# Motivating drywall employees...



## Tim0282 (Dec 11, 2007)

rodeo said:


> "....the majority of young american males think that a construction job is just a place to go and get high and fart around for awhile. ..."
> 
> " ...the mexicans show up and are ready to work, they aren't taking our jobs, wer'e GIVING the jobs away. ..."
> 
> No truer words have been said.


Sad, but too true. How do we fix the younger people? Most are in such a hurry for the end of the day. The Mexicans are in a hurry for the next job. When is it ready?

Tim


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## CrazyTaper (Oct 9, 2007)

I have trouble getting guys to stay past 4:30 without huffing and puffing. -let alone Saturdays. Then they cry about money for Christmas-sheesh.


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## damudman (Dec 12, 2004)

How about I want paid every Friday.

Well ok no problem.

I only ask from them (COME TO WORK NOT JUST ON FRIDAY TO GET A CHECK).

Why do they all think I can pay them every Friday, but not get the job done so I can turn in a bill so I can pay them.

I am a small contractor, I don't just go and bid jobs and never get my hands dirty, I am on the job every day slinging mud running tools, sanding the whole 9 yards, but for some reason they think 

the G.C just hands me money.

I am also a bank, I cut there checks on Friday they need money on Monday.

I also must have at least 50 kids I am always having to pay someone's childs support or they are going to jail.( "don't take any money out this week for my support").

Now lets talk tools, they don't think they should even supply there own towels to dry there hands. I supply all tools , all I ask from them to have is to have there hand tools, well there into my knifes all the time. who don't have a 2 inch knife or a 4 ' a 5, 6 and on and on. 

I think I did better when there was just me and my son, but the business has grown, and we needed to hirer help.

They also think we need them, that I never could ever get a job done with out them. (WRONG.......... BEEN DOING IT ALONG TIME BEROR THEY CAME):furious:


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## taper71 (Dec 5, 2006)

You know I am going to sound a little preachy but here goes. I have 3 kids. They are pretty much the kids you all are describing. The problem as I see it is that I worked my butt off my whole life to provide for my familly alot better than my familly provided for me. In the process my kids got spoiled and lazy. How many of you did the same? Most parents want a better life for their kids than they had themselves and unfortunately it is our own fault that our kids are this way today. Try growing up in Mexico and then comming to America -to the land of opportunity and you would work your butt off too. Heck Minimun wage is probably a fortune compared to what they used to see.


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## jonesdrywallinc (Jan 3, 2008)

Hey Ohio drywallers....I have an employee that needs a job, we are slow, he is good


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

I used to loan money (most of the time they are spending it on the wrong things) and try and be a freind of sorts to all of my employees. But over the years I have figured out that don't get you any respect. It just gets you taken advantage and ripped off sooner or later. I now try to keep it strictly business and fair but payday is payday. I'm the boss and you do the job how say you are to do the job. Which sometimes is alittle diffucult fo me because I'm pretty easy going by nature. But It feels like I get alot more respect by being this way. And then when everyone least exspects it I'll take all the guy's and gals out for a good lunch on me. All and all I think having everyone's respect keeps them motivated.


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## CrazyTaper (Oct 9, 2007)

Sir Mixalot said:


> I used to loan money (most of the time they are spending it on the wrong things) and try and be a freind of sorts to all of my employees. But over the years I have figured out that don't get you any respect. It just gets you taken advantage and ripped off sooner or later. I now try to keep it strictly business and fair but payday is payday. I'm the boss and you do the job how say you are to do the job. Which sometimes is alittle diffucult fo me because I'm pretty easy going by nature. But It feels like I get alot more respect by being this way. And then when everyone least exspects it I'll take all the guy's and gals out for a good lunch on me. All and all I think having everyone's respect keeps them motivated.


Do you let them SUPERSIZE their meal?


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

CrazyTaper said:


> Do you let them SUPERSIZE their meal?


