Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: geefree on February 23, 2009, 11:48:45 pm
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I read so many posts regarding problems employing reliable staff to window clean,... perhaps that is the norm in any trade/profession.........but.......
Do you think this is because they think " oh its only window cleaning "?
And dont treat it as a career?... maybe a dead end job, and they dont care wether they do a good job or not.... or dont respect the employer.... because its " window cleaning"
i will at a later date take someone on permanant... if i can find someone reliable....
but i have thought a lot about this... and i keep coming back to...
do they take it seriously? as its window cleaning.
Tell you what..... it would be interesting to hear from an employee on here... as well as an employer...
Are there any ?
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The best way is sub-contracting IMO.
I think for any business idea to work long term, everyone has to make money and know they are treated fairly.
So it's better to make a bit less per month but for a lot longer, no hassle no worry.
I wouldn't take on an employee, too much to worry about.
With a decent subbie/s you make a little, he makes a fair bit, but you don't do much for yours. Everyone's happy :D
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Finding the right staff is always a problem for most businesses, but not impossible.
Firstly you need the right pay package in place, I would recommend that you pay them a basic of £6 per hour with bonuses if they meet your weekly targets, that will increase their wage upto £10per hour.
The most important thing to concider is the age of your employee, you will find that the young, who are still single, will have a caverlier approach to working, while the over 40's who have a family and a mortgage will be more stable.
Remember that the goverment will pay you £75 per employee per week for 26 weeks for everyone you start on who is on the New Deal Programme.
There are also various Working and Child Tax Credits that also help the employees as well.
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I don't employ anyone, never have and never will but my experience of others is that if you get anyone who is any good its not long before they start to think "I could do this".
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From what I am reading it is you that believe this to be not taken seriously.
You will portray this to your intended employee so your thoughts need to change (based on what I read on post)
If you pay well and offer bonus incentives, they work for it, if they don’t take the job offer seriously don’t employ them.
Staffing can be a nightmare sometimes, but the more stones turned the nearer you are to a gem.
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More hassle than its worth in my experience
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I don't employ anyone, never have and never will but my experience of others is that if you get anyone who is any good its not long before they start to think "I could do this".
That's the prob really - if ever a job was made for the self employed man then this is it. I think there is a threshold:- up to the VAT limit I would build and hone my round to go no more than S/E owner and maybe a family member helping part-time.
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More hassle than its worth in my experience
Matt you've just had a bad experience, but you need to be able to offer someone a full time job to get the best out of them! don't fall at the first hurdle, get up and move forward.
I went through a few employees in the early days when i had helpers as opposed to a full time wc. i didn't have enough work to offer a full time job and could only offer a few days here and there.
So the first thing is you need to be able to offer someone full time employment for them to take you and your company seriously. And for them to want to stick around. Most people can't survive on part time hours. Second is you need to offer someone a decent enough income. if you pay peanuts you get monkeys! and believe me when i say that is true!
You have to try and sound people out, i normally take them down the pub and get them drunk! may not be text book but normally people relax in them situations and you can gage some of what goes on inside their head and find out what kind of person they really are. its also good for team buliding and bonding ;D
next be Firm but fair! no one likes a little hitler but you can't be trampled on yourself. you need to show your teeth every now and then just to keep the house in order but if you treat people with respect you will get it back. The ones that don't show it will be shown the door!
Always remember your not perfect in everything you do and other people have different ways of working so instead of my way or the high way listen to employees as you may actually learn something instead of feeling undermined
employing does work you just need to find the right formula. when you do find the right ones look after them and they won't be going anywhere! a good relationship is about give and take.
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From what I am reading it is you that believe this to be not taken seriously.
You will portray this to your intended employee so your thoughts need to change (based on what I read on post)
If you pay well and offer bonus incentives, they work for it, if they don’t take the job offer seriously don’t employ them.
Staffing can be a nightmare sometimes, but the more stones turned the nearer you are to a gem.
