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photo by Ben Hillyer
Business leaders say local workforce has room to improve
Published Sunday, July 26, 2009
VIDALIA — The Miss-Lou has a workforce that is educated, skilled and yet, still missing something.
“We in Adams County have a higher high school and college graduation rate than the state average,” Natchez Win Job Center Branch Manager Peggy Ballard said. “That leads me to believe we have people who have the skills. The problem we see, though, is that they don’t have the ‘wide world of work,’ skills.”
Some of the wide world of work skills include simple things like being able to work with others or communicate effectively, Ballard said.
“We see issues with not being able to work through issues when they get a job, people who don’t know how to work with a co-worker or a manager they can’t get along with,” Ballard said.
But the workforce also has problems with a basic work ethic, Concordia Economic Director Heather Malone said.
“It’s things like being tardy for work and not caring,” Malone said.
That’s something Walmart Manager Lionel Stepter said he has seen first hand.
“I think a lot of (people) forget this is not the outside world, this is the business world,” he said. “I’m at work, I get paid for this job and I need to do it as professionally as possible. I think some of them forget that or don’t know.”
And then there’s drugs.
“At any skill level we can’t find enough people to pass a drug test to stay in on these jobs,” Malone said. “I have heard horror stories where (management) tells (workers), ‘This is a scheduled drug test,’ and they still fail it.”
But Stepter said — at least for Walmart — that’s beginning to be a waning problem.
“We drug test and do background checks, as well,” Stepter said. “It’s not as bad as it used to be. (Maybe) we’re not getting many applicants who are doing drugs.”
Or people know Walmart conducts drug screening and steer clear, he said.
Some workforce issues are slightly more complex, however.
“We see — in a lot of the jobs in this community that are part-time, minimum wage — it is very difficult for people to remain in these jobs if they have transportation or childcare issues,” Ballard said. “They get a job, and they think they have these things lined up, but three weeks later (the arrangements have) fallen apart.”
That may be because the relative or friend who has been providing transportation just gets tired of doing it, or their vehicle breaks down, Ballard said.
Likewise, the person who is providing childcare for the worker may be unable to continue doing it or decide they don’t want to anymore, and because the worker is in a minimum wage job, they can’t afford childcare, she said.
“Basically, they have no support system,” she said.
Natchez Eola General Manager Ron Brumfield said the hotel tries to address that problem on the front end.
“We know up front, ‘Do you have reliable transportation, someone who keeps your children?’” Brumfield said.
He said the more frequent problem with childcare is that day care employees will tell parents that, for any number of reasons, they cannot take their children that day.
“It’s not that great of a problem, you learn to deal with it,” Brumfield said.
A greater problem Stepter said he has faced is transitory issues that stem from Natchez being a small city.
“A lot of people are leaving Natchez and are going to other places,” he said. “For us, it’s difficult to find good, consistent, reliable and dependable workers.”
And while he said there are such workers in the Miss-Lou, they’ve already been snatched up.
“It makes it difficult to attract good, solid performers because most of the good, solid performers are already working or already on good jobs and have been on those jobs for awhile.”
Brumfield said he has also experienced the same transitory nature in his employing experiences.
“I do see a lot of the new hires don’t stay here long,” Brumfield said. “We’ve always tried to put our finger on that.
“There seems to always be a better opportunity in larger cities and Natchez is so small.”
He said this is prevalent in younger employees, or employees who have come from more metropolitan areas.
“There are quite a lot of people who miss the big city life coming from Houston, Dallas, Atlanta,” Brumfield said. “I hear that quite often — especially the younger ones — a lot of younger ones, in their words, ‘There is nothing for them here.’”
But not all is bad, by a long shot.
Brumfield said that, while he sees a lot of workers leave, he’s also seen a lot of long-term, dedicated employees.
“I’ve got people here who have been here 30-some years. On the whole, at least 90 to 95 percent of the employees here have been here long term,” he said. “I’ve got longevity in every department.”
Malone said she believes that is in part because people who live in the Miss-Lou are loyal to the area, a sentiment Ballard echoed.
“When International Paper closed, we had so many people who wanted to stay in the area to work, even if that meant lower wages,” Ballard said. “I think in that same way they might be loyal to a business.”
Likewise, Ballard said she has seen numerous workers who were skilled in one area take initiative to learn new skills in another area, whether to supplement their existing income or to create a new one when jobs weren’t readily available.
“The people in general in our area have a huge entrepreneurial spirit,” Malone said. “We may not have had a lot of opportunities with large businesses, but people have always been able to find a way to make a living and stay here.”
