What happened to work ethic!

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Brent S

Brent S

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Some of you know I started an electrical company about two years ago. My son and I are partners and have done pretty well so far. Well, we have been too busy for too long now and finally decided to hire someone. Anyways, we posted on indeed for someone and narrowed it down to a guy with decent experience, clean cut and mature. He went through the interview and several phone conversations great. This morning at 8am he was supposed to show up for the first day. Eight am comes and goes, no sign of him, no phone call, no answer on his phone..... I really don’t care if he found a better paying job, changed his mind about leaving his current job, or whatever in the hell he he was thinking, but what is wrong with a phone call! People are ass holes! I got a new truck, did the vinyl lettering, filled it with tools, and even got a credit card for him to use. What a schmuck! Ok, venting did me some good. Now it’s time to find somebody that actually wants a job....
 
Brent S said:
Some of you know I started an electrical company about two years ago. My son and I are partners and have done pretty well so far. Well, we have been too busy for too long now and finally decided to hire someone. Anyways, we posted on indeed for someone and narrowed it down to a guy with decent experience, clean cut and mature. He went through the interview and several phone conversations great. This morning at 8am he was supposed to show up for the first day. Eight am comes and goes, no sign of him, no phone call, no answer on his phone..... I really don’t care if he found a better paying job, changed his mind about leaving his current job, or whatever in the hell he he was thinking, but what is wrong with a phone call! People are ass holes! I got a new truck, did the vinyl lettering, filled it with tools, and even got a credit card for him to use. What a schmuck! Ok, venting did me some good. Now it’s time to find somebody that actually wants a job....
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I will be there in the morning! Lol unbelievable!
 
Work ethics have gone out the window anymore. I know a couple old chicks that can run circles around the much younger ones. Look at it this way, you probably don't want to hand over a credit card to that guy anyway. People gripe about no jobs but yet when they get one, its a different story.
 
Danil54grl said:
Work ethics have gone out the window anymore. I know a couple old chicks that can run circles around the much younger ones. Look at it this way, you probably don't want to hand over a credit card to that guy anyway. People gripe about no jobs but yet when they get one, its a different story.
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No doubt, it’s was better to find out he was a flake before I invested even more in him. Still kind of shook my faith in my fellow man!
 
It starts young! I posted my issues here hiring high schoolers for bucking hay. Used to go down to the high school and post on the bulletin board needing a hay buck for the summer, the schools don't allow that anymore plus the kids don't want to put in 12hr days anymore... sad
 
You can blame a lot of things on the lack of work ethics now days; schools, internet, TV and a lucrative welfare system to name a few. But mostly it comes down to parents and low expectations. Many parents don't set a good example of work ethics themselves. They raise their kids without any chores or responsibilities around home. They don't encourage their kids to work after school or during summer to earn and save their own money. Many parents allow the public school system to raise their kids for them. Public schools teach mediocrity at best, and the notion that everyone is a "winner" just for showing up. There's obeviously more to the problem, but that's the way I see it anyway.
 
Maverick said:
It starts young! I posted my issues here hiring high schoolers for bucking hay. Used to go down to the high school and post on the bulletin board needing a hay buck for the summer, the schools don't allow that anymore plus the kids don't want to put in 12hr days anymore... sad
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I started bucking hay at an early age. It was hard work but I loved the independence and the money. I think I started out making about 3 cents per bale and would put up about 400 ton of hay during summer. And then I'd help feed that hay to the cattle in winter. Later I started working full time for the ranchers in the area. By that time I was earning $1.25 an hour doing everything from irrigating to cowboying. Then the ranchers started having problems finding help to put the hay up. So they started buying bale wagons and making 1,000 and 2,000 pound round or square bales.
 
Maverick said:
It starts young! I posted my issues here hiring high schoolers for bucking hay. Used to go down to the high school and post on the bulletin board needing a hay buck for the summer, the schools don't allow that anymore plus the kids don't want to put in 12hr days anymore... sad
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If you got a kid to work 12 hrs straight they would have you locked up for child abuse now days!
 
Arcticdude said:
You can blame a lot of things on the lack of work ethics now days; schools, internet, TV and a lucrative welfare system to name a few. But mostly it comes down to parents and low expectations. Many parents don't set a good example of work ethics themselves. They raise their kids without any chores or responsibilities around home. They don't encourage their kids to work after school or during summer to earn and save their own money. Many parents allow the public school system to raise their kids for them. Public schools teach mediocrity at best, and the notion that everyone is a "winner" just for showing up. There's obeviously more to the problem, but that's the way I see it anyway.
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This is a social skills issue not a schooling issue. There is WIDE spectrum in quality/performance standards when it comes to public schools in general. Obviously not all public schools are created equal. Your zipcode can make a night and day difference. And either way it's the parents responsibility to raise their kid.

