Is There Any Good Staff On This Island?

[womble]

Been looking for Cocktail staff that speak good english for years, can rarely find.

Anyone know where to find good bar staff, best places to advertise?

Also stealing is a huge problem here in samui.

LEarnt from expericance never have people who know each other previously work together, and try to make a mixture of people from Issas, South, Bangkok. Never from same town, you will end up with a gang.

[pieter73]

You get what you deserve

[liveinlos]

Recording Security cameras are very cheap and effective deterent to theft

Once the employees know everything they do is being recorded, the theft will stop or have them arrested with the evidence

Sad day but you are correct theft is big problem and there needs to be a deterent.

[mattcodes]

Just look at the bars that have the staff (or seem to) and ask yourself (or them) what they are doing right.

Perhaps its the ample amount of foot traffic generating tips, maybe its 1 day off a week instead of every 2 weeks, maybe its the 2-3k extra a month, maybe free motorbike etc... But for example if you got a quiet bar and you offer 7k (because big bar offer 6k so my offer must be great) and want good looking, english speaking, trustworthy staff then probably going to advertising a long time. From what I've seen everything comes into play including how far they have to travel each day etc.. what time they finish in the morning etc..

This might not be applicable to your scenario but seems a common train of thought out this way.. - I seen a falang non-lady bar turn down a good-englishy/trustworthy (they known here before) girl because she wanted 8.5k (she got 8k last place) but would have to travel 5miles extra a day

Edited July 1, 2010 by mattcodes

[screamingeagle]

If you offer a good salary and treat your staff as a member of the "family", you wouldn't have this problem. 6 years with my staff and never a problem!!!!!

[angiud]

You can pay more, you can give extra bonuses, free bike, free room, holidays, really teach something (in my case italian food), consider like a family member, lend money, advance salary, etc etc

but they always will go away, create gang with the other staff, steal your money (also in presence of CCTV !) so, in my case, I got use to the idea to change my staff in a lapse of time between few months until a couple of years.

[nod]

If you offer a good salary and treat your staff as a member of the "family", you wouldn't have this problem. 6 years with my staff and never a problem!!!!!

Why have staff! Why not just do it yourself?

( Hope that's as helpful as your reply to my post ).

[womble]

You can pay more, you can give extra bonuses, free bike, free room, holidays, really teach something (in my case italian food), consider like a family member, lend money, advance salary, etc etc

but they always will go away, create gang with the other staff, steal your money (also in presence of CCTV !) so, in my case, I got use to the idea to change my staff in a lapse of time between few months until a couple of years.

CCTV - you can have the latest zoom, infrared technolgy, but it's very easy to find blind spots or work around it, generally the places that treat staff best, give bonuses and advances get flecced the most.

Giving extra $ in Thailand is seen in most cases as an act of stupiidity or weakness, not kindness that should be reqarded with hard work (except in rare occasions).

Treat like kids, fine for lateness and have other financial penalties for sloppy work. I always used to think this was horrible practise, but it really is the only thing that works.

Also notice you can put in all the checks and balances you want, computerised systems, CCTV, in the end they will still cheat, if you make it almost impossible to steal from you then they will just steal from customer by pouring drinks short then selling one without writing it down, or they will short change them.

Please note this is only about bar a restaurant trade.

May I also point out that I know people who treat staff like family and they are being robbed blind, I see it with my own eyes.

[BigC]

i prefer southern people. as long as u get the right ones with nin degrees. rememebr thee people from far away can steal money na drun far away. a local person cannot run very far and they can normally hep your buniness. People they grew up with other local people.

U have to treat them with repect. also i know some peope do not do this but i would put your staff uder contract other wise u cmn have a problem. have herd of staf walking out telling there boy friend they have been ack when they haven't then the boy friend demnded big money. if iu give the 2 warning letters then sack then u are ok from all directions

[stiggy]

Try advertising on thai Job .com or contact surat labour department they often have job expos.

Also make sure you have a clear written application form, that asks the relevant questions for your business, also check those answers are true.

I have 9 staff now from all over Thailand all have one thing in common, they choose to live on the islands due to the love of the enviroment and not simply for a job.

They get one day of a week and generally go out together snorkelling hill walking bbq etc.

We pay well and offer health care after 3 mths (its cheap here and covers you for future ilness etc)

Some Staff have been with us for over 5 yrs ,they are part of the recruitment process.(We value there judgement and opinion)

We have only had one staff member that had an issue (yabba) but was quickly weeded out by the others.

It takes time but you can get the right people.

[starcandle]

During your interview, find out how long they have been on Koh Samui and where they last worked, if they are married and have kids,

I always check their previous employer for a reference, prefer a girl who is married to a thai , take a copy of their ID card and if you think they seem ok

only offer them a months trial on a lower wage than you are going to pay, then after a month if your happy and your employee take em on full time and raise their wage

at the end of month 2,

Both my cocktail ladies have been with me for a long time 2 years and 14 months respectively.

good luck

[screamingeagle]

If you offer a good salary and treat your staff as a member of the "family", you wouldn't have this problem. 6 years with my staff and never a problem!!!!!

Why have staff! Why not just do it yourself?

( Hope that's as helpful as your reply to my post ).

Do it myself? Manager, Cashier Table service? 14 hours every day. Don't think so!!! Plus I have lousy legs and look terrible in a frock!

[Trapper]

My staff are all Cambodian, mostly one family, We treat them well, offer 2 days a month off (5 in low season), supplied work permits, accom, food and a motorbike. We have never had a problem with them.

In fact I find then exceedingly honest and hard working. I used to have Thai workers, never again.

[nod]

Why have staff! Why not just do it yourself?

