Recruiting Staff

[Neuson510k]

Hi Everybody, Im a long time follower of the site but a first time poster,

Having loads of trouble recruiting tractor drivers for our contracting / farming enterprises, Cannot seem to find any decent ones (Been through 6 already since april) 3 of them talked good 'game' but just weren't experienced enough, 1 was really good but had no time to work due to partying commitments and the other 2 gave the same sob story I hear year after year about other contractors not paying them and as soon as the silage season starts for the said other contractor they go rushing back because they have been promised the money and the 'craic' is good.

My question's are how do you recruit staff and filter applications??

Considering setting my own aptitude tests, has anybody done this?

Has anybody actively went out and headhunted staff from other farmers/contractors??

 

[nick...]

I think you need to pay a good wage well above minimum wage.if someone is using machinery worth maybe £100k they want more than minimum wage.farm wages are sh!t and have been for years
Nick...

 

[Neuson510k]

24k basic plus time and a half overtime and and free house

 

[spikeislander]

Sounds fair. I've got your problem looming.

 

[multi power]

24k basic plus time and a half overtime and and free house

How many hours? Where ?

 

[Dan7626]

24k basic plus time and a half overtime and and free house

Where do I apply?

 

[Neuson510k]

48 per week tho lots through busy spells, Co.antrim Northern Ireland, out type of work doesn't suit everybody, do quite a bit of non agri work with the machines.

 

[multi power]

That's good money for n Ireland (unless things have changed drastically since I left)

 

[ARW]

Every one will come and tell you that your not paying enough or treat them poorly.
That fact is finding a spotty Herbert that's actually worth paying is very difficult, if they don't have a work ethic in their breeding they are normally no use.

 

[Neuson510k]

Used to have the policy of paying peanuts getting monkeys but there was no future in it, so made the decision over the last few years to start paying and treating employees better but I'm no better off!!

There is a well known haulage company over here paying £810 per week for three trips to England so getting harder to keep the good men out of the lorries

 

[czechmate]

Hi Everybody, Im a long time follower of the site but a first time poster,

Having loads of trouble recruiting tractor drivers for our contracting / farming enterprises, Cannot seem to find any decent ones (Been through 6 already since april) 3 of them talked good 'game' but just weren't experienced enough, 1 was really good but had no time to work due to partying commitments and the other 2 gave the same sob story I hear year after year about other contractors not paying them and as soon as the silage season starts for the said other contractor they go rushing back because they have been promised the money and the 'craic' is good.

My question's are how do you recruit staff and filter applications??

Considering setting my own aptitude tests, has anybody done this?

Has anybody actively went out and headhunted staff from other farmers/contractors??

I like that bit

 

[Neuson510k]

I like that bit

Yea the guy should really think about getting into hairdressing, and have every Monday off without letting anyone down lol

 

[czechmate]

Yea the guy should really think about getting into hairdressing, and have every Monday off without letting anyone down lol

Just struck me as a bit odd actually, that a hard partyer that was unreliable would be good worker

 

[multi power]

Just struck me as a bit odd actually, that a hard partyer that was unreliable would be good worker

Work hard
Play hard

 

[czechmate]

Work hard
Play hard

Yeah, yeah, I know, but in my past experience of being an employer it was never really the case.
You won't find many football clubs pleased to see their players out on the pee

 

[Neuson510k]

Just struck me as a bit odd actually, that a hard partyer that was unreliable would be good worker

He could just get on with work and could think but heading out with the big m with a bottle of wine just isn't etiquette

 

[Ali_Maxxum]

I've never understood why it was so hard to get steering wheelers till I've had to get them myself.

I thought they would be queuing up at the door but they are absolutely not, thought it was the most desirable job going just sat eating, drinking and driving, till you do anything from 50-100hrs a week of it.... absolutely knackering, especially on difficult ground, road work or having to remember a sequence, i.e. meeting places, etc.... maybe I've just answered my own question.

It's funny though the stock boys say all they want to do is drive tractors then the tractor boys say they only want to work with stock because they're more regular/normal hours.

I'm lucky I only usually need boys for bale bumping, wrapping and stacking little bales, we will usually feed and water them where we can and the 'craic' is usually pretty good. We pay them near enough what they want which usually goes hand in hand with reliability and work ethic.

 

[czechmate]

I've never understood why it was so hard to get steering wheelers till I've had to get them myself.

I thought they would be queuing up at the door but they are absolutely not, thought it was the most desirable job going just sat eating, drinking and driving, till you do anything from 50-100hrs a week of it.... absolutely knackering, especially on difficult ground, road work or having to remember a sequence, i.e. meeting places, etc.... maybe I've just answered my own question.

It's funny though the stock boys say all they want to do is drive tractors then the tractor boys say they only want to work with stock because they're more regular/normal hours.

I'm lucky I only usually need boys for bale bumping, wrapping and stacking little bales, we will usually feed and water them where we can and the 'craic' is usually pretty good. We pay them near enough what they want which usually goes hand in hand with reliability and work ethic.

The words "little bales" tends to get them running for the hills

 

[Ali_Maxxum]

The words "little bales" tends to get them running for the hills

Or so you'd think, I'm probably at an advantage cos I can have the boys not chasing foragers, my mate that does firewood and another that does welding/fabricating, they don't know what they'd be doing with the big kit but they can use their best assets (their hands!) and potentially be paid more than if they were stuck on a tractor, with the promise of some beer and chips of course!

 

[ploughman1963]

Its a real issue - weve just parted company with one after about 6 weeks. Advertised on Gumtree and 4extra hands after drawing a blank locally and got loads of applications but very few actually fitted the bill. One has been with us about 3 weeks now having travelled the length of the country to get to us and so far, fingers crossed, whilst I am paying far more than I can afford, he is learning fast and is good to work with.
Its a real problem for the industry - 20 years ago I had a gang of 4-5 lads who were as happy to go fencing as spend all day on a tractor/baler and I wish I had them back now.
Thankfully, we have found a couple of local farmers who are able to help out a couple of days a week - takes a bit of juggling the work around but it means we can get the work done and they are reliable and look after the kit.