This comes down to LACK of social skills today. My generation and younger are not as socially engaging as yours was in general. They grew up with texting, private messaging, social media, video games, iPads etc etc. Some kids text breakup with their girlfriends today.

Technology is a double edged sword. Obviously flakiness is more common today than it ever was. Some people are simply mentally weaker than others.

In this case this kid/dude probably decided he wasn't going to take the job for whatever reason. Then instead of being a man about it and calling to inform employer like he SHOULD have...he decided to NOT experience that AWKWARD discomfort feeling he was shielded from his entire life.

I noticed this more in Japan. There is a SIGNIFICANT generational gap in Japan unlike anything I have ever seen. It's a night/day difference...and not a positive one. Which is why I feel the Japanese quality gap between their goods and competitor's is not what it once was.

Still not all young people are like this obviously. However as we become more immersed in technology...flakiness will become more common place.
 
In my opinion all those whom immerse themselves in politics are meatheads. Meatheads with too much free time on their hands.
 
Arcticdude said:
You can blame a lot of things on the lack of work ethics now days; schools, internet, TV and a lucrative welfare system to name a few. But mostly it comes down to parents and low expectations. Many parents don't set a good example of work ethics themselves. They raise their kids without any chores or responsibilities around home. They don't encourage their kids to work after school or during summer to earn and save their own money. Many parents allow the public school system to raise their kids for them. Public schools teach mediocrity at best, and the notion that everyone is a "winner" just for showing up. There's obeviously more to the problem, but that's the way I see it anyway.
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It's that everyone is a "winner" just for showing up... that's a big part of it. I see now where companies are catering to these kids. They have frequent parties, let them bring their dogs to work, have lots of easy contest and prizes, they get to sit on bouncy balls, etc. It is more like daycare than work. It is crazy. I attend night school. I see these kids show up in the classes. I want to ring their little necks. One kid the other night, sat and ate some kind of small wrapped candy (like a Now and Later) then threw the wrappers on the floor one by one. He sat on the first row in front of the teacher. I was so glad when she asked him, "Are you going to pick those up? Because I am not." He looked genuinely surprised and picked them up. That kind of stuff really gets to me. They come in late, the mope and put their heads down on their desk. My friend also attends a university during the day, she sends me text pictures of kids napping on the concrete floors (face down) in the university halls. ... like homeless people. They wear their pj's and slippers to school. Blows my mind!
 
Unfortunately ingenuity is at the touch of a button not so much in what rest on the shoulders. Dad would judge people not only by the hand shake but by the roughness of the palm of the hand, life's disposition he called it. Potential hires, if he felt softness he would turn over the hand and ask, what have you done in your life and don't lie to me your palm isn't, it's the way it was with him. Grit is a thing of the past that is no longer deemed desirable in a 21st century society.
 
Gazrok said:
How old was he? You can't expect someone in their 20's to get out of bed before noon these days. Snowflakes melt in the rising sun....
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The rat bastard wasn’t a kid, pushing 50 anyways. All I can say is no matter how someone seems, it takes a long while to truly get to know someone’s character. I told a guy years ago that I trusted everyone up front, and as I got to know them they usually loose the trust. He responded to me that he never trusted anyone up front, and they had to earn it over time. I thought he was too cynical then, but the older I get the more I realize he was probably wiser than I thought.
 
Brent S said:
The rat bastard wasn’t a kid, pushing 50 anyways. All I can say is no matter how someone seems, it takes a long while to truly get to know someone’s character. I told a guy years ago that I trusted everyone up front, and as I got to know them they usually loose the trust. He responded to me that he never trusted anyone up front, and they had to earn it over time. I thought he was too cynical then, but the older I get the more I realize he was probably wiser than I thought.
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Maybe this is just my experience...

I noticed sometimes the person you least expect to will sometimes surprise you in a positive way. And the person u least expect to disappoint will do just that...disappoint.

Some people are good at making first impressions but end up being total flakes. While others might rub you the wrong way initially but end up being good people. Just my experience anyway.
 
Several years ago I worked for a major oil company (British). Someone in the head office decided that all of the exutives needed to have classes on how to treat the young hires. They expected us to treat the younger employees differently than the older employees. We were expected to allow the young hirers more flexibility in their schedule and time to play. Basically we were supposed to pamper their spoiled asses and to make sure we didn't hurt their feelings by expecting them to actually preform. I listened to this BS and sat through a few of their videos for about as long as I could stand it. Seriously, they even had a video about how to encourage employees to play on the job. I got up and stopped the class and said that I will continue to have the same high expectations for all of my employees, regardless of age. And there was no way they were going to "play" on my time. I see this as part of the problem; low expectations and the acceptance of low proformance. Again, everyone gets a ribbon just for showing up (when they feel like it).
 
