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Finding Good Staff

Just wondering how you all find staff. We are down to my husband and 2 guys at the moment as our senior guy has just announced he is leaving tomorrow!!! aghhh. Oh well, maybe life wants us to slow down a bit....but I was thinking of advertising again for staff. Gumtree yielded a couple of good folks a while back...and I had an ad on my site that brought a few enquiries. Anyone use the recruitment agencies like Anderson? Oh yeah job centre too, but got enquiries from some sorry we souls from there with far from the 'CAN DO, WILL DO' attitude it takes to be out there in all weathers.

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  • PRO
    Well, for a start Susan you have advertised here so a great free plug (exactly what the site is designed for).

    www.andersplus.com (who sponsor Landscape Juice) are a good recruitment agency so you could contact them. Clayton Colbert is a member here so you could PM him?
  • isnt it very expensive to use them though??
  • PRO
    I suppose that can only be measured properly when you know if it was a successful exercise or not.

    It might be worth a PM or a chat on the phone?
  • no, cant even consider spending over £1000 on getting staff
  • PRO
    I have started new categories for those offering jobs and for those looking for work.
  • I have tried several routes:

    Friends: Sometimes think that they are doing you a favour and sometimes gets funny with wages, time and when the going gets tough.

    Jobcentre: They have some schemes such as Work Trial: Three Weeks free and then six months where you receive a subsidy. Unfortunately, these have been very disapointing.

    Local Ad: Can take a little time to get someone on board, ie waiting for ad to enter paper, interviews and then start. Most of the people who have applied have already had their own low-key business or have done a little gardening around their grandparents, so it does take time.

    It's taken me three years to get my team up and running, with a good spirit among everyone. I have never used an agency but I got into gardening via an agency, with no experience whatsoever, except the gardens of two old ladies, so again, you do need to be careful.

    I guess, if the person is keen and can learn quickly then they are ideal in a sense and these have been the ones that I have concentrated on.
  • Hi Susan

    Is there someone you have already you could develop into the role you have? You could then look down the modern apprenticeship route to find someone who is keen to be taughjt.

    Remember hard landscaping is a difficult career to get a foothold in. We have taken on our new trainee this week and he is a credit so far. He wants to learn - and at least this way he also learns the way we like things done as well as the theory.

    Regards,


    Lara
  • We are not ready to move our existing youngster up yet, we really need the skills and experience of a more mature person. Just found a couple of guys advertising on Gumtree funnily enough....and also found a guy who will leaflet for us next week. Here's to Gumtree!
  • I use the local Horticultural college there always looking for people to take on there students.

    It has been a couple of years since i last used them as i took the lad on full time.

    I think i only had to pay £20 a week aswell the goverment paid the rest.(I did give him a bit extra though on the side)

    Like i said it was a couple of years ago iam not sure what the set up is now but i would use them agian.
  • http://www.myerscough.ac.uk/?page=workbased-learning-students

    You wont find better staff in my opinion

    min wage has gone up to £80
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