- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
I was gonna stay out of this at first but here's my two cents.
A guy that my son and I know hired him a couple of years ago knowing that he didn't know a thing about construction. Don't worry I'll teach him and then he'll do it my way and we'll be good. I called him and told him that my son is a very visual learner so he was going to have to show him how to do things. So right off the bat he starts with the I want you to do so and so, and do it this certain way. My son would do his best and then not wanting to mess it up would ask questions and would get the never mind I'll do it myself. He kept telling my son that he would have him watching over jobs in a year and would give him a big raise and on and on. Suddenly he starts with the well you don't even know how to read plans or do take offs or read a tape measure right so I'm not sure that this is going to work out and he finally let him go.
Now what part of "knows nothing about construction did he not understand."
MY point is this, if you want good help, there is nothing at all wrong with hiring a green guy and training him, but if you don't have the patience or you are very picky about how things get done, don't put some new guy through all of that grief.
If we want well trained trades people it's up to us to train them and help them along. On many a job I'll point out things that aren't necessarily code violations, things like crooked pipe or boxes and remind guys that it's the little things that make the difference. Bubble levels are cheap and it only takes a couple of extra seconds at finish to use one and make things look neat and tidy.
A guy that my son and I know hired him a couple of years ago knowing that he didn't know a thing about construction. Don't worry I'll teach him and then he'll do it my way and we'll be good. I called him and told him that my son is a very visual learner so he was going to have to show him how to do things. So right off the bat he starts with the I want you to do so and so, and do it this certain way. My son would do his best and then not wanting to mess it up would ask questions and would get the never mind I'll do it myself. He kept telling my son that he would have him watching over jobs in a year and would give him a big raise and on and on. Suddenly he starts with the well you don't even know how to read plans or do take offs or read a tape measure right so I'm not sure that this is going to work out and he finally let him go.
Now what part of "knows nothing about construction did he not understand."
MY point is this, if you want good help, there is nothing at all wrong with hiring a green guy and training him, but if you don't have the patience or you are very picky about how things get done, don't put some new guy through all of that grief.
If we want well trained trades people it's up to us to train them and help them along. On many a job I'll point out things that aren't necessarily code violations, things like crooked pipe or boxes and remind guys that it's the little things that make the difference. Bubble levels are cheap and it only takes a couple of extra seconds at finish to use one and make things look neat and tidy.