Arcticdude said:
Several years ago I worked for a major oil company (British). Someone in the head office decided that all of the exutives needed to have classes on how to treat the young hires. They expected us to treat the younger employees differently than the older employees. We were expected to allow the young hirers more flexibility in their schedule and time to play. Basically we were supposed to pamper their spoiled asses and to make sure we didn't hurt their feelings by expecting them to actually preform. I listened to this BS and sat through a few of their videos for about as long as I could stand it. Seriously, they even had a video about how to encourage employees to play on the job. I got up and stopped the class and said that I will continue to have the same high expectations for all of my employees, regardless of age. And there was no way they were going to "play" on my time. I see this as part of the problem; low expectations and the acceptance of low proformance. Again, everyone gets a ribbon just for showing up (when they feel like it).
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Every generation has always looked upon the younger generation as weaker/softer. There is obvious truth to this too. I'm sure if you went back a couple generations they were saying the same things about your generation at one point.

In your example this seems to have been more of a problem with your company's upper management than the new hires.

You're right though. I do agree that younger generations are more sheltered than ever before. This is only getting more out of whack. Still it's the parents responsibility to raise their kids right. My dad was real strict. Now that I'm older I can appreciate why but I didn't always see it this way.
 
toexist said:
Every generation has always looked upon the younger generation as weaker/softer. There is obvious truth to this too. I'm sure if you went back a couple generations they were saying the same things about your generation at one point.

In your example this seems to have been more of a problem with your company's upper management than the new hires.

You're right though. I do agree that younger generations are more sheltered than ever before. This is only getting more out of whack. Still it's the parents responsibility to raise their kids right. My dad was real strict. Now that I'm older I can appreciate why but I didn't always see it this way.
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There are always exceptions. I've had some excellent young employees who are eager to learn the business and who really work their asses off. A couple years before I retired I hired a young woman over many much more qualified older candidates. I was so impressed with her work ethics that I promoted her to an office manager in less than a year. She still stays in touch with me. In fact she's making a trip out here next summer. On the other hand I've had many older (45+) employees that had an entiltlment mentality and were a total waste of skin. Many refused to change and use some of the new technology and processes that I introduced. They didn't last very long with me.
 
toexist said:
Maybe this is just my experience...

I noticed sometimes the person you least expect to will sometimes surprise you in a positive way. And the person u least expect to disappoint will do just that...disappoint.

Some people are good at making first impressions but end up being total flakes. While others might rub you the wrong way initially but end up being good people. Just my experience anyway.
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This would be an opportune time for a forest gump gif, “sometimes life (people) are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’ll get”!
 
Work ethic went the way of buggy whips and soda jerkers. You might find some on rare occasion, but rare. I have 3 vets working for me. Roughly 60 year olds. 1 has a real disability, but he milks it for everything. Had to warn the other guys that he'll take their generosity to the limit. For example he asked one to come over, and all he wanted was for him to change a light bulb. "he couldn't reach it." And of course he takes every form of welfare available, but for some reason draws the line at food stamps. He won't go that low, but is fine with the other dozen things. And no surprise, he drives a new $25k car.

Often I have to go out to stop the 30 minute conversation (on the clock). Talking is fine, but when the hands stop working, they are stealing. As the boss that's how I see it.

I couldn't imagine how 20 year olds would 'work'. I would fire them within the hour. If they showed up 10 minutes late the first day, I'd lay down the law. Repeat that week and fired.

Most people stop looking for work as soon as they get a job.
 
Odd about the 50 year old. Did you ever find out what the deal was? I mean, if they guy had a health issue or something that kept him out of contact....
 
I'm even seeing folks my age not willing to do manual labor or prefer to sit and folks up around Lisa's age just don't want to get dirty. I really don't understand it, society as a whole has really become soft from the late Baby Boomers, Generation X through the Millennials, what ever the cause it's becoming the norm today, personally I think profusion and choices have driven much of it!
 
Gazrok said:
Odd about the 50 year old. Did you ever find out what the deal was? I mean, if they guy had a health issue or something that kept him out of contact....
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Not a word. I guess I would feel bad if he really was in the hospital or something for all the bad thoughts I’ve had about him!
 
Wow! I got an email from the flake today! He said he had to go to California quickly for his wife’s fathers death. He actually wants to work now. What, they don’t have email or voicemail in California? What a schmuck! Anyways, we hired a kid fresh out of electrical school. He is enthusiastic at least, even without real world experience. Hopefully within a year we can make a decent electrician out of him.
 
Let's be optimistic. We're happy he's healthy and not dead somewhere. Maybe he was testing you out to make sure you could accommodate his vacation schedule?

Those are times that it's hard to not scream into the phone, but instead politely tell him you've hired someone else & wish him well.
 
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