Green new hire

[treemuncher]

You make me so glad that I work alone. My wife is a teacher and she knows that I could never handle her job and I'm likely not able to train a new hire either. Best thing that I could encourage is:

• NO phones or devices until you are off the clock - work ain't playtime or selfie time. You are being paid for your time so commit it to the job 100%.
• It's not about your feelings - it's about work - get the job done right or leave.
• Start them on menial tasks until they can get that stuff done RIGHT the first time - that should build confidence and a commitment to quality work. If you can't get it done right the first go, repeat until you are capable of proving your reputation. That reputation can not be purchased, it has to be proven and it is priceless.
• Work the crap out of them - keep them busy with a list. Boredom at work is not a successful day of work.
• Let them do the prep work for any job - cleaning the work area/machine, getting tools needed, verifying correct parts, researching books on repair technique, etc. Maybe the mechanical aptitude will get started up...
• When the job/time allows, let them start seeing what is happening in the repair maybe by loosening or final torquing of components. Let them do the simple stuff first until they prove their commitment to quality work. Build the complexity slowly.

I'm wound too tight to be a baby sitter. Last employee that I had over 25 years ago spent over 2 days to remove/install a set of king pins on a Mack truck. We were missing a part which did not come in until Saturday AM. I got back to shop around 11-noon, proceeded to finish repair and realized my "mechanic" installed both sides incorrectly. I did complete tear down and rebuild of both sides and had truck out of the shop by 6 PM that night. I'm just better off doing it all myself.

I thank my father most every day for putting me to work at 13. He was strict at work and it really payed off for me. "You're being paid to be here, you work while you are here, no matter what the job is." From cleaning public toilets to collecting/counting money - I've done most all of it. Since 13, I've always had money in my pocket, made everything legally, stayed on the right side of the law and learned to love to work relentlessly. It's still up to the individual - be a drag on society or be a contributor. My reputation with my customers speaks for itself.

Best line ever in a movie: "What one man can do, so can another. You just have to put your mind to it."

 

[funwithfuel]

Most of us had that one person who flipped a switch and everything made sense. For me, it was an ol timer running a mom n pop truck shop. I broke an exhaust stud in an MV404 in a cab over. Right up against the frame. No room for nothing and i had no idea how to proceed. I said to him, "Ed, I can't get this." He looked at me and told me, "that's ok , when are you taking your box outta here? " I asked are you firing me? He said," no, you quit." You said," you cant, i need someone who can" I explained that I had exhausted all my ideas, he said that's different. Let's go solve this together. I never forgot that. It's all in the presentation, how ya say it.

 

[Spud_Monkey]

If we are going to try and figure ways to flip a switch on green new hires I have a suggestion. Can’t do it the same way that worked for me but knock him upside the head with a 4 x 4 board. It was a roadside bomb explosion that rung my bell and flipped a switch, granted I still have problems from it mentally and physically but damn I can figure some stuff out no matter what it is and gained quite a bit of knowledge. Something about few wires got cut and reconnected in different ways.
Might get lucky and someone drag in a dragging brake on a trailer or semi and let’s the tire loose rocking his world or he decides to heat lug nuts up to remove them.

 

[DMiller]

Could have been the forehead tap I received at three here. ‘51 Chevy tagged me as ran into the street
Mom watched it happen and knew would be burying me. Obviously they did not.

 

[JD955SC]

Cuttin edge. My big issue is quality of work like having to ask him to do things 2 or 3 times and its still not right. I'm trying a different approach but he would rather do a crap job then walk away and play on his phone. He asks questions he knows the answer too and that have been told to him multiple times like yes punch in when it's time to work kind of ****. The big thing is he cant remember anything and has no ambition to learn. Some just cant be trained hope I can turn it around.

Time for him to go. If you don’t have pride in your craft and do quality work you’re worthless.

 

[cuttin edge]

Cuttin edge. My big issue is quality of work like having to ask him to do things 2 or 3 times and its still not right. I'm trying a different approach but he would rather do a crap job then walk away and play on his phone. He asks questions he knows the answer too and that have been told to him multiple times like yes punch in when it's time to work kind of ****. The big thing is he cant remember anything and has no ambition to learn. Some just cant be trained hope I can turn it around.

Ok, you didn't mention this in your OP. Typical young lad. I really think a couple years in the military for all graduates would do some good for young people. Respect, life skills, discipline, coping skills, following instructions.