With those positives in mind, Malone said it is important to start training future workers about the work world, be it about good work ethics or communication skills, fairly early.
“Maybe we need to start some kind of work skills training at the junior high level,” Malone said.
Skill sets, applying for jobs, interviewing and work ethics are all things Stepter said he thinks needs to be included in a comprehensive training program.
“I just feel we need better programs out there to teach them jobs — not just jobs in Walmart, but jobs anywhere,” he said.
AJFC Executive Director Lamar Braxton said those kinds of workforce issues are a trend in the area, and the agency is working to combat them.
Using a $950,000 Community Services Block Grant, AJFC will be acting as a liaison between the public and local colleges, high schools and university to place people in need of training in programs already going on.
“We will identify them, counsel them and convince them to go wherever they need to go to improve their situation,” he said. “We would only hopefully enhance programs that are already doing training by populating these programs.”
Comments
Posted by elvisss (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 1:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
<<“We know up front, ‘Do you have reliable transportation, someone who keeps your children?’” Brumfield said.>>
Most may already know this, but employers beware: It is *illegal* to ask the above questions during an interview, along with many others.
Employers, avoid discrimination suits by properly educating your human resources personnel. And candidates, know your rights before an interview and know how to professionally respond to illegal questions during an interview.
Posted by happyreader (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 8:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think that some Wal-Mart employees should wear blue vests that say, "This isn't my department" or "I'm on my break" on the back of them for the customer to read as the employee strolls away. It would save the employee the effort of having to say it; they could just point at the vest and keep on walking. The frustration level of the customer would still be about the same.
I'm sure there are some hard-working people at every Wal-Mart, but the one in Natchez has the worst customer service of any that I've ever seen. I'm not at all surprised at any of the comments the manager of that store made, and I hope he is able to resolve the problems there.
Posted by Natchezbear (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This article really hits home........Natchez has the saddest work force to pool from. We know that most do use drugs in some form, we ask them to please just don't bring,use,or sell at work and don't come to work high! The job is not that bad! Many younger people are on these Zanax pills....Dr. prescribed .....they're almost the same as Valium when I was younger.....still these kids are zonked out!
The problem of tardiness can some times be solved by scheduling them 30 minutes early. This is really a problem when the late person has to let other employees in to work. On the other hand some employees clock in up to an hour early trying to be the first one out and then after clocking in sit down and eat a bag of Popeyes on the clock.
I have never in my life seen a work force that can not get along with each other......It is ridiculous. This one hates that one, they don't know how to talk to one another and certainly have no respect for their employer. Don't get me wrong there are a few who are great ....generally older and mature , but only a few.
Its like Brumfield said you learn to work around the pit falls and pray that each day ends without some one fired. You let go the things that anger you today because tomorrow there will be a whole new pile of mess to deal with.
Posted by elvisss (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 10:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Agree with happyreader.
I think the back of the blue WalMart vests should say, "Catch me if you can!"
Posted by jvl401969 (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 11:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
CCA has seen firsthand that there are a lot of great workers in the area as well and has not run into significant barriers (yet) in finding a qualified work force. Training is a major focus within the first 5 weeks of employment and then incrimentally afterwards. Readers should not confuse this statement with the fact that some applicants have had barriers to being employed at CCA. However, sometimes it is not just skills training that makes workers less than desireable, but an overall work ethic. That may or may not be taught in a classroom, but it is more effective being taught at home. There will always be a difference between a worker that is not doing something because he doesn't want to get in trouble and the worker who does not do the same thing because he knows it is wrong. All-in-all, CCA is finding the Miss-Lou area a great resource for motivated, trainable employees.
Posted by 4real (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 12:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
CCA has found the most so to say "responsible" people in this area, so they probably won't have any of these issues that other businesses have reported. An employee of CCA must have good credit. That alone is a terrible way of deciding who might be a good employee. Another thing businesses need to know is that people in this area want jobs they can depend on as well. Sometimes people are told they will be full-time and later find out they are working part-time hours for many company related reasons. Then there's Wal-Mart. That company simply needs to stop getting over on people. Wal-Mart has the sources to offer complete packages to employers, but they don't want to do it. Meaning, they hire people for part-time but give them full-time hours to keep them from getting benefits. That's not right. I'm not making excuses for the lazy people in this community that I can't stand because that's another story. I'm just making this statement because big bosses don't always understand the real deal. If business is business, employees and employers need to act that way.
Posted by jammin1 (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 1:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The main problem is that work ethic isn't being taught at home.
Parents that don't work, can't teach what they don't know!
Those that do work, don't make the kids help with house work or do anything to earn those high dollar tennis shoes or video games.
When you just give your kid everything they want without making them earn it, how do they learn work ethic?
All that does is give them the sense that they are entitiled to anything they want and that they are owed it.
Posted by Cursechez (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 2:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Honest, drug-free, professional, hard-working people are the minority around here, and won't do such menial, thankless jobs for minimum wage.
If you want quality workers, you're going to have to pay for them. You get what you pay for, or at least you have the right to ask for such a high-quality worker if you pay for them.
If you pay good wages you will have your pick of the area's labor force. Sure, it will cost you a couple hundred extra dollars a week per employee, but how much is 70% turnover, poor productivity, employee theft, and atrocious "customer service" costing you?
I'd be happy to stock those Walmart shelves for $13/hr 40 hrs a week because then I could pay my bills with a job that doesn't require much brainpower.
I've been self-employed, I'm educated, I have a CDL, I don't do drugs, I believe in doing things right the first time, and I can figure out just about anything; I have a brain.
As such, I won't even apply for a job at $7/hr. I'm worth more than that and I will leave such a job the instant a better, higher-paying job is offered.
That's why you don't have quality candidates to employ. If you pay bananas, you'll only get monkeys throwing their own poop at your customers.
Posted by Cursechez (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 3:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I would like to add to this comment of mine:
"but how much is 70% turnover, poor productivity, employee theft, and atrocious "customer service" costing you?"
---If I had a dollar for every person whom has said in my presence, "I will NEVER go back to the Natchez Walmart. Those people are HORRIBLE!" I'd have enough money to finally move away from here.
Posted by getalifenatchez (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 4:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Cursechez: I was so excited when Vidalia got their Super Wal Mart. It was clean, yet smaller and not as much merchandise... The "associates" were friendlier, and no lines to wait in... No more Natchez Wal-Mart to deal with!!! Unfortunately, the Vidalia Wal-Mart has reduced stock, and only carries the bare essentials.... I still have to patronize the horrible Wal-Mart in Natchez much to my dismay... I still try to avoid it whenever possible. The rudest employees I have ever encountered anywhere! I have shopped @ Wal Marts nationwide, and ours takes the cake... I can spend my hard earned money else where! It's like a zoo, w/ thugs, and idiots choking the isles hanging out/ cutting up w/ each other.... plus I love the chicken bones, and soiled disposable diapers littering the parking lot.... It shows we have a lot of citizens that are poorly educated, and don't care much for their city...
Posted by buandrespectu (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 5:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This article really strikes home for me too. I've been on my job for 6 1/2 years and I put great dedication into it. But what burns me up is no matter how hard you work or how much you improve you always get the BS of how they can't afford to give you a raise, but they have enough funds to put cameras up everywhere around the place. Now, for someone who was doing something crooked, that would just upset them. But for someone, like me, who has been an honest, dedicated employee-that's an insult.
I have a high school diploma (and two months away from a B.S.), a dependable babysitter, and transportation and it's still hard to get hired around here. I'm not looking for a job that is just going to pay the bills. I am seeking a career. Now, I am considering leaving the area. There are not many opportunities here. Most of the time it's all about who you know and some other familiar factors. Everyone does not do drugs or are late everytime you turn around. But just as "Cursechez" said, these jobs around here want to pay you what they want and not what you're worth.
Some even tell you that you don't qualify. Now, that was something that really made me mad because I was an applicant for several positions at CCA. I applied for 6 positions and was turned down for every last one of them because they said that I didn't qualify. I know for sure that it was not my credit because they told the applicants if that was a factor. So, my reaction was crazy because I have been on a job for almost 7 years as a manager, plus all of the above factors that I mentioned, and you tell me that I don't qualify? So, what exactly are these employers looking for?
There are no perfect employees just as there are no perfect employers!
Posted by RAVENNEVERMORE (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 5:42 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by ghost (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 5:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I dont mean to bash anyone personally but have any of yall seen the fingernails on this clerk at the Homochitto exxon station? They look like eagle talons. I made the guy lay my change on the counter before I received it. They were disgusting
Posted by Cursechez (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 6:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Further..
Business owners/managers are scratching their heads and "can't put our finger on it" why they are having so much in the way of labor problems and productivity.
It never occurs to them that paying minimum wage gets you the minimum of a functional person (most of the time; I'm sure there are some stoners in the warehouse that could pass as cadavers). They're the only ones dumb enough to put up with that kind of work and degradation for minimum wage, no benefits, and an overlord of a boss/company that has a slave-owner mentality.
You act like paying your employee a dollar more an hour is robbing food from your kids' mouths and threatening you with bankruptcy, yet you'll give half of your customers 10% off and let your entitled relatives loot the store of product.
