DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Here I go, sounding like the old fart I used to think my father was when I was young, but I’m going to say it anyway.
Why is it so hard to find young people willing to work hard enough to earn their pay? I run a delivery service, and I’ve had to can at least half my new hires within a month because they’re either no-shows or late two out of five shifts in a row, or they do a sh
*y job of leaving packages or getting signatures when necessary.
There’s no reason I should have to spend as much time as I do trying to smooth things over with angry customers and clients.
What’s the trick to finding decent, conscientious people to work for me? --- BUMMED OUT BUSINESS OWNER
DEAR BUMMED OUT BUSINESS OWNER: I’ve heard this story before, both from frustrated bosses and those staff members who get stuck picking up the slack left by their less reliable coworkers. And although it may seem like the majority of complaints are aimed at younger hires, it’s sometimes those old enough to know better who are accused of not pulling their own weight.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, one thought that comes to mind is to encourage the better current or former employees to refer people to you who they know who are looking for a job, and who they believe to be competent, conscientious workers. Personal experience has proven more than once that birds of a feather do indeed flock together.
Another possibility is to contact a temp agency, if you haven’t already tried working with one. It may cost you extra up front, but at least the people they send over should’ve been screened before being referred to potential employers. If they work out on a temporary basis, they may also prove to be the right kind of longer-term staff you’re looking for.