And another one gone...

[Trixie]

To say that we've had a string of bad luck lately with employees is kind of an understatement. In the past six months we've hired and lost six people. Out of a crew of 18 or so people. Honestly only one was really a loss. Only one out of I'm going to say 10 who were hired has stayed on so far. There were a few in there that got hired but for whatever reason never actually worked any days.

I stopped by my store today to get some stuff (check my schedule ) and found out that one girl NCNS and another one called in "sick". No loss on either one of these but it's just a pain because we go through the effort of trainining people and they fuck up.

In all my time there, over 10 years, I really don't remember it ever being this bad with getting people. And to make it worse we're losing two good people. One within the next few weeks and one within the next few months. If the job search gods look down upon me favoribly I'd like to be out of there too.

I know we have some epic stories already on here about "quality" employees but is anybody else finding that it's hard lately to find people to work for barely minimum wage retail jobs?

[Seanette]

I work in a thrift store that doubles as a job training/experience program. People come there voluntarily, and have to convince a couple of layers of people that they WANT it.

Attendance issues lately are getting a tad ridiculous. Lots of tardies, plenty of callouts, and some NCNS.

[notalwaysright]

Goodness, yes. As I've complained about, the tone around here is dismal. I can't remember a time when we've had more call outs. Then for a while there was a person fired every week for continuous NCNSs. At least here, I think it's a combination of things. I don't think management is hiring solid employees, and then they are so hard on them that they have no reason to stay.

[Trixie]

Right now we're kinda limited on who walks through the door or someone who happens to apply online and I think it's pretty slim pickings. When they get really desperate (and we may be getting close to that now) they'll put signs up in the store. Most of the people we have are part-time and they have limited availability. But yeah, between the lack of good employees and the demands of corporate I don't like going to work. I feel it and it shows even though I try not to. I wouldn't be surprised if I got a talking to again about my attitude. Maybe with the way things are now I have job security because they can't afford to get rid of any half-way decent workers.

[Chromatix]

The fact that it's minimum-wage might have some bearing on the problem. If they offered more money, they might get more and higher-quality people to choose from.

[Trixie]

Sure they could offer more money but that would cut into the profits. It's easier to keep a revolving door of low payed people coming in than to invest long term in good employees.

[Tama]

Worked out SO WELL for Circuit City.

[Racket_Man]

Worked out SO WELL for Circuit City.

and for a while Home Depot too when a new CEO came in and fired all of the EXPERIENCED industry higher paid workers and replaced them minimum wage know-nothing people just to save a few bucks

[Tama]

And then he was lauded for saving the company so much money! He must be a great businessman!!!11eleventy!11

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

And then he was lauded for saving the company so much money! He must be a great businessman!!!11eleventy!11

And to the shareholders anyway, he was.

As I like to say, short-term thinking is the only thinking businesses engage in these days.

[eltf177]

As I like to say, short-term thinking is the only thinking businesses engage in these days.

And short-term profits over long-term stability...

[Trixie]

True to the cost cutting. We have money to merge or take over or whatever another company but we can't even upgrade the computers to run Windows 7.

[registerrodeo]

We pay slightly above minimum to start but you do get 2 bumps a year and it isn't a field that is known for being high paying, but we are having the worst time finding people who stay. We spend a lot of money just doing background checks/drug testing/physicals, then the training and the NC/NS start, the calling off, the switching up of availability that cannot be done, and then the threats of going someplace else because 'they pay more and have better hours' (and they are constantly laying people off because of low occupancy and have a shit rep in the local area). People whine and cry because there are no 'good jobs' out there..there is decent jobs that while they won't make you rich, they will pay the bills and it looks better on a resume to have some work experience that blank chunks or job hopping for no good reason.

[fireheart]

We pay slightly above minimum to start but you do get 2 bumps a year and it isn't a field that is known for being high paying, but we are having the worst time finding people who stay. We spend a lot of money just doing background checks/drug testing/physicals, then the training and the NC/NS start, the calling off, the switching up of availability that cannot be done, and then the threats of going someplace else because 'they pay more and have better hours' (and they are constantly laying people off because of low occupancy and have a shit rep in the local area). People whine and cry because there are no 'good jobs' out there..there is decent jobs that while they won't make you rich, they will pay the bills and it looks better on a resume to have some work experience that blank chunks or job hopping for no good reason.

this is why I am staying with the temp job that I currently have (data entry).

[Tama]

By good job they probably mean easy...