Finding employees this last couple of years?

[neurosis]

Has it been as difficult to find employees these last couple of years for everyone as it has been for us?

We've went through a half a dozen people in just a few months time. We can't seem to get anyone who want's to work. Everyone works for a few weeks and quits without explanation.

we had one guy come in. He was late for his interview. Showed up 4 hours late on his first day. Then in a three week period, he missed more days than he worked. 

One guy came in and worked for two weeks and just said "I don't think that I want to work anymore" and left.

It seems like machinists have been getting difficult to find in the last decade. Especially good ones. This has just been ridiculous.

[JParis]

It's the new normal....and it's not just machininsts....it is across the board in every field you can name...

Between older people who decided they could retire with the advent of Covid to the younger crew that think they shouldn't have to work, to those who have no aspirations but want to be paid and treated like winners....

There are many reasons and few answers

[Here's Johnny!]

We had a guy retire after nearly 40 years, guy was amazing....hired a fully qualified person back when Covid started...They didn't make the grade and were let go...

You might as well hire a young person and train them, getting the right person is the difficult part. They need to be driven and be a "gear head"...they need to want to learn like a sponge soaking every bit of information in.

A great employee use to be someone that went above and beyond, now a great employee is someone that shows up on time.

[YoDoug]

We have picked up a few decent employees, but had to go through a bunch just to find the few that lasted. Lots of no-shows to interviews. A few no-shows on the first day. We have had a few really good hires that were fresh out of high school but then they decided to go back to college.

[gcode]

a good work ethic is hard to find
I was really surprised at how badly people I respected abused the 80 hours of Covid sick pay that was available last year

I scheduled my vaccinations on Friday after work, and a weekend was more than enough time to recover
from the vaccinations.

I never missed any work or collected any Covid sick pay

Most got their vaccinations on Tuesday or Wednesday, then called in sick for the rest of the week
making a 4 or 5 day paid holiday out of it.

Some just took 2 weeks off then showed up with a negative test when they came back to work

[Here's Johnny!]

a good work ethic is hard to find
I was really surprised at how badly people I respected abused the 80 hours of Covid sick pay that was available last year

I scheduled my vaccinations on Friday after work, and a weekend was more than enough time to recover
from the vaccinations.

I never missed any work or collected any Covid sick pay

Most got their vaccinations on Tuesday or Wednesday, then called to sick for the rest of the week
making a 4 or 5 day paid holiday out of it.

Some just took 2 weeks off then showed up with a negative test when they came back to work

You pretty much summed everything up there Tom...I never miss a day...one guy has more sick days in one year then I have in a career and HR says I am not normal.

I tell young people, you might not be the smartest person or the most talented but hard work will make up the difference. Work hard in silence and let success make your noise.

[gcode]

You pretty much summed everything up there Tom...I never miss a day...one guy has more sick days in one year then I have in a career and HR says I am not normal.

I tell young people, you might not be the smartest person or the most talented but hard work will make up the difference. Work hard in silence and let success make your noise.

I have been blessed with good health
The last time I took a sick day I was in my mid 30's and I caught chicken pox. I was a sick puppy!!
You're supposed to do chicken pox when you're a kid.
It hit me like a ton of bricks

[JParis]

I have been blessed with good health
The last time I took a sick day I was in my mid 30's and I caught chicken pox. I was a sick puppy!!
You're supposed to do chicken pox when you're a kid.
It hit me like a ton of bricks

Yup, I was 24....not pleasant....

As time off goes...we don't have particular time, it's all PTO...I can carry 80 hrs over a year but if we don't use the rest, we lose it...

As such, for many years now, I use all of my time....my days of not taking vacations or time off is long over...currently I get 18 days/yr....middle of this year I'll advance to 23 day/yr..

[DUM1]

been the same here , crazy weird people who know nothing getting hired just to have bodies in the shop.
hired a new  production manager who has never been in a machine shop before
there's guys who miss more days a week than are here .
I missed three days last year about he same the year before.
you would think I could get some hazard pay or something.

[gcode]

You pretty much summed everything up there Tom...I never miss a day...one guy has more sick days in one year then I have in a career and HR says I am not normal.

They don't even call it sick pay here
It's called PTO, (Paid Time Off)

[mowens]

That's all well and good unless you're one of those guys that come in sick and expose everyone else. That is not a good employees

[gcode]

That's all well and good unless you're one of those guys that come in sick and expose everyone else. That is not a good employees

Yes... my boss missed Monday stating he had bronchitis
He missed yesterday taking his wife to Urgent Care
I spent an hour in his office this morning  with him coughing wheezing and sniffling.
About lunch time we got a company text blast stating that you should go home immediately
if any family member had Covid. He left right away.
I wouldn't be surprised if half on Engineering is out by the end of the week    

[neurosis]

I remember when I was back in my late teens. I couldn't afford not to work if I wanted to.

I went to work one day with a raging flu.  I looked like a walking zombie.

The shop had an old tool maker who had been working there pretty much since the place opened up. He was one of those guys who would throw your radio in the garbage if you were listening to it too loud.     

I started walking toward him to ask him a question and he said "If you come near me I'm going to kill you".  He was pissed that I had the audacity to come to work sick.

And there I thought that I was being a good employee.   

[Del.]

It's the new normal....and it's not just machininsts....it is across the board in every field you can name...

Between older people who decided they could retire with the advent of Covid to the younger crew that think they shouldn't have to work, to those who have no aspirations but want to be paid and treated like winners....

There are many reasons and few answers

I think you are exactly right.

[HTM01]

i trained my replacement for months, he gave his notice Monday, management didn't come through with his pay and title that was promised, he got a 20,000 raise and a bunch of better benefits, can't blame the kid but damn he was good and motivated to work and learn, so hard to find someone like that