It's a fact. Skilled labor wages are just too low and tradesmen are not being paid the salaries they deserve, even though almost everything in our country is dependent on these industries and their workers.
In this episode, we discuss some of the comments we’ve received from skilled workers around the US. The two things we hear about the most are 1) unfair wages and 2) not feeling respected.
In our opinion, the two are connected. You can’t truly respect skilled workers without paying a fair wage, and good money alone isn’t enough without a healthy work environment.
Main Takeaways: 🛠 Companies need to pay a respectable wage to their workers. 🛠 Truly respecting and valuing skilled workers is just as important as good pay. 🛠 Wages are location-dependent, sometimes differing up to 30%. 🛠 Bringing respect back to the trades will take time, but we’re on the right path. 🛠 The trade labor shortage has increased the demand for workers.
Timecodes: 2:56 - Why choose skilled labor when the pay isn’t always competitive? 9:34 - Promising trends in skilled labor pay 13:12 - How to find good wages as a skilled worker (location, location, location) 18:07 - Fair wages and respect for the trades are linked 22:16 - “The Cost of Bad Behavior” study results 26:40 - Respect is a critical piece of a successful company
Quotes: 💬 “Most people if you ask them ‘are you satisfied with the compensation you’re getting for what you’re doing?’, 50% automatically say no.” Brett Elliot 💬 “You’ve got to have the skill and you’ve got to take the time to invest.” Brett Elliot 💬“There wasn’t any job in the Top 15 Skilled Trades Jobs list that was paying less than $25 an hour.” Brett Elliot 💬 “A company like ours, if you’re willing to travel…you do that exact same job with the exact same skills, we may get you 20, 25, 30% higher wages in a different location.” Tim Raglin 💬 “If you want the talent to keep your plant run efficiently, you’re going to have to pay a fair wage to get that talent, because somebody else is going to be willing.” Brett Elliot 💬 “When you say the most important thing is our people but you continue to not address hiring lesser quality, not providing the training, the message is mixed.” Brett Elliot 💬 “Individuals pick up on it very well. You’re either genuine, that your people matter, or you’re not.” Brett Elliot 💬 “Over a 20 year period, we have so devalued the trades, which are so important to this country.” Brett Elliot 💬 People will take lower compensation, lower benefits if they feel appreciated and respected.” Tim Raglin
