[Paint Assistant]

Hey guys need some advice. My dad would like me to post an ad on craigs list to hire another painter or two because he is booked through july and is getting to the point where he has to hold off other clients until august. He wants the pay to be for this person to be at $10 dollars. I am against this because I think that you would not be able to get qualified applicants beacause most of these guys are just looking for work and are not professional painters. His reasoning is that that there are many people who are looking to work for $10 and he does not want to pay more if they paint like crap. He states that if they are good he will pay them more. But needs to test them out before doing so. Has anyone hired from Craigs list? How would you all deal with this situation?

 

[NCPaint1]

Craigslist...it is what it is. Of course he would have to interview. Im trying jobvertise.com right now with no luck. Next will be Monster or Careerbuilder but they get expensive pretty quick for just the listing.

 

[ewingpainting.net]

I bet those guys that stand outside of Home Depot are more qualified.

 

[Roadog]

$10 an hour? You'll get what you pay for. How about the local paint stores?
It was $8.50 an hour in 1984 for a journeyman union painter. 26 years ago.

 

[KLaw]

We went this route a year ago. I don't recomend it. We got hammered with over 30 applications / inquiries from just one posting. Narrowed it down to 5 one on one interviews. Selected a guy based on interview and 2 days of work on one of my rental properties. Did great work at a decent rate.

Set him up on a small job and the dude never showed up and never answered his phone. Thankfully, the client was out of town. So, she didn't see me scramble. Got the job done but it was a bad experience for me. Granted - it was a one time deal with GL but I haven't tried them since. We've had some decent luck with S/W boards.

Seems our best bet is from other fellow contractors (flooring, drywall, carpentry, etc...) recomendations.

 

[[email protected]]

Oh crap.... I forgot about CL... I better get my ad up there!

 

[NEPS.US]

I have had great luck with it. I get over 100 applicants every time and you just have to know how to weed through the crap. I have found some great painters through CL.

Make sure you require a resume for any serious applicants.

 

[NEPS.US]

$10 per hour???? Good luck with that.

 

[6126]

$10 per hour???? Good luck with that.

Now keep in mind, they paint houses for $500

 

[BC_Painter]

I would imagine it's cheaper just to sub to these guys that do any exterior for 500 than trying to get some new guy working for 10/hour to get anywhere.

Assuming you only pay the sub if the customer is happy with their work, and you have a large pool of subs, you could make 400% profit on any job that passes!

Now those are numbers I like!

You may have most of your jobs not pass, but then as long as you carefully craft your contract you're not on the hook :whistling2:

 

[Wallpaper Gypsy]

I have had great luck with it. I get over 100 applicants every time and you just have to know how to weed through the crap. I have found some great painters through CL.

Make sure you require a resume for any serious applicants.

I live in a college town. It's been touch and go with work lately for me so I've resorted to craigslist to find work. I've found it necessary to require a valid e-mail address and company resume from potential employers in order to weed out out the phony "college pro" paint companies that spring up in college towns during the summer. As well all the scams from Nigerian check counterfeiters that want to send you a check for 4k, you cash it and send them back 3k.
Just keep that in mind when your looking for a good painter. AND c'mon with the 10 an hour thing. Don't you realize that if you hire a PAINTER and your prices are right, you can make plenty of money of a real painter and NOT keep him below poverty level at the same time?

 

[Wallpaper Gypsy]

The right questions...

I have devised a test for weeding through your potential CL applicants. Forget a resume! Just ask the right questions and be willing to provide INCENTIVE for quality and speed. Just because a guy doesn't want for you to call his last employer doesn't mean he's not qualified... there are a MESS of incompetent painting companies as well as "painters."

Things a painter should know:

1- What is the key ingredient in acrylic paint thinner?


2- What is a church key and what are it's different functions?


3- put these five things in the correct order: Painting- Priming- Puttying- Caulking- Sanding.

4- What range of PSI do Grayco sprayers cover?

5- Rac__ (?) or Rac__ (?)

a-Which color is which?
b- which one has fine finish tips?

6- Which has a wider fan, a 417 or a 515?


7- What color tape should you use for taping interior walls?

a- What color should you use for exterior in direct sun?
b- What's the only tape that really sticks to brick?

8- What is the old school method for the problem of "frog eyeing" paint?

9- Are all painters alcoholics or are roofers and plumbers much much worse?

10- How do you get the fat boy on the job to shut up and start swinging a brush?


I'll be back to answer these later.

 

[ProWallGuy]

Have you actually ever used that test? I'm pretty sure I failed it miserably. I have heard of a church key, but have never used one in 25 years as far as I know. I don't spray, so all those are out. The rest are, um, nevermind.

 

[Wolfgang]

$10.00 an hour huh? I start helpers at more than that. Can you live on $10/hr?





Nevermind....just remembered this is PaintTalk.:whistling2: I think some guys do it here all the time.

 

[straight_lines]

I have had great luck with it. I get over 100 applicants every time and you just have to know how to weed through the crap. I have found some great painters through CL.

Make sure you require a resume for any serious applicants.

Pretty much this.

 

[Wallpaper Gypsy]

Have you actually ever used that test? I'm pretty sure I failed it miserably. I have heard of a church key, but have never used one in 25 years as far as I know. I don't spray, so all those are out. The rest are, um, nevermind.

Well, you would be out of the running based on a general lack of knowledge and poor sense of humour.

 

[ProWallGuy]

Well, you would be out of the running based on a general lack of knowledge and poor sense of humour.

I completely understand. At least I know how to spell Fort Collins and I have never even been there.

How do you like that sense of humor?

 

[Wallpaper Gypsy]

I completely understand. At least I know how to spell Fort Collins and I have never even been there.

How do you like that sense of humor?

hahaha... I just noticed that. Thanks for pointing it out. :notworthy:

 

[[email protected]]

Having read about craigslist applicants and the likely hood of the high rate of unqualified applicants, I thought hmmmm.... maybe.... I could find that diamond in the rough???

This made me cracked me up! Oh, and btw, in my ad for a painter helper I told everyone to attach a resume when they respond, or fax it to me....

I laughed so hard when I read this response:

I am a Theatre Arts major (with emphasis in Performance and Scene Design) and Shakespeare minor at SOU and I am home in the Portland area for the summer. When not onstage or backstage painting I am SOU Tango Club Vice-President, or out in the community taking additional dance classes.
I look forward to hearing back from you. Thank you for your time.

I mean, seriously.... wtf... lol....

Apparently I need to be more specific in my ad.. ha!

 

[Paint and Hammer]

Having read about craigslist applicants and the likely hood of the high rate of unqualified applicants, I thought hmmmm.... maybe.... I could find that diamond in the rough???

This made me cracked me up! Oh, and btw, in my ad for a painter helper I told everyone to attach a resume when they respond, or fax it to me....

I laughed so hard when I read this response:


I mean, seriously.... wtf... lol....

Apparently I need to be more specific in my ad.. ha!

Hey Jason, in comparison to the kids that have 'no' experience, this guy has held a brush....add a little "cha cha cha", and you may find yourself a little niche market?