 

[funwithfuel]

Cuttin edge. My big issue is quality of work like having to ask him to do things 2 or 3 times and its still not right. I'm trying a different approach but he would rather do a crap job then walk away and play on his phone. He asks questions he knows the answer too and that have been told to him multiple times like yes punch in when it's time to work kind of ****. The big thing is he cant remember anything and has no ambition to learn. Some just cant be trained hope I can turn it around.

Did he pass the drug screen and physical? Do you have random testing where you are?
Do you have a no phones unless for company business policy? Have you thought about adopting one?

 

[Mike L]

I don’t think being a mechanic is something you’re born with. For me it’s how bad do you want it? My buddies son is 19 and likes to tell everyone he’s a great mechanic. I’ve never seen him successfully repair anything. I’ve bailed him out a few times and try to teach as I go but he’s got a lot of quit in him. He’ll tell you he got frustrated and had to walk away but never seems to walk back and finish it. He bought a 6.0 powerstroke against my advice and it promptly broke. He and his “mechanic” friends have been throwing parts at it unsuccessfully for a couple months now while he’s making payments on it. I’ll be surprised if it ever runs again. He refuses to take it to someone who knows about because he says he can fix it but it ain’t happening. On the other hand my stepdaughters boyfriend is 23 and singlehandedly maintains a fleet of trucks and equipment at a good sized lumber mill. He has no formal training but likes to tinker and learn and doesn’t give up easily. He’ll admit to using YouTube when he needs help but honestly so do I. Last winter he asked me a few questions and borrowed a couple tools and completely inframed a C15 by himself. He calls me now and again with questions but most of the time he’s on the right track and just needs a little reassurance. He’s like the son I never had!

 

[treemuncher]

Like Mike L said, "doesn't give up easily", is one of the keys to success in anything. Attitude is everything to achievement of goals.

 

[John C.]

Attitude goes both ways though. Young people today are not going to stand for being what they consider being abused that for us was normal working conditions.

 

[AzIron]

My age group has lost the power of observation when you get to 20 with no work experience and dont have the power of observation it will take 3 plus years to train you to work

The expectations for green employees anywhere are to high most of the time and life skills are barely taught at work these days

I absorbed a lot of yelling coming up I also had 3 or 4 guys that never raised there voice and would correct the situation step by step whither me but I see a lot of people doing the training now that lack the experience to be fully competent on the subject and they end up ruining guys cause there is no wisdom to hand out and this just perpetuates the problem

 

[suladas]

It is easy to rag on the younger generation, but i've seen as many or more of the older generation that is just as bad. I don't understand it, at 12 I was working with my dad doing concrete for the summer, by 15 I was more capable then most 30-40 year olds he had working for him, it was pretty sad. Some of them did not like having a teenager tell them what to do but that's the drawback of being useless, then again though concrete doesn't exactly attract brilliant minds. Back then my dad was a harda$$ to work for, and many people think being the kid you got it easier, someways yes someways you got it way worse. Yelling and swearing was a daily occurrence, if you were shown something once you better figure it out.

I'm not saying that's a great way to teach but I can't say I have a lot of patience to teach people, which is exactly why I don't have any employees, I can't deal with it. I have no problem showing people things and being patient, but not when I carefully show them something basic and they go and do it totally different and screw it up. Or something repetitive, one day they are told something then they need to be told everyday the same thing again and again, I lose my mind over that. I can accomplish more in a 10-12 hour day then I could in 8 hours with an employee. I also don't have to pay for chit they break for being dumb. I see it on a daily basis with my brothers guys, chit I would never put up with. Recently one was backing over the fenders on trailer loading CTL, not just a nick, but the entire fender of the 3 axle trailer was crumpled from driving that far. I would have lost my mind and fired someone for that on the spot, whereas that's pretty much a regular occurrence.

I think if you got someone willing to show up, listen, and put in a real effort they are better then 95% of the workforce out there.

A few months ago doing a foundation repair, I didn't want to do some hand digging so I borrowed one of my brother labourers. I was heading to the auction and left him to dig, maybe 1 yard of dirt. I come back 2 hours later and he probably didn't do 5 minutes of digging the entire time. Then starts whining when will the day be over. I get fed up and finish myself in maybe 20 minutes. I just can't deal with BS like that on a regular basis and don't know how anyone else can. As a teenager I remember a few times digging out around entire houses to replace weeping tile, 8-9 hour days of just digging. People are just so dahm lazy.

