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Skills aren’t everything

Last month, contributing blogger Nick Martin wrote a post about how new hires are handled in his shop. While having the necessary skillset is important, it isn’t the only factor that determines whether a worker will retain his or her job.

Among the factors Martin cited that jeopardize job security are: taking advantage of small shop perks; thinking you know everything without taking into consideration the shop’s processes; holding up work and creating bottlenecks; not owning up to mistakes; and too many unscheduled days missed.

All of these behaviors make it difficult for a worker to mesh with the team, something that is very important in small, tightknit organizations like job shops. In Martin’s shop, Wilson, N.C.-based Barnes MetalCrafters, workers who consistently exhibit these behaviors can be “voted off the island” and shown the door.

Martin’s post was the subject of the June issue of “Welding Wire.” We asked readers if they would add anything to Martin’s list of reasons, and how their shops handle workers who don’t make the grade.

Fran I., who works for a company that makes pumps and pumping equipment, said, “[Martin’s post] sounds about right. I manage seven men; four I've work with for 25 or more years the other three are new. We have been through a lot together. We eat lunch and go out together—you get the picture.

“We will help anybody. Two of the newer guys are fresh out of trade school. If they fit in with us, we will teach them how to be a great machinist or welder—you know, the tricks of the trade. But we don't care if you’re the best at what you do; if you don't fit in you’re gone. Remember, we spend more time at work then we do at home.

“I was an ironworker- steelworker, but I've been in this small shop for 36 years, and it’s all because of the guys I work with.”

The owner of a shop in California said, “I just want to say that was put very, very well. We have a job shop, and it is nice to know that what we are experiencing is ‘normal.’ I would just add that the people that you hire in this setting are all going to be specialists. They will need to have a vision that goes beyond just the day’s work. They must see more of the big picture than the average employee in a big corporate setting.

“They should have a bit of the artist about their character, because the pay and benefits cannot repay them enough for the work they will perform. As employers we need to remember that and do what we can to make them feel at home and appreciated, and that better come from the heart.”

But you can’t be too hasty. Make sure the worker is voted off for the right reasons. Ron, S., a designer for an operation that makes medical equipment, said, “I have witnessed in shops where a guy gets voted off because his skills exceeded that of the tribe. In other words, the guy who stood out for his knowledge and ability got voted off because the tribe members who had less ambition, and fewer skills, were threatened. That guy ended up starting his own shop. I know. I was that guy!”

There’s nothing wrong with giving new employees an opportunity to learn and assimilate into the workplace culture, particularly those with excellent skills. But when it becomes clear to both the workforce and management that the worker simply does not fit into what is otherwise a well-oiled operation, it’s better to cut that worker loose than to run the risk of creating an intolerable workplace for others. That’s a sure-fired recipe for destroying morale, diminishing production and quality, and causing others to dive off the island voluntarily. How many of us have quit jobs because we could not stand the workplace environment?