Editorials

Tony Bass

Keeping up with hiring, wages & work hours

By Tony Bass

Just to see what it’s like, I went onto the Zip Recruiter website and posted a profile as though I was looking for a job. I did this September 7, 2021. As I write this message (October 2), I have received 41 emails from Zip Recruiter inviting me to click a link that allows me to apply in one click.

There’s a problem though: I posted a desired salary of $250,000 per year, and I haven’t received information on any job paying over $75,000.

Where are the high paying jobs? It looks like I’m stuck with being an entrepreneur! I am, however, completely annoyed with the daily emails trying to get me to apply for jobs that are nowhere near the pay level that I entered into the Zip Recruiter system.

41 emails in 32 days and none of them paying what I requested. What does this tell me?

First, if you’re looking for a semi-high-paying job don’t go to Zip Recruiter. It doesn’t look like many employers are using this site for the executive level 6-figure job openings.

Second, if an employee decides they are open to a job change, and they post a profile on Zip Recruiter, they will be recruited via email on a daily basis (perhaps more than a daily basis). All of our employees are just 1 click away from a swift offer to a better opportunity!

As an employer I get the privilege of hiring people. I get the opportunity to test the market when I advertise for new workers. I have earned the responsibility to discuss pay with a few hundred people each year. Some are business owners seeking advice on managing their workforce, some are potential employees looking for a job and some are my existing employees looking for more money.

Here’s what I’ve learned in 2021.

Raises are no longer expected to be a once a year event. Nope...it looks like quarterly raises will be required to keep people on staff (if you are paying less than $25 per hour).

Speaking of the NEW minimum wage of $25/hour, the Goliath in USA banking, Bank of America, has been a leader in this wage increase movement since announcing their plans to make $25/hour their new minimum wage by 2025. The current minimum wage at Bank of America is $21/hour.

And finally, I’ve learned that cutting my company work hours from 40 hours a week to 38 hours a week has seemed to make my staff happier than another pay raise! Can you believe that?

Here’s how we experimented with work hours: We simply offered our entire team the option to leave on Friday after paychecks were distributed at 1 pm. Since we issue paychecks every 2 weeks and our normal hours are 8 am to 5 pm – we cut 4 hours every 2 weeks from our work schedule.

Monthly output has stayed the same. Go figure!

Perhaps you should give this strategy a try in your company. If you do...let me know how it works for you.

Finish 2021 strong!

PS - If you need help in adjusting your prices to compete for employees in this period of rapid inflation, join me at an upcoming Profit Builder Training event. Follow the link for details: https://superlawntoolkit.com/profit-builder/

Tony Bass has been a business owner since 1987 and has signed the front of over 25,000 paychecks along the way. He is the co-author of The E-Myth Landscape Contractor: Why Most Landscape Companies Don’t Work and What To Do About It. Email Tony@TonyBassConsulting.com or call (866) 923-0027.