This labor & work issue goes BOTH ways. Treat your employees with dignity, respect, and PAY THEM like you appreciate them, and you'll attract a much better labor pool and you will no longer have to babysit morons through a job application and interview as you'll have far fewer positions opening.
Have a look in the mirror while you're scratching your head about your labor problems. Business most often gets stuck with the labor its deserves.
Posted by beammeupscotty (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 8:10 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by Cursechez (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 8:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by beammeupscotty (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 8:10 p.m.
"You know what the job paid when you hired on if you didn't like it don't take the job"
That's the whole point scotty; the type of workers employers here want won't take it at the wages being offered. The only caliber of worker that remains available in the labor pool for that wage is what employers have such enormous trouble with.
Limit the wage to minimum-ish, and you limit the quality of your labor pool.
PS - It's no longer 1979. These kids are spoiled, lazy, unmotivated, coddled, and entitled as a direct result of their parenting, or lack thereof.
There are good workers out there but, like me, they're moving away because they can't make a living here competing with a thousand others who'll do the same job (albeit, very poorly) for minimum wage.
If I was to apply to Walmart and mark down $13/hr under "Required Salary," what do you think the employer would do?
Wonder what all I can do, all that I know, and how valuable I must be as an honest, drug-free, professional, punctual employee? Wonder how hard I would work not to lose such a great-paying job? Wonder how much more money they will make when productivity for that position rises 75% overnight and customers are actually served, grateful, and happily return to spend more money?
He or she is more likely to think "he's nuts, there are a thousand others waiting in line who will work for minimum wage! Ha! Good luck with that $13/hr requirement around here."
I say good luck with that dysfunctional labor pool waiting in line behind me.
Pay me $13/hr and you'll get more work, service, efficiency, and productivity from that expense than you will the 4 people you're paying minimum wage to run from customers while hollering "not my department" or sitting down on the boxes in the aisle texting on their iphone.
Yet paying for quality workers would be 'cost-prohibitive'.
As I said above, business most often gets stuck with the labor it deserves.
Posted by natashakubelikov (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 10:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Been to Wal-marts in many other places and i agree. The Natchez Wal-mart is the worset one i have ever shopped at.
I only go there when it,s a have too. I was trying to buy some items at the sporting goods dept last week. The sales clerk leaned on the counter and was talking to some older man about their kinfolks. This went on for five minutes or so before she actually checked him out,continueing to yak with him,ignoring me and 3 other customers that were waiting. She took forever to check him out and didn,t look our way.or say I,ll be with you shortly,zero,nada.
Posted by iluvntz2 (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 10:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A few observation on this post----
"An employee of CCA must have good credit. That alone is a terrible way of deciding who might be a good employee." ---- More times than not, if they are not taking care of their personal business, they are not going to take care of business where they work. Also, bad credit is a red flag for possible theft.
Walmart comments --- I am not defending them because they are absolutely the worst model of customer service in this town. But as for the employees, a lot of them don't deserve the job they have. Very few seem to care about the job or recognize the importance of customers, the rest are just lazy and rude. Many of the Walmart employees act like the employees have a private club and customers are an annoyance.
Posted by iluvntz2 (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 11:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry, but I have to add this. Several posters are saying that they get poor quality employees because they pay minimum wage. The salary paid is no excuse for someone to do a poor job. No matter what you are being paid, if you accepted the job, you should give it your best everyday. Either you will be rewarded for your efforts or you will move on to a better opportunity, BUT if you do a bad job, the references will be bad and the next employer will pass on to someone else. I hear people say they aren't working that hard because they don't get paid enough, they are not holding up their end of the agreement! Everyone has to start somewhere and prove themself.
Regardless of the salary, do your best everyday, ask for more responsibility, stay busy, treat everyone with courtesy and respect, if you get raises and promotions-great; if not, look for another job, give a 2 week notice, and move on to something better.
Posted by Cursechez (anonymous) on July 27, 2009 at 12:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Posted by iluvntz2 (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 11:03 p.m.
Several posters are saying that they get poor quality employees because they pay minimum wage. The salary paid is no excuse for someone to do a poor job. No matter what you are being paid, if you accepted the job, you should give it your best everyday."
You're right, getting paid minimum wage is NO excuse for doing a shoddy job. You accept the job, you own up to it or quit or get fired. Nobody here has said that such workers should be paid more for their poor performance.
You're missing the nuance of the argument. It's not that those poorly-performing workers have a right to slack off, steal, come to work high, not show up, or be rude to customers because they're not being paid enough. Being paid more wouldn't likely improve their performance much.