:laughing: No Meal. $.99 Burger- $.99 Fry- and large water (gotta keep'em hydrated ya know). 
Here's the breakdown. 
$.99 + $.99 = $1.98 x.06%(tax) = $2.10 x 15 = $31.50 + $6.15 (My Supersized Double Quarter Pounder w/cheese, Fry ,and a Coke including tax) 
= a GRAND TOTAL of $37.65 (all Tax deductible):thumbup:


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## select drywall (Jan 10, 2008)

unmotivated employees see the door and quickly. Never lend anyone money simply give them an extra job and let them earn it. Mexicans are motivated no doubt. There also typically illegal. So if your going to use illegal guys because there motivated my as well by speed and have your guys use it instead of dope. Then your houses will get blown out fast. Seriously though base there sheet rate on what they do. Pay the guys so much a sheet for the first say 200 sheets. After that raise it so they get a portion of the profits. Your banking on them doing a certain amount of sheets so you both make money. Anything they do over that pay them extra. You both win. Thats the only way I know to motivate guys.


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## mseneker (Dec 22, 2007)

Take advantage of the slow market and increase supply of good people out there. Replace the employees you have trouble motivating!

Money is a short-term motivator and long-term you have to pay it over and over.

Get employee feedback and find out what they think truly motivates them.

Motivation can be affected by a poor work environment. It's hard enough to work in the cold and heat, the mud and rain. Yelling at employees everyday, being a lazy manager, not managing with all the facts, customers who treat employees with disrespect, the "bad-apple" employee - all effect motivation. Find ways to offset as much of the poor work environment that you can.

Motivated employees stay with the company. Customers are loyal to us because of our long-term employees. Again, not to say this is not the right market to replace even long-term employees. Do it before the work picks up and there are not as many to choose from.


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## toothlesstaper (Jan 12, 2008)

Ever hear this one? Advances cost a service fee of %10. Up north here seems to be the norm. It sounds illegal but they get away with it.


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## [email protected] (Jan 12, 2008)

*Hello from NYC*



DrywallDog said:


> My company pays 14.50 per hr for hanging and finishing. New employees make 10.00 per hr. Looking into options of paying employees per square foot rate...rather than an hourly rate. Any suggestions? Thanks. I WOULD LIKE ADD TO QUESTION , HERE IN UPSTATE NEW YORK ,I BID AROUND 23 CENTS PER SQ. FOOT FOR LABOR TO HANG . MY COMPANY CARRIES WORKMANS COMP, DISABILITY,AND THREE MILLION LIABILITY INSURANCE [ $5800.00/YEAR FOR JUST THE LIABILITY ]. 23 CENTS IS ABOUT AS HIGH AS I CAN GO AND STILL GET THE JOBS, THERE IS NO WAY I COULD PAY $25 /HR. , HOWEVER I WOULD AGREE WITH MUD MASTER, $7.00 PER 12 FOOT BOARD SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT FOR AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS COVERED UNDER MY INSURANCE AND GETS PAID ON THE BOOKS


I pay my men 40 dollars an hr plus bennys, gas, tolls, parking tickets, hollidays,
and they take there company trucks home as well, my formen alone gets 2000 thousand a week , all they have to do is show up,
and work, the only difference here is not many people will work in the city.
I cant find men that would work for 10 dollars an hr, plus alot of men out here want
50 bucks an hr, Here in the city I charge around 170 bucks a board, gotta pay the
door man, the super, the asst super, the maintenance men, the elevator operator,
Id never be able to get my materials in the bldgs. your liability Ins seems a little low,
unless your equipment and realestate is under different names. what if one of the men destroy something that is pricelesss, how would you settle that in court. or should
they hit a pedestrian with one of your vehicles, A while back we did work at St Patricks Cathedrall and one of the floor sanding people broke a priceless statue, 
that was from the vatakin in Rome, the guy went out of buisness. what part of up
state NY are you from. I got some of my men working in Torrington Conneticut, near
the boarder of Massachusets. however those men are getting 80 an hr sounds like a
lot but sleeping in hotels and being away from family is no joke, only certain guys will go and the hrs are long 15 hrs a day every day. great talking with you. Also dont recomend hireing illegals, all my men are lagit aint got time to
deal with that nonsence, also all my people must pay ther tax"s got no time to deal with stewpidity, even more so
when its goverment funds, I had one guy having trouble wit the IRS had to knock him off untill he straitens it out. great talking with you


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## Daniel Spillers (Apr 1, 2008)

*Dh*

How's the labor market around Atlanta??


I am paying $12.85/12 ft. board to hang, finish, sand, & celings. My hanger furnishes nails and screws. I provide board, glue, tape, mud, and corner bead. I've been challenged to get lower prices for the labor. What say you?


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## towertaper (Dec 16, 2007)

Hey now don't be to down on us young guys there are a few of us out here being motivated and ambitious I also do damn nice work. I just turned 30 and have been running tower taping succesfully for 4 years. But you guys are absolutley right about most young guys these days, things have gotten a little to cushy for the x generation and the results are showing. I have a great reputation and all the work in the world but I can't find anyone worth hiring, we don't even have mexicans in canada just the french and don't get me started on them.

P.s. I'm not actually anti-francophone I just play one in forums.


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## BattleRidge (Feb 9, 2008)

You guys need to spend some time here. My white boys run the mexicans down, I've put half of them out of business alone between stocking and hanging in this town. How? I just do the hanging, and I do it tits everytime, no clickers no corners, no popped screws and paper pulled. I do 27 a sq ft for warehouses, but we get as much as 60 cents on custom homes on a regular basis. I run subs and one employee that holds the other end of my sheet and does the running for the subs. The subs get about 10 to 11 a sheet and hourly on big customs. I only pay 800 bucks a year for liability and that includes my new truck. You just have to find the right white boys we are no different.


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## BattleRidge (Feb 9, 2008)

CrazyTaper said:


> I agree 100%. The majority of young punks out there just want to work to get high until the next payday. They don't see construction as a career. Just short term money for pot and booze. They have little or no respect. Go figure. When I started in drywall 15 years ago I worked for $6 an hour and kept my mouth shut. I guess we were all from a different time and breed of worker.



Most of this probably coming from horrible parenting and no discipline. I grew up working and same with my guys, we all lived on farms and kept plenty busy. I understand where you are coming from though. We work almost every weekend, and late most days and contractors love it. We are so busy we can't keep up, and I get 10 calls a week from other rockers asking if I have anything to give out. But part, they are all 40 and Im 20 and they are the ones that can't keep up.!


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## itchytrigrfingr (Mar 31, 2008)

In_Mexifornia said:


> Pay em by the sheet. That'll motivate them. I've seen crews of maybe 4 guys do a 2500 square foot house in 3 days.


my partner and i hang about 10000ft. every three days. Our boss pays .26/ft plus vaults and extras. You contractors need to stop being so cheap and pay the people who do the work the money they deserve. Our work is also exceptional. i totally resent guys who call themselves boarders and yet it looks like hell...broken corners, screws sticking out, bad cuts, stupid joints, filthy board. I swear there isn't even so much as a footprint on my work.


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## Tim0282 (Dec 11, 2007)

itchytrigrfingr said:


> my partner and i hang about 10000ft. every three days. Our boss pays .26/ft plus vaults and extras. You contractors need to stop being so cheap and pay the people who do the work the money they deserve. Our work is also exceptional. i totally resent guys who call themselves boarders and yet it looks like hell...broken corners, screws sticking out, bad cuts, stupid joints, filthy board. I swear there isn't even so much as a footprint on my work.


As a finisher, you are the kind of guy I like!! I'd pay you whatever you wanted! You are worth it! Keep up the good work


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