 

[cuttin edge]

It is easy to rag on the younger generation, but i've seen as many or more of the older generation that is just as bad. I don't understand it, at 12 I was working with my dad doing concrete for the summer, by 15 I was more capable then most 30-40 year olds he had working for him, it was pretty sad. Some of them did not like having a teenager tell them what to do but that's the drawback of being useless, then again though concrete doesn't exactly attract brilliant minds. Back then my dad was a harda$$ to work for, and many people think being the kid you got it easier, someways yes someways you got it way worse. Yelling and swearing was a daily occurrence, if you were shown something once you better figure it out.

I'm not saying that's a great way to teach but I can't say I have a lot of patience to teach people, which is exactly why I don't have any employees, I can't deal with it. I have no problem showing people things and being patient, but not when I carefully show them something basic and they go and do it totally different and screw it up. Or something repetitive, one day they are told something then they need to be told everyday the same thing again and again, I lose my mind over that. I can accomplish more in a 10-12 hour day then I could in 8 hours with an employee. I also don't have to pay for chit they break for being dumb. I see it on a daily basis with my brothers guys, chit I would never put up with. Recently one was backing over the fenders on trailer loading CTL, not just a nick, but the entire fender of the 3 axle trailer was crumpled from driving that far. I would have lost my mind and fired someone for that on the spot, whereas that's pretty much a regular occurrence.

I think if you got someone willing to show up, listen, and put in a real effort they are better then 95% of the workforce out there.

A few months ago doing a foundation repair, I didn't want to do some hand digging so I borrowed one of my brother labourers. I was heading to the auction and left him to dig, maybe 1 yard of dirt. I come back 2 hours later and he probably didn't do 5 minutes of digging the entire time. Then starts whining when will the day be over. I get fed up and finish myself in maybe 20 minutes. I just can't deal with BS like that on a regular basis and don't know how anyone else can. As a teenager I remember a few times digging out around entire houses to replace weeping tile, 8-9 hour days of just digging. People are just so dahm lazy.

I had it better than my parents. My father never hit me, he just put his hand on his belt. Mom was a different story. When I went to school, you might get the odd hand across the backside, or yelled at for being stupid. If you lost, you got nothing, if you failed, you repeated the grade. I went home, I was less than a mile from school so I walked. We lived in town, so no animals to feed except the dog. I was the baby of 5 kids, so I got spoiled a bit, but we didn't have a lot of money so it wasn't much. I played outside, I rode my bike. We only had one tv with 3 channels, and one was french. Later on, we got cable, so saturday morning cartoons lasted till noon. I went fishing with my dad. We had a garden at my grand parents. I helped plant, and harvest. I helped cousins when it was time for haying. I helped neighbors split and pile their winter wood, often for an ice cream, or sometimes Mrs Campbell would get us fish and chips. When I was in high school I had money cause I worked. I did a year of university, but ended up in the construction industry because of a girl, and I needed money to impress. Today You have to keep yelling at your kids in private because the right person hears..... Teachers can't even raise their voice let alone call someone stupid. Everyone gets a trophy or an award. If your child fails, the teacher can suggest they repeat the grade, but as a parent you can say no, and they get shoved through. The school bus picks up kids around my mother's place now. No one gives kids any jobs around the house. Thy don't help the neighbors unless there is money involved, most have no clue about gardening. You never see kids outside, and I know parents are mostly to blame, the big killer....my 10 year old has an I phone 12. I try to limit her time on it, but I'm not always home. Every where you go, they have their face stuck in their phone. Some companies offer another 2 bucks an hour if they will leave their phone in their lunch can, and they choose the phone. Around here, it is so hard to get young labour, that you just have to take the sneaking of the phone, an keep yelling at them.

 

[Midnightmoon]

Great stuff. Boss stuck the kid with me no one else will do it. I'm doing better got him on work he can do and be proud of. Hes getting to know his place. I've been stressing to him to not get discouraged it will take time. I was hard on him in the beginning to see what he knew. Turns out he just doesnt know much. 30 more days of probation and decisions will have to be made. He surprised me yesterday so I guess theres hope. It's funny I spend hours of my own time every day to learn new things. One of the guys at work laughed at me and said he never spends time outside of work reading or trying to learn. Must be why a machine he worked on three times with the same issue finally got fixed when I worked on it. I go the extra mile because I want to learn and if something has me stumped I'll read as much as I can and research it on my own time. I see it like this if I dont know how to do something it's on me and I need to figure it out on my time. That's just me and I told this to the new guy. Hey let's face it if your going to succeed in heavy equipment you better know tier 4 and diagnostic software inside and out.

