# Hiring Temp for 2019



## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

We're hiring someone to help us with an end-of-year spike in orders. Anyone in South Chicagoland looking to get into the wood industry may be interested as it's an entry-level position that requires no previous woodshop experience.

Temp worker for remainder of 2019

Assist in the production of Christmas wholesale orders and fabrication of an altar rail and chancel screen.


 No experience required.
 Must have good manual dexterity and be willing to follow instructions.
 Job responsibilities will include sanding, assembly and repetitive machine operation.
 Pay is $9/hr. Overtime is not required but is available at 1.5x base pay.
 Flexible hours.
 Safety equipment will be provided as needed (ear muffs, dust masks, safety glasses, etc).

Anyone interested in applying can find contact info at the link below.

Temp for 2019 Position


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## ArtMann (Mar 1, 2016)

$9 seems pretty low to me for someone in the Chicago area. I live in a lower cost of living area and it isn't really possible to hire someone who would meet your requirements here for that rate.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

Sounds like a good opportunity for a high school student who can learn woodworking and pursue it further in life. Could be an apprenticeship.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

There aren't any requirements other than good dexterity and being open to instruction.

We're in a tiny village south of Chicago (just inside what's known as Chicagoland) so other than insane Illinois taxes, cost of living is very low.

Reality is that an untrained worker will not be able to work quickly enough to bring in enough money for a higher wage. So we provide temps with a small wage and training that makes it possible to apply for other jobs that require woodworking experience.

There are two quick ways to get into the wood industry. One is to pay for classes and the other is to get paid for being trained.


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## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

+1 $9 seems really cheap?
My reference:
- Home depot, JcPenny, and McDonalds paid my high school kids $10-$12 per hour for seasonal work. Most earn $12.50 after first 6 months of training. 
- Can't even hire one of the hundreds of illegal Spanish speaking migrant workers hanging out at the local Circle K in 'immigrant' neighborhoods here in AZ to push a shovel/rake/mower for less than $12-15 per hour. They will take $10/hour after lunch when they start getting desperate for work that day, but nothing less.
- The strong back, weak mind college student 'lumper's' hired to help carry boxes for moving get $12-13 to start.

Best Luck.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Thanks for giving LJers and associates an opportunity for employment.

Rock on.


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

Min. wage by law is $15 in these parts, I have limited knowledge so you pay relocation and lodging?


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## Think0075 (Feb 25, 2019)

He just advertised the pay, if you don't like the pay or want more then don't apply for this job. If your interested in woodworking and don't have much experience could be a great opportunity. At least he is offering overtime pay.


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## moke (Oct 19, 2010)

> He just advertised the pay, if you don t like the pay or want more then don t apply for this job. If your interested in woodworking and don t have much experience could be a great opportunity. At least he is offering overtime pay.
> 
> - Think0075


AMEN!!! 
JAAune…aren't you glad you put this here now!

I guess if no one is interested he will have to raise the pay…it is really none of our business.


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

Wow, some people really need to take life a little less serious? Besides I couldn't afford the Health care
(Ours is FREE)LOL


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Wow, some people really need to take life a little less serious? Besides I couldn t afford the Health care
> (Ours is FREE)LOL
> 
> - Andre


ill hire ya andre and you can have all the free band-aids and tylenol you want-lol.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

The position is filled and no longer available.


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## MSquared (Aug 20, 2018)

Didn't seem so terrible. Making a few bucks in a small shop (I'm assuming) while learning to use wood working machines? Like the man said, people pay for classes. It's temp help for Christmas after all. Safety equipment and presumably safety instructions as well? Seems reasonable.


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

I have two other friends that will share the $9 if the first person dosent work out.
We are on standby, southern CA and Churchill the guy from Churchill will arrange his own flights !

Look forward to working together!

Some nut from Australia.


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## Knockonit (Nov 5, 2017)

and we wonder why no one wants to go into the trades, with this kind of pay, just saying, bummer for the new guy


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> I have two other friends that will share the $9 if the first person dosent work out.
> We are on standby, southern CA and Churchill the guy from Churchill will arrange his own flights !
> 
> Look forward to working together!
> ...


ha ha you funny rc,that duck from churchill might have gone for it though,being unemployed,and he does have some skills.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

While the pay might seem low for some, as mentioned, someone's given an opportunity to get their foot in the door and learn while being paid vs. having to pay like you would with a class(es). I worked for peanuts in an HVAC shop doing everything from warehouse stocking to sheetmetal fab, welding, soldering, LOTS of residential installs, commercial installs, a couple industrial installs, plumbing, framing, a little cabinet work, excavation, masonry, chimney sweeping, electrical, maintenance and service work. I learned all they had to offer then when I was at the glass ceiling for that outfit, I left. I was there for 3.5 years and would have paid ~$75K over three years for the same level of instruction to learn what I learned while being paid.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

While I have my doubts on finding quality help at that rate there is no harm in trying to find a person looking to enter the job market. What a lot of people mis in the quest for a living wage is the many young people need a starting point and do not need to support a family and pay rent. It is a good barter, I will give you a chance to demonstrate a work ethic and train you in exchange for low starting wage. Even though you have found a candidate I would have advised you to canvas the local area for people that may lack transportation or need flex hours to work around school schedules etc. If you do find a keeper you can always increase wages or offer a permanent position later.


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## Jeff28078 (Aug 27, 2009)

The problem with low wages that low is that it gets you no employee loyalty. Something else at even a marginally higher rate of pay like $0.25/hr or so and it's goodbye with little notice if any. Then you have to go through the whole exercise of hiring again.