Cheers Ian,
No i dont think of it as a dead end ...only window cleaning... job, otherwise i would not be doing it, but i know the perception of the general public , isnt good on window cleaning,
with that in mind, the potential employee, perhaps , would have the same outlook,
so,
is it harder to find employees who take our game seriously, as opposed to the more respected trades, in the publics minds eye.?
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MESSAGE TO ALL FUTURE EMPLOYERS "start of being a hard boss, you can always soften,,,,,NEVER START OF BEING SOFT IT IS IMMPOSSIBLE TO HARDEN :) " learned from experience.
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like i said.... its the general perception....not my view....! ::)
you can be the best employer in the world, sell your business to your interviewees.....
but what i am asking is.... do they think oh its only window cleaning, where people will look down on me, etc etc etc....
and that is why it is hard to get good hard working staff. because this is not a trade or future to them...is it? ...really?...so basically they will toss it off.... or think ..well its a stop gap.
Ian, i am not pulling window cleaning down, nor do i think i am below anyone or above anyone...in any trade,
i think you have misinterpreted what the topic is about....
are employees embarrassed to be window cleaners?.....
There, its in a one liner. lol
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it depends what on the table! when i've interviewed guys and i've advertised the position at £7 per hour. they come along to the interview and i tell them that it could go up to £12 per hour if there any good there eyes light up. make of that what you want but a general worker/labourer would not get near that. If they look down on it then there idiots! the success i've had in employing i would say that they don't look down on it no! and the fact that my last full timer was on my phone pleading for his job back for about 4 months after he left would also suggest it doesn't get looked down on either. The job is what you make it for them!
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it depends what on the table! when i've interviewed guys and i've advertised the position at £7 per hour. they come along to the interview and i tell them that it could go up to £12 per hour if there any good there eyes light up. make of that what you want but a general worker/labourer would not get near that. If they look down on it then there idiots! the success i've had in employing i would say that they don't look down on it no! and the fact that my last full timer was on my phone pleading for his job back for about 4 months after he left would also suggest it doesn't get looked down on either. The job is what you make it for them!
Thanks steve... thats the answer i was looking for. ;)
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The older employees are more interested in earning a good wage, (above the average wage), to pay the bills to keep their family clothed, fed and sheltered. They are less likely to ponder that window cleaning is demeaning, because they are aware of the importance of money.
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i haven't got the right vibes from older people. late 20's early 30's are my ideal criteria. fit lads that are starting to knuckle down in life. the older ones i always got the impression they may winge a lot and be more lazy. maybe i'm just being narrow minded! ;D
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It's like Malcom and Vince said, you are fighting against human nature.
If you send a guy out and, he realises he could be earning £25 per hour, he would be thinking that he could be doing it for himself, I know I would.
A young guy living at home could afford to bite the bullet and go on his own, an older guy with family responsibilities can't afford to, he has to be earning a good wage every week.
If I was taking a young guy on I would prefer it if he couldn't drive.
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Before I was self employed I worked in the steel industry.
As an employee- (and this was the view of 90% of the workforce) your main goal was to do as little as possible, the absolute minimum of work & extract as much from the employer as you could! No respect for the employer at all.
As a self employed window cleaner- Pretty much the opposite of above, work hard, reap the full rewards of your labour, respect your business & it's assets etc. ;)
So, I would say, it's not impossible but neither easy. ;)
Tony
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I just think that people are like me!
Why would I work for someone else and put money in their pocket!
Negative thinking? Yes!
at 46 I don't think I will change my mind! ::) ;) 8)
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More hassle than its worth in my experience
You have to try and sound people out, i normally take them down the pub and get them drunk! may not be text book but normally people relax in them situations and you can gage some of what goes on inside their head and find out what kind of person they really are. its also good for team buliding and bonding ;D
when can i come for an interview ;D
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Me Too !
Can i have the interview the same time as Trev
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it works i tell ya! ;D ;D
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To overcome the problem of employees leaving and starting up on their own, you could offer the the chance to francise or rent out the work they would need to earn a good living.
That way they have a good business with income from the start and you also earn more without the working for it.
They would have to sign a contract that they will work on this basis for a set period of time, say 2 years.