 

[suladas]

Great stuff. Boss stuck the kid with me no one else will do it. I'm doing better got him on work he can do and be proud of. Hes getting to know his place. I've been stressing to him to not get discouraged it will take time. I was hard on him in the beginning to see what he knew. Turns out he just doesnt know much. 30 more days of probation and decisions will have to be made. He surprised me yesterday so I guess theres hope. It's funny I spend hours of my own time every day to learn new things. One of the guys at work laughed at me and said he never spends time outside of work reading or trying to learn. Must be why a machine he worked on three times with the same issue finally got fixed when I worked on it. I go the extra mile because I want to learn and if something has me stumped I'll read as much as I can and research it on my own time. I see it like this if I dont know how to do something it's on me and I need to figure it out on my time. That's just me and I told this to the new guy. Hey let's face it if your going to succeed in heavy equipment you better know tier 4 and diagnostic software inside and out.

I find myself always reading up on things to try and be better at fixing stuff, although it's different because it's my own equipment so i'm not getting paid by the hour to fix it. I am far from a mechanic, and have had to look up and ask dumb questions but i've never had someone to teach me, I learned virtually all of it myself. My dad is one of those who doesn't look after stuff, maintenance is really spotty, repairs happen when something is no longer useable and generally involves fixing it good enough so it kind of works instead of properly. Where I want to look after my stuff really well and fix things properly. I won't even try any tier 4 or real electronics, that's way beyond me, luckily I don't have anything advanced. Electronics is something that I struggle with, especially relays, etc. I so rarely do it by the time I need it again years later i've forgot a lot of what I knew.

I find fixing my own stuff rewarding, and also think it's invaluable to learn more about the machine and how things work.

 

[cuttin edge]

I keep saying I'm leaving work behind when I go, but find myself planning in my head how to approach tomorrows project. Depends on how much you like your job. I have about 2 and a half, maybe 3 more months, and I'll be climbing the walls at home for the winter. They have a 60 thousand ton sea wall protection job coming up for the winter, but that's a truck driving job for me, and that's the kind of work I leave at work.

 

[Truck Shop]

The problem with tier 4 is too many variables, problem with most shops is about the time
someone starts getting the idea of what they are working on that person is handed a entirely
different task. So it takes 2 to 3 times longer to get it down. Plus the many changes in
the design/updates in one years time. In order to be good at trouble shooting this day
and age a mechanic needs to stay in tune weekly to be proficient. IMO

 

[JD955SC]

I find myself always reading up on things to try and be better at fixing stuff, although it's different because it's my own equipment so i'm not getting paid by the hour to fix it. I am far from a mechanic, and have had to look up and ask dumb questions but i've never had someone to teach me, I learned virtually all of it myself. My dad is one of those who doesn't look after stuff, maintenance is really spotty, repairs happen when something is no longer useable and generally involves fixing it good enough so it kind of works instead of properly. Where I want to look after my stuff really well and fix things properly. I won't even try any tier 4 or real electronics, that's way beyond me, luckily I don't have anything advanced. Electronics is something that I struggle with, especially relays, etc. I so rarely do it by the time I need it again years later i've forgot a lot of what I knew.

I find fixing my own stuff rewarding, and also think it's invaluable to learn more about the machine and how things work.

Bro, this book right here will make you a god at electrical troubleshooting. This is the bundle with the Loadpro test leads which are also very useful.

Electronic Specialties 181 LOADpro Dynamic Test Lead and Fundamental Electrical Troubleshooting Book,2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IKO09K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_J0GKEDCTXV8ZKC2WWH4H

 

[suladas]

Bro, this book right here will make you a god at electrical troubleshooting. This is the bundle with the Loadpro test leads which are also very useful.

Electronic Specialties 181 LOADpro Dynamic Test Lead and Fundamental Electrical Troubleshooting Book,2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IKO09K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_J0GKEDCTXV8ZKC2WWH4H

Thanks for the heads up, ordered it should be a ton of help. Sucks we get hosed so much in pricing here, $100 on amazon canada.

 

[JD955SC]

Thanks for the heads up, ordered it should be a ton of help. Sucks we get hosed so much in pricing here, $100 on amazon canada.

that sucks. It is an excellent reference and learning guide and it’s written at the high school level with good, clear explanations. It’s written by a mechanic, for mechanics, actually the author was a heavy equipment mechanic so he puts plenty of stuff relevant to our issues in. His tool (the loadpro leads) also works on 24V systems.