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## MSquared (Aug 20, 2018)

I think it's less about a 'job' than it is about 'desire to learn'. And yes, finding a person with that mindset can be really challenging to say the least. Reminds me of my college internships. Some paid, some not. Either way, I learned a craft in real life situations.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

I'm curious how many people here are speaking from experience and how many are basing opinions off reading articles in business publications.

For the benefit of those wanting to learn more about business here is some information.

Higher wages won't automatically result in higher employee satisfaction. A real-life example is to compare public school teachers to private school teachers. The latter tend to report higher levels of job satisfaction than the former despite having lower wages on average. Pleasant working conditions have a higher influence than wages which is why it's possible for private schools to recruit at the lower pay rate.

Wages can always be increased but they can never be cut without causing morale loss. Cutting the wages of an under-performing employee is a bad idea. So is cutting a high wage during an economic downturn.

A person that will choose a McDonalds job at $11/hr over a woodworking job at $9/hr is not a good candidate for a woodshop. Those people are in it for the immediate payoff, are not trying to learn a new trade and will leave as soon they finder a higher paying job at Burger King. The better candidate is the one who leaves an $11/hr McDonalds job and takes the $9/hr woodshop job. That is a promising indicator of long-term interest in the trade.

If it's not possible to hire a $20/hr skilled worker with lots of woodworking experience, it's a good idea hire at low wages and do in-house training from the ground up. Training is expensive but it ultimately results in the best employees.

People want something in return for working but don't always want compensation in pure money. Learning new skills and having opportunities for raises and/or a better job in the future make people happy too.


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## avsmusic1 (Jul 10, 2016)

I think your results speak for themselves JAAune. I'm not a business owner nor do i have any familiarity with your location so i made no comment on the wage. If it was as unreasonable as some may have suggested though then i think you'd still be looking

All your points above seem very reasonable and logical to me for whatever that's worth


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## LeeRoyMan (Feb 23, 2019)

Yeah, I used to think that.
Every time I trained someone as soon as they thought they knew what they were doing they would leave to find a higher paying job or try to start their own business. But you never know, you could get lucky.

I learned that you need to offer higher wages to attract higher quality guys, then you need to keep paying them whatever they want to keep them. It cost more in teaching and in mistakes to train someone and have them leave and then have to start over again and then you never have the higher experienced guys.

If someone you hire is not living up to the wage you are paying you fire them.

I also learned that putting your ad out only when you need someone limits you from finding the guy that may be "The Guy" but still has a job. I would keep my ad out all year long, this way whenever that good guy quits his job there is opportunity for him to find your ad.

YMMV


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Either a kid right out of High School, or, someone like me who is retired…..both need a bit of spending money….and either too old to sign up for the Army ( BTDT) or just starting out, looking for something different than flipping a burger, or stocking shelves….

I could use a "part time" job…just enough to stay under the income limits for SSI….

Around here…with Honda paying full timers on the lines about $23/hr….."Temps" make about 1/2 of that, and yet are working right beside the full time people…out of 18,000 employees….1/3 are temps.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

As a business owner a few thing come to mind here.

When you hire someone you a taking a chance. The applicant is trying to get the most pay he can regardless of his ability and some can negotiate better than others.

As a business owner you are trying to get the most talent for a fair price.

If the applicant does his sales job too well and can't proform you just can't lower his pay, you either live with it or fire them.

If he is a keeper you quickly need to modify their pay to incentivise them to retain them and encourage them to grow.

It is a delicate balance and is much more difficult in trades that require skills. A good employer will never treat or talk ill of someone trying to better their employment position through change or advancement. He should spot these needs and address them. A quality employee will always leave an organization better than when he arrived. Lots of puzzle pieces to fit together and it often doesn't go according to plan.

Also it is not only about money, ask anyone who has gone to a job he hates every day. At some point you just can't do it anymore.


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

Thanks for posting this question, JAAune. You sound like the kind of guy that I would like to work for/with. One additional good thing about hiring someone inexperienced is that you don't have to "unteach" bad habits.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

LOL Jake, there is no such thing as free education. If i lived within a commute-able distance, I would take a leave of absence from work to take this job, AND if I walked away at the end with a tenth of your skill I'd likely also do it for free. Your work is outstanding, and there have been multiple times your advice has helped me a great deal. Thank you for keeping the trade alive.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

> Every time I trained someone as soon as they thought they knew what they were doing they would leave to find a higher paying job or try to start their own business. But you never know, you could get lucky.


For what it's worth, I've had better luck retaining the guys I had to train myself. That's why I've developed a preference for inexperienced applicants.

I don't mind if my employees use their time here as a launchpad to a better job or starting a business. I even helped one get his home improvement business launched. A different guy took a higher paying job at a cabinet shop but still stops by to haul away my scrap lumber.

Some people get restless. Others want to stick around.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Every time I trained someone as soon as they thought they knew what they were doing they would leave to find a higher paying job or try to start their own business. But you never know, you could get lucky.
> 
> For what it s worth, I ve had better luck retaining the guys I had to train myself. That s why I ve developed a preference for inexperienced applicants.
> 
> ...


your a smart man jaaune,many would be pissed off and offended that they were taken advantage of.i always hope my guys will grow beyond what i offer and better themselves,make s me proud knowing i helped them get to a better life,sort of like a father wanting his child to have a better life than he had.


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## MSquared (Aug 20, 2018)

I was in a position for many years to teach people what I had learned from some serious pros. Admittedly, on a small scale. Not a lot of folks. The ones who 'got it' went on to be self-sufficient and prosper and we remain friends to this day. I hired them back as freelancers on a regular basis with full confidence in their skills. When they needed a piece of gear from my shop, they were welcome to it. I knew they would take good care of it. I taught them. The ones who didn't excel? We're still friendly. It just didn't work out. It's a mindset. They've excelled in other areas. No hard feelings. In my business, you have to be on top of your game or perish.


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