What is important to you and what do you look for in your employer?

[tomekeuro85]

My dad and uncle own a machine shop, where I work as well. We are starting to expand at quite a quick pace and will be looking for employees soon. Currently we have 4 people. My dad and I run the Haas Mills, my uncle does some office work and runs a Mori Seiki Lathe, and we have one other guy that does the saw cutting, deburring, trimming, etc. We currently have 2 Haas VF-2's, a VF-3, and we just got a VF-9. We have a single Lathe, Mori Seiki. We also have various manual machines that don't get used much.

As we will soon be hiring, I want to know what you look for in an employer when you try to find a job. Some examples are salary, attitude of your boss, working conditions, freedom at work, etc. You can add more stuff if you so desire.

I ask because I don't have any experience working in any other shops but my dad's and I want to know how we rate compared to other shops. My dad is concered because he says that its very hard to find a worker that actually cares about his job and works to his full potential. He thinks that most workers will "hide" as much as possible to avoid work.

At our shop, my dad and I run usually 2 machines each at once, since that is all we have. My dad wants everyone to work as fast as possible, which we all do. THis makes us quite efficient and makes our shop rather profitable. We are looking for someone who can work like we do- hard. It does get hectic at times, but it pays off. Knowing my dad, the harder someone works, the more they will get paid and the more freedom they will get, for example, days off, etc. He just doesn't want someone who will show up to work just to "collect a paycheck". Thats the reason he started his own shop. He was sick of doing tons of work and not getting rewarded for it, while everyone relaxed and made the same money as he did.

So back to my real question, What do you look for in an employer? Do you think you would be happy at our shop?

[raps]

Employee's are what drive your business and without them there is no way to continue to grow. Your set up sounds great and they way that you run things is very profitable. But keep in mind that at the end of the day that this is your business, every penny that you save by operating two machines is another penny in your pocket - if it succeeds or fails rest on your shoulders. The reality of things is that employee's come and go, even your best, most trusted employee, always has his/her ear open for a better opportunity, it is just human nature.
Out of ten guys that you hire you will find that one star that is always looking for a better way to improve his job or how to do it faster. But for the most part, with the laour force that you come across, be happy if you get 7 good working hours out of an 8 hour day, and don't dismiss what your dad says about those employee. Just treat them with respect and hopefully when your competitors offer them an extra $0.50 per hour they will remeber that.

[dertsap]

aside from the obvious :wages , benefits , holidays , work hrs , nap time

a company should be open minded , machinists work with many different types of parts , materials and proceedures , many of us have worked a number of jobs gaining lots of different experience ,and have found proceedures that we prefer and have prooven to work , these ideas can be a great benefit to any company , its been my experience that most companies have grown to a point in which they are comfortable with the products they are making as well as the tooling and proceedures involved in making the product , and most times do not want to sway from the safety zone that they have become comfortable in ,
tooling and fixture systems are constantly evolving everyday ,which is ever increasing the volume of quality product being produced ,it is easy to get set in our ways but it isnt a benefit in this growing trade (cnc) ,take myself for example , i had learned much in the way of high speed machining with a company i worked with up until its take over , the speeds and feeds we ran on steel were incredible , while increasing tool life , production , all the while presearving or improoving the quality of the product ,
i find it to be quite frustrating now because most companies do not beleave this type of machining is even worth talking about , yet they will brag about their new 15000 rpm spindle (whats the point) ,and i feel ive taken a step or two back ,
if we can t use the knowledge and experience we have gained to give you the product you need because everything is carved in stone ,you may find it difficult to get or keep those guys that can get your company rockin

[jjasshipley]

I would have to say, as far as what I would look for is the following:

1. The company needs to be flexible in the manufacturing methods. i.e. when new methods or other innovative approaches come along, you must always be willing to give them a try. I have found that, even if a new method fails, it can always be used as a learning tool.
2. One big thing with small start-ups. These guys generally get to a point that they start to get comfortable, and forget about what got them to where they are. Hard work. I've seen it with my own eyes. They remember producing more than anyone in their shop, running less scrap, and being more profitable than any other human on the face of the planet. I have to say, most of these guys, just like myself, are human and have the exact same flaws as everyone else.
3. Loyalty to your veteran employees. There is a time and place to be loyal. At the end of the day, it is still a business. Uncle, brother, father, you name it. If an employee deserves extra, you give it to them, but not on the issues of time on the job, relationship, or other non-productive reasons. You give it to them on performance alone!!!!!! This is one reason alot of guys would shy away from your shop, where can they climb in your company? It seems to me and everyone else, that getting any part of the action is never going to happen. Might sound greedy, but the guys that start with you now, will be sacrificing just the same (long hours as with most start-ups, multiple jobs, including the crummy ones), this isn't a 9-5 kind of work atmosphere that you have. So the guys that work for you now will be building the company with you. And if you give them nothing but a paycheck, for you!!
4. Your father is wrong about people not wanting to work, or hiding as he put it. Attitude and performance reflects the leadership of the company. Hands down, if the upper management and shop supervisors screw off, or do not do their fair share, the lower level employees will not feel as though they are being treated fairly, and will not perform at levels that they are capable of. He is right that even under such abominable conditions, you will always have that one bright shining star, like myself (and others), that will perform just because we have always been taught to do so no matter what.
5. If you really want to succeed and prosper in you business venture, you need to hire and more importantly, retain, people that you are willing to treat not just the same, but as equals to your dad and uncle. If you do not do this, you will find that guys will not stay because they will always feel as though you favor them even when they are wrong. Not to say that you would, but that they will feel that way.

[Kipper]

Does the "one other guy" carry the rest of you? ie is he the brightest bulb in the display/only candle lit and functional...can you be without him? and now go ask him. hth

[tomekeuro85]

The "other guy" i'm referring to is our sawcutter, deburrer, trimmer, etc. My dad is sometimes frustrated with him because he makes a lot of mistakes, the same mistakes over and over, and doesn't quite work at the pace he needs to be working at. To make a long story short, we don't necessarily need him at all. We could do just as well without him, but it would mean that it would take us a bit longer to do certain stuff. He has been improving lately, but still has a ways to go before he is at my old speed (He is my replacement since I went on to the CNC stuff), and I have what seems like lifetimes to go before I can keep up with my dad. . But we're giving him a bit of slack because he has only been with us and in this field for like 8 months.

[Matt_S]

Originally Posted by tomekeuro85 My dad and uncle own a machine shop, where I work as well. We are starting to expand at quite a quick pace and will be looking for employees soon. Currently we have 4 people. My dad and I run the Haas Mills, my uncle does some office work and runs a Mori Seiki Lathe, and we have one other guy that does the saw cutting, deburring, trimming, etc. We currently have 2 Haas VF-2's, a VF-3, and we just got a VF-9. We have a single Lathe, Mori Seiki. We also have various manual machines that don't get used much. As we will soon be hiring, I want to know what you look for in an employer when you try to find a job. Some examples are salary, attitude of your boss, working conditions, freedom at work, etc. You can add more stuff if you so desire. I ask because I don't have any experience working in any other shops but my dad's and I want to know how we rate compared to other shops. My dad is concered because he says that its very hard to find a worker that actually cares about his job and works to his full potential. He thinks that most workers will "hide" as much as possible to avoid work. At our shop, my dad and I run usually 2 machines each at once, since that is all we have. My dad wants everyone to work as fast as possible, which we all do. THis makes us quite efficient and makes our shop rather profitable. We are looking for someone who can work like we do- hard. It does get hectic at times, but it pays off. Knowing my dad, the harder someone works, the more they will get paid and the more freedom they will get, for example, days off, etc. He just doesn't want someone who will show up to work just to "collect a paycheck". Thats the reason he started his own shop. He was sick of doing tons of work and not getting rewarded for it, while everyone relaxed and made the same money as he did. So back to my real question, What do you look for in an employer? Do you think you would be happy at our shop?

I think you answered your own question.Promotions,raises,bonuses and these types of rewards should always be based on merit.Yor old man is right and i have been in the exact same situation.When employers reward certain employess for being baglickers It causes huge morale problems with those who actually work hard and take initiative to get ahaead.

[NC Cams]

Here is something I don't think i saw mentioned:

Don't run a family business like a lot of family run businesses are run - that is, with more concern over the "family" than concern for the business.

Sadly, some family run businesses (FRB's) will overlook what a family member does and yell and scream when an "employee" does the exact same thing. This sort of thing (a real or percieved lack of 'fairness') can destroy the 'esprit de corps' that you work so hard to develop/achieve. It is NOT easy to see things fairly in a FRB. However, you ultimately have to try harder than non-FRB's.

In some cases (American Chopper is an excellent example), the father puts up with more crap from his kids than he'd EVER put up with from Vinnie or any of the other guys who merely work there. Nepotism has its benefits but when it starts to affect the overall efficiency of the operation, you have to inject some discipline -and sometimes it has to be harsh.

If Pauly Jr. were an employee, would Senior tolerate his shenanigans? Probably not likely. In their case, it works and makes for greate TV - staged, real or otherwise. However in a real life situation, toleration of that sort of aberant behaviour on the part of a family member or "special" employee, will do more harm than good. It surely COULD drive off some good employees that you'd have a want to keep.