The argument is that quality workers with the character to perform as desired will not make themselves available to those employers to begin with because the low wages do not compensate adequately for the quality, value, dedication, and efficiency of their work. $7/hr is generally not an appreciative wage for someone who takes pride in their work, professional reputation, and the caliber of their customer service.
Such employers are therefore generally limited to the lowest common denominator to choose from, which trends to be the most dysfunctional and least reliable of the labor pool evident by the complaints of employers in this story.
The quality workers that these employers want are too busy elsewhere getting paid for their labor and service, or otherwise too busy packing to move somewhere with employers that do pay a living wage.
Posted by juju (anonymous) on July 27, 2009 at 5:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm with you natashakubelikov! But it's not just Wal-Mart, it's everything! You get "the attitude" at every fast food, the bank drive-through, everywhere! Even some professionals in businesses in town. Especially if you tell them the order was wrong or God forbid ask them to help you and they have to do something. And you can go to that same franchise or type of business in any other city and they're fast and courtious. I love vacations. Makes you wonder what other tourists on their vacations think about here!
Posted by happyreader (anonymous) on July 27, 2009 at 7:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It just seems that so many poor-performing workers show the same antisocial behaviors. They use a monotone speaking voice and use as few words as possible when interacting with customers. And they will do anything to keep from looking you in the eye. I wish I had a quarter for every time I have had some clerk look all over the room and all around my head to avoid looking me in the eye. It's like some kind of passive-aggressive behavior: "I resent having to scan your groceries, so I'm going to pretend like you're not even there."
Rude employees, if you're reading this and recognize yourself, here's an idea. You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. If you're miserable in your job, the best way to get a better one is to do your best and to act like you give a rip about customers. Your supervisors and customers will remember you when a better job comes available and you are applying for it.
Posted by bellesouth (anonymous) on July 27, 2009 at 12:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Obviously, no one here as ever been to the Wal-Mart in New Orleans East -- merchandice all over the floor. It looked like Dirt Cheap!
Posted by juju (anonymous) on July 27, 2009 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
bellesouth, that's understandable, New Orleans, same area and same problem.
I have a timeshare and I travel EVERYWHERE and usually stop at the local Walmart to stock up. And I'm telling you, the 'eye-rolling' and 'lip-smacking' and 'sighing & grunting' is just in this area, as well as, the customers acting the fool too.
You would be surprised how friendly New York City and Los Angeles even are.
Posted by ruthlessone (anonymous) on July 27, 2009 at 11:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL ghost.
Posted by darylwalker (anonymous) on July 28, 2009 at 3:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Looking at a persons credit to be considered for a job should be made illegal, in my opinion. It seems everything these days is starting to hang on your credit, though more and more people these days are having credit issues due to the economy. Soon, the only people that will be able to get a job are those that don't need it since they've had enough money to pay their bills and those that have been trying their damnedest to get a job to pay those bills will be screwed since their credit has gotten shot because they couldn't find a job.
You have bad credit? Alright, we're going to charge you more for your insurance, charge you higher interest rates on any loan we give you, and, by the way, good luck finding a job to pay all those extra charges.
Posted by bee (anonymous) on July 28, 2009 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I COULD NOT PASS THIS UP WITHOUT COMMENT. I WAS RECENTLY IN THE LOOK FOR A JOB MODE. THE LAST 12 INTERVIEWS I WENT TO, I KNEW WHO WAS GOING TO GET THE JOB BEFORE I WENT TO THE INTERVIEW. IN OUR AREA, IT IS STRICTLY WHO YOU KNOW AND NOT WHAT YOU KNOW. I HAVE SEEN SO MANY UNQUALIFIED PEOPLE HIRED THAT CAN NOT PRODUCE, AND THEN THE EMPLOYER WONDERS WHY THEY ARE NOT SUCCEEDING IN THEIR MARKET AND WHY THEY HAVE TO HIRE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE. I SAY TO OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES--- QUIT HIRING YOUR BROTHER-IN-LAW, YOUR NIECE OR YOUR GOLFING BUDDY--- AND PUT THE BEST PERSON IN THE JOB. YOU WILL BE AMAZED HOW MUCH BETTER YOUR ORGANIZATION WILL RUN AND WORK.
Posted by momof1 (anonymous) on July 28, 2009 at 3:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
One problem is that most of the jobs in this area are either minimum wage or barely above. You can't attract the best labor pool with these types of wages. Very few companies are willing to pay for a good employee.
On the flip side, someone was correct earlier in saying that work ethics are taught at home.
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