leadership with a reduction in ball breaking labor hours.

Example - after x amount of years or hours an employee can either get pay increases, earn bonuses, or even a percentage of profit on a job.

Provide opportunities for other avenues - maybe a groundie doesn't ever want to climb but would be a great safety trainer in the future or even a estimator. Offer long timer climbers opportunities to train guys in the trees, focusing less on production and more on quality.

Education and training opportunities - putting it to use with leadership roles, pay, and long-term company buy in. Otherwise they'll feel stagnant and want to go elsewhere or start their own

Is there anyway to provide the most loyal who hit performance targets with ways to buy into the company?

Ask them regularly what works, what doesn't, and what a perfect job would look like. Provide options that actually get implemented. Ex: this year we can only afford reduction in your out of pocket benefit costs, a year end bonus, or x paid days off. Which is it?




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