How do you hire people??

[The Artist]

We are trying to hire someone.

No qualifications needed.
Must be mechanically minded in some way. Perhaps fixed motorbikes when they were a teenager or similar. TBH, any indication they have a brain and have used a spanner before is all we are asking for.
All job specific training provided.
20-25k base salary.
Job is general technician role in a workshop. Normally 37.5hrs a week.
Will include travel around the world as well with generous allowance and additional payments for travelling.
Potential to develop.
Working on world class mega construction projects.

Why are we getting no applications?
The ones that do apply don't seem to have read the job description.
The ones that reply positively then ghost after first contact for no apparent reason.

If someone came to me when I was 18-22 with this sort of job, I would have snapped their hand off!

Any ideas how to find someone suitable for this type of job? We have used 2 recruitment agencies who have both been useless and indeed.com. So far, paid £500 to them for advertising the job.

[Freddyfruitba...]

Weird, innit. I agree, job sounds really attractive (I may be a bit old to apply personally though).

I guess you're just falling victim to the same problem as every other industry and business, ie that there aren't enough potential employees to fill the available vacancies. Sunlit uplands and all that
____________________
KC100->CB100N->CB250RS--------->DL650AL2->R1200RS->R1250RS

[Easy-X]

Offer more money and I'd do it

You might want to try some of the smaller, more local job agencies or even the local job centre.
____________________
Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[stinkwheel]

Maybe ask the techy teacher at one of the local colleges if they'd recommend someone?

They used to fill workshop jobs like that in my Dads company by word of mouth. Have you asked the staff if they know anyone?
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Nobby the Bastard]

Maybe because it's sounding too good to be true?
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

[Ste]

Link to the ad on indeed.com?

[The Artist]

I don't really want to post the job ad here as Google will pick up the company name or something. I'd rather not have BCF linked to my work.

I'll pm a couple of you details for your comments but the job is working with specialist heavy lifting equipment. Think bridges, oil rigs, stadiums etc.

It is entry level hence the salary isn't amazing but for someone just out of school or college, it's competitive and earning potential is higher with more trips.

We've had 15 applications in 2 months. 5 are suitable but they have made zero effort other than clicking apply on indeed.

[Nobby the Bastard]

TBH, 20-25K for unskilled manual labour is fucking huge. I haven't seen the actual ad but the only thing that put off the no.2 was the overseas bit.

Is there a risk of death bit you you arent declaring?
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[The Artist]

[The Artist]

[TbirdX]

Based where?
____________________
VFR800X - TTR250

[The Artist]

[Diggs]

Its a bit too vague. Could you give a phone number so prospective candidates could talk to someone about the role before they register an interest?

Also, what sort of workshop and what sort of work?

If I was a nipper, I'd be interested as I lived in Finedon for 4 years as a youth...
____________________
Now - Speed Triple, old ratty GS550, GSXR750M
Gone (in order of ownership) - Raleigh Runabout, AP50, KH125, GP125, KH250, CBX550, Z400, CB750FII, 250LC, GS550, ZXR750H1, Guzzi Targa, GSX750F, KH250 x2, Bimota SB6R and counting...

[The Artist]

[MCN]

Hiring people is not simple.
It's basically the same as online dating.

Some folk won't bite.

Many unsuitable types will.

And a few will create a ruinous relationship.

Finding the one is not easy.

Maybe the youth of today were never conditioned to maintenance tasks by mum, dad, neighbours and cetera, so have no interest.
____________________
Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[c_dug]

I ran a workshop for a few years until earlier this year and we often had peaks and troughs in recruiting but I built a really amazing team in the end.

It was for a national museum which helped a bit in terms of a selling point, but by the sounds of it there were a lot of similarities in what we offered in terms of salary, qualification requirements, and what the job involved (including travel), also the fact that it sounds like you're after the right person rather than the right background/experience/qualifications which is the exact same pool I was fishing in.

Are you able to share the advert text (even over PM?), often how you sell the job makes the biggest difference in my experience and I'd be happy to have a look at your advert if it would help.

Funnily enough we had a lot of success with advertising through the Guardian Jobs site. I guess partially being a national museum meant we appealed to that market a bit more.

Actually the recruitment process itself helped too, to start with I really wasn't a fan of an application form rather than a CV, but I really came to see the benefit of using the same application form for all applicants - you can ask them to answer some questions which A) help them understand a bit about the job, and B) give you more of an insight into the person than a CV would, and C) means that those with a weaker CV aren't put off.
____________________
I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Easy-X]

Yeah, given the age group an application form sounds good. In my youth I'd be hard pressed to think of what to put on a CV. Now I'd struggle with what to leave out to make it readable and not an autobiography
____________________
Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Ste]

"the first thing I do when someone applies is ask to call them to discuss the role before we would go ahead with an interview."

In that case put a phone number in the ad inviting anyone who's interested to call you to discuss the role.

Posting on local facebook pages could be worth a go.

[The Artist]

Thanks for the tips via PM people, very helpful.

[Ste]

Realistically, when could someone who joins now expect to be traveling overseas?

Have people asked about the potential career development?

[stinkwheel]

Funny how things can be different. Last time we advertised for a vet at my last practice, my boss hit upon the idea of not putting any contact details. He said it was the first test because you could easily work out which practice it was from the description of where it was in the advert.

This completely removed all the Elbonian Republic of Drongo types who applied for the previous posts.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[c_dug]

[The Artist]

[yen_powell]

When a colleague advertised for school crossing patrol staff, lollypop people to you and me, he was inundated with about a hundred applications (bit of a shock that was).

I advised him to shuffle them without reading them and dump 2/3 in the bin. This I told him, would get rid of the unlucky ones. The unlucky have no place guiding the country's bright future across roads filled with danger.

The people desperate for this low paid, low hour, but vital job seemed to be mostly students. I still recall one being invited to a 9:30am interview and complaining, 'That's a bit early isn't it?"
____________________
Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits