@rover83 ...
The pay will have to increase for entry level unfortunately at some point. These young folks can make more money riding a zero turn mower than they can starting out as a beginning surveyor. ... I know we can only charge so much so this choke point is coming at some point.?ÿ
My company has been dealing with this recently as well. Starting pay was bumped up, which minimized the significance between rodman and non LSIT PC/Field LS pay, etc. To maintain significance in the steps they all needed to adjust, to be fair.
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@jbw Yes it??s a domino effect. Owners have a tough time because they ?ÿhave to balance all of this off of the ability to make money to keep all employed along with what the market will bare. ?ÿIt is a constant juggling act. Most younger employees do not truly understand how much it cost to actually run a business. ?ÿI had one once always grumbling. The boss is rich he can afford this and that. Yes I am sure there are some greedy business owners. But for the most part most business owners are taking all the risk and do care that tomorrow they will be able to keep the employees paid so they can feed there families as well. Is why when inflation and other economic turns things always get a little tense as everyone who is paying attention knows that at any moment the breaking point is near. ?ÿIt is not easy to run a business. Takes a lot of work lot of thinking and maneuvering to juggle all the plates. Being fare is not always easy nore is it always a realistic choice. ?ÿI am an entrepreneur at heart. I have loved being a partner or owner. But it can be exhausting at times. ?ÿIt is much easier to do your hours and go home. But as a owner it is always something to deal with.
Many years ago I had my two helpers nearly revolt because we were working for a major jerk on a survey project.?ÿ They demanded to know why I would accept a job from this jerk who I had taken to court to be paid for a small job a few years earlier.?ÿ I put it in the simplest terms possible, "It's so you both will get paid this week."?ÿ I had demanded 80 percent of the projected invoice ahead of our starting the job.?ÿ BTW, I did get the other 20 percent in cash before handing him the paperwork.
The truth was I had far too much, at the time, in uncollected invoices from "good" clients.?ÿ Most of those clients had a "once each month" payment practice that was not putting money in my account in time to pay my guys that specific week.
@holy-cow It is tough. Cash flow and profit do not always align at the right time. ?ÿIt doesn??t matter if its surveying farming or selling lemonade. ?ÿRunning a business is not easy or everyone would do it. ?ÿYou were doing your best and as I am sure you have learned its not always appreciated at the lower levels from employees. ?ÿSome I think take way to much personally. ?ÿIts a lack of knowledge that is hard to pass down. Especially in times were the world is always screaming the business owners are all rich and mean type stuff. I actually don??t know how you do it now days. I have seen a lot of really good people hired. And seen a lot with attitudes. One of my youngest crew chiefs is worth his weight in gold. ?ÿHe just flat out has the right attitude. The boss informed me he hired a new chief to start at end of the month. He went over all his background knowledge. ?ÿI asked one question. What is his attitude. I can teach surveying. I can teach how to set up the gun how to push buttons and measure. How to look for things. I have not figured out how to teach attitude. You telling your team its to keep you paid. Working for the A- hole. Did it work. Did any of them truly understand. ?ÿI would be pacing the floor in these times if I were running a business with employees right now. ?ÿI have daughters and wife for farm. But we make it fun and family event. Sometimes one of the girls gets grumpy. They take turns on that. But I expect it from a 8 year old and 11 year old. My 8 year old worked her rump off yesterday helping me get hay in wagon. The 11 year old slow and such. But most of the time they both do well. The 11 year old would rather just rub and look and pet the cows. She loves the taking care part given vaccinations and such. The 8 year old loves feeding and dragging small squares to trailer. I hope and pray they both make good adults one day. Good luck during these times. ?ÿY??all owners have your work cut out for sure.
Employees do not work for free, but the bosses don't have that excuse as it's their own fault if they don't get paid adequately.
