Had to fire one today.....

[ruggbutt]

One American lost his job today. Evidently I need to do some psychological tests for my employees. This one came recommended but has so much baggage that he's having a hard time with real life. Sent him to a different job today, one where he could earn a raise. I started him 2 dollars lower than his asking because I had no idea about his skills. He calls me at 13:00 and says his kid is sick and needs to get him. I say "go, your kid's sick". Then he goes off about how he wasted too much gas getting to the jobsite, how he didn't wanna be there, how he was happier at the other job I had him at. The other job isn't where he's gonna make the money he wants, margins are too low and they're repaints for investors that are turning homes. But the job he was at I have 70k worth of work lined up, and they keep finding more stuff for my painters to do. It's 28k sq. ft. of mansion.

So the super (Kim) asks him if he's coming back and he says he doesn't know and doesn't wanna be there anyway. That doesn't sit well so her husband (project manager) gets testy with my guy and my guys leaves, spinning the tires in his truck. My partner calls and tells me that if he sees dude he's gonna beat his ass cuz Kim has called him and reamed him. I call my guy again and he's going on about having to walk on eggshells on jobs like that, he reiterates he didn't wanna be there. How he lost his painting business and he's had to humble himself to work for the wages I'm paying him, etc. Mind you, I just gave one of my other guys a raise. Retroactive. I explain that any raise will come from the 16 million dollar mansion, not from flipped homes. He starts on about his ex wife, making his mortgage, etc. Now I'm not an uncaring guy but he just took a shit on the best superintendant I've ever worked with. She has her shit together and has weeded out all the idiot companies that can't work with each other. Everyone on this jobsite works with each other in order to complete the project. You don't see this very often in construction.

So my partner (Mike) goes over and calms Kim down, tells her dude spun his tires cuz Mike kicked him off the jobsite. She calmed down a bit after that little lie. My guy finally calls back after his emo-attack and apologizes for his behavior. Says he's unprofessional and that he'd call Mike and apologize. Mike wants his home address so he can bitch slap the dude. Anyhow, now I gotta find another guy to fill his shoes.

The moral of this story is that I fucked up. I expected someone to act how I would in any given situation. I shouldn't have done that. Because I've been let down. I should have sent my lead guy there where he's been working for the past several months. Instead I wanted to give a new guy a chance. Live and learn I guess. Next guy is gonna find me a bit more cynical and less understanding. Which I should be anyway.

[callmeslick]

that, in a nutshell is why I don't envy folks in your position. One of my best friends on the planet runs a handyman service up in Connecticut, another runs a tree service. When you make an error like that, it makes you end up looking bad, just for being a good guy. And, business can suffer if it happens too much. Ah, well, live and learn, I suppose, but that can't be fun to deal with.

[callmeslick]

oh, and I saw the thread title, and feared another fart thread.

[Reservoir_Dog]

I know where you're coming from, Rugg.

I hired a couple of new guys recently. Great first interview. Even better second interview. Highly recommended. Everything looked great so I hired them.
No sooner are they at work and the bitching starts. Not enough money (sorry buddy, were you sleeping at the interview when I told what you'd be making?), it's cold out side (it's December....in Canada, you moron), I can't start at 7 a.m. because my wife needs a ride to work, how come the guy who's been here for 5 years gets to tell me what to do, when do I get my own truck I shouldn't have to drive my own car to work, why doesn't the company buy my work boots, how come he has a company cell phone and I don't.....
Then all the appointments start. Doctors appointments. Dentists appointments. My furnace guy is coming over. I have papers to sign at the lawyers office. The principal at my kids school needs to see me......yadda, yadda, yadda.
These guys spend all their time trying to leave work.......while simultaneously bitching about how much money they DON'T make!

I gotta can these clowns.
Good help is hard to find.

[ginger_cat]

Not the same, but the company I work for (the group is big on both sides of the pond) operate 'competency based interviews' and refuse to take past record or performance reviews into account when recruiting internally for lower grade promotions. Good people continue to get told that they had a 'bad interview' whilst wankers often get the job. For admin grades, we only take on outsiders via employment agencies - those agency workers then have to apply and be interviewed for direct employment by the company 'as and when such posts become available' for the same job and grade that they are already doing. Some good workers have been on the agency for seven or more years and still can't get directly employed.