Has the world changed?

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Fundamentally the day to day functions of feeding and housing the population has remained the same.

Houses and infrastructure must be maintained and developed therefore why is it now virtually impossible to find staff.

I’ve spoken with plenty of other chaps who own their own companies and they all say the same-This year it has become almost impossible to even find idiots, never mind decent people.

I’m no exception, work is flooding in, I’ll pay well and offer good development opportunities to the right person, yet there is no one forthcoming.

Odd and really frustrating!

[Rough Hewn]

I put an advert up on here a while back offering "top rates" for climbers and groundies. Not a single enquiry.
But when you compare arb top rates with construction, arb is crap rates with harsh conditions and long hours, not to mention the dangers of chainsaws,trees etc.
Hired a labourer a few weeks back, he's on £100 a day. 20 years old, zero tickets and zero experience.
And I know plenty of climbers on £100 a day.
Groundies often on much less.

So yes, the world has changed.
Arb wages have lagged behind, it's a harsh dangerous job, and you'd be on double the money if you are a plumber/sparky/chippy etc etc.
Until the arb sector gets its collective sh** together and organises a central body with gov funding.
A regulatory organisation with legal powers.
Proper industry lead training and education, not 8 weeks and voila.
De-regulation of arb vehicles to hort registered.
That would stop overloading etc.
There's so much which could be done with the correct gov assistance.

[eggsarascal]

31 minutes ago, Old Mill Tree Care said:

 

Fundamentally the day to day functions of feeding and housing the population has remained the same.

Houses and infrastructure must be maintained and developed therefore why is it now virtually impossible to find staff.

I’ve spoken with plenty of other chaps who own their own companies and they all say the same-This year it has become almost impossible to even find idiots, never mind decent people.

I’m no exception, work is flooding in, I’ll pay well and offer good development opportunities to the right person, yet there is no one forthcoming.

Odd and really frustrating!

 

Yes it as changed. Possibly because we've had years of austerity that forced people into self employment, those people read things on the internet, saw blokes earning big money, having new cars and kit, they jumped on the bandwagon. People in lots of trades don't want to work for someone else and earn them money anymore. Why work for someone else and earn them money when you can work for yourself and earn more money?

[Big J]

I'm probably the wrong person to contribute towards this thread being a massive misanthrope. I had a super frustrating day dealing with builders merchants yesterday, all of whom were on "Devon Time", failing to understand that (for instance) I might require the hardcore and cold lay tarmac at the same time (or even just before) hiring the whacker plate from them. Staggering inefficiency and ineptitude. 

 

I don't know how the rest of you handle it, but if I speak to too many people too regularly, it leaves me with the overwhelming urge to buy a cabin deep in the woods in Sweden and never return. At least there would be no fecking Devon lanes there! ?

[eggsarascal]

Tarmacing now J, it'll be soffits and fascias before long.

[Big J]

6 minutes ago, eggsarascal said:

Tarmacing now J, it'll be soffits and fascias before long.

I bloody hope not! 

 

It's just repairing damage to the road caused by forestry machinery. I'd forgotten how much I hated dealing with idiots behind trade counters. 

 

 

[eggsarascal]

1 minute ago, Big J said:

I bloody hope not! 

 

It's just repairing damage to the road caused by forestry machinery. I'd forgotten how much I hated dealing with idiots behind trade counters. 

 

 

I was pulling your chain, fella. According to @kevinjohnsonmbe a trip to the trade counter means a two hour liquid lunch?‍♂️

[doobin]

I keep finding myself buying more machinery and focusing on skills and machinery rather than staff. I can't be the only one.

[Rough Hewn]

I keep finding myself buying more machinery and focusing on skills and machinery rather than staff. I can't be the only one.

I'm heading down the machine route next year.
Either that or it's like J says...
A cabin deep in the woods.
[emoji106]

[Marc]

Pay well,

What does that mean, I bought it up on another Arb based discussion, when I in a roundabout way suggested a level of pay the replies were I thought surprising, most seemed aghast at the thought of paying their staff more than they earn or so well for little responsibility.

This concerned me, you owners are coming at this wrong, remember your business and reputation is built upon your staff, they will never own the asset that is your business but will be part of that asset, your pay may seemingly be less your efforts may seemingly be more in time spent stressing, but at the end of the day the business is ultimately yours so make them a part of it.

 

I looked at arbjobs recently to get an idea of pay, and of those disclosing it offer 25-30k for experienced arbs with tickets are living in the past, and holding us back, imagine if the pay scale was £40-50k for a climbing arborist on the books would this attract more into our industry and a greater drive from them to be at the top of their game.

 

or am I living in a dream world?

Edited September 21, 2019 by Marc