( Hope that's as helpful as your reply to my post ).

Do it myself? Manager, Cashier Table service? 14 hours every day. Don't think so!!! Plus I have lousy legs and look terrible in a frock!

Somewhere along the lines of why I don't want to do my gardening myself then!

[livinthailandos]

A lot of postings in regards to this. As for finding staff I can relate to trying to find staff, for a particular

Edited July 2, 2010 by livinthailandos

[wasas]

i agree with screaming eagle, if you treat your staff well, they will stay with you.

I had to go to uk for 5 months last year and when i reopened my bar, my old staff left her new job ,to come back to me. and no i didnt try to pry her away.

I go into many bars, and i see bar owners shouting at there staff,if a foreigner started shouting to me in my own country, do you think i would do what he says,

[livinthailandos]

A lot of postings in regards to this. As for finding staff I can relate to trying to find staff, for a particular job posting for reception I needed it took me 5 months of looking and I was willing to pay 14,000 THB a month and still couldn't find staff. I did the following

a. For all job postings remember that you need to put them in thai

b. Tried jobsamui.com for postings, post at big c and tesco, and post on samui channel as well. I put on jobdb.com as well

c. Asked staff if had any friends looking for a job

d. Posted in front of business as well

e. Try to recruit from bangkok

Also remember though for thai staff

a. There's a lot of competition for english speaking thai staff, especially with lots of hotels needing employee's, most hotels offer meals, service charge and housing as well

b. From what I know should thailand be ok there will be a ever growing need for staff but the demand for qualified applicants will wind down and only be left with unqualified people or people with low education meaning no high school education and no english skills

c. supply becomes low higher pay will happen

I wish you good luck on finding staff but if your paying less than 9,000 for english speaking staff you better start hiring cambodian or burmese most thai's I've interviewed will NOT work for that amount considering they can work for a hotel get salary and service charge and make like 13,000 a month.

I only found staff 2 people after finally 5 months of looking. Keep in mind I did not have high expectations, I just wanted someone who had could speak and understand english, at least 1 year working in hotel, spa, or restaurant as receptionist, waitress.

[screamingeagle]

Do it myself? Manager, Cashier Table service? 14 hours every day. Don't think so!!! Plus I have lousy legs and look terrible in a frock!

Somewhere along the lines of why I don't want to do my gardening myself then!

Bllmey. You must have a REALLY big garden is you need to do gardening every day for 14 hours. Either that or you're just lazy

[angiud]

Who pay 14,000 baht/month a generic staff is completely out of mind.

[sevenhills]

What's the old saying?........If you pay peanuts.......You get Monkeys

Sorry...... couldn't help myself :whistling:

PS. Go Netherlands 2-1

Edited July 2, 2010 by sevenhills

[Tracer Round]

If you offer a good salary and treat your staff as a member of the "family", you wouldn't have this problem. 6 years with my staff and never a problem!!!!!

There are many ways to skim without you knowing you are being skimmed.

[screamingeagle]

If you offer a good salary and treat your staff as a member of the "family", you wouldn't have this problem. 6 years with my staff and never a problem!!!!!

There are many ways to skim without you knowing you are being skimmed.

For example????????????????

[crusty]

If you offer a good salary and treat your staff as a member of the "family", you wouldn't have this problem. 6 years with my staff and never a problem!!!!!

There are many ways to skim without you knowing you are being skimmed.

For example????????????????

For a start,

1. Do all the procuring yourself. Most F & B managers shop around with a "If I give all my business to you, what's in it for me ?". 2. The accounting office of the big resorts are riddled with false numbers and there is a share for everyone if you join us. This falls

apart when one doesn't get their share and exposes all to the boss, so do your own accounts ! 3.Most large resorts now use contract management leaving the hapless manager having to sign off on records of cooked up room / night figures with "you sign or else !"

4. And how about the manager of a popular Irish Pub who had to install a video camera in the ceiling to catch his cashier cold !

and on and on and on....

[surayu]

Reliable and trustworthy staff in Thailand? a thai entrepeneur found the answer :

...and for how weird it might look like, to make all the working operations being operated by robots can effectively be a solution against thefts, bad attitudes, lazyness, ignorance and sooo many other problems that are so common between humans and particularly concentrates in certain areas of the world more than others, not the first example anyway of robots in power, in California they got Terminator as a governor

[BigC]

i prefer southern people. as long as u get the right ones with nin degrees. rememebr thee people from far away can steal money na drun far away. a local person cannot run very far and they can normally hep your buniness. People they grew up with other local people.

U have to treat them with repect. also i know some peope do not do this but i would put your staff uder contract other wise u cmn have a problem. have herd of staf walking out telling there boy friend they have been ack when they haven't then the boy friend demnded big money. if iu give the 2 warning letters then sack then u are ok from all directions

my spelling is terrible. it is amazing i can get in to trouble on here. i am suprised if i write something bad that people can understand it. or maybe i write something ok and it looks bad and mis understand it lol

[limbos]

i prefer southern people. as long as u get the right ones with nin degrees. rememebr thee people from far away can steal money na drun far away. a local person cannot run very far and they can normally hep your buniness. People they grew up with other local people.

U have to treat them with repect. also i know some peope do not do this but i would put your staff uder contract other wise u cmn have a problem. have herd of staf walking out telling there boy friend they have been ack when they haven't then the boy friend demnded big money. if iu give the 2 warning letters then sack then u are ok from all directions

my spelling is terrible. it is amazing i can get in to trouble on here. i am suprised if i write something bad that people can understand it. or maybe i write something ok and it looks bad and mis understand it lol

Yeah, really funny big c, there's something like a spellchecker, must've been invented for just you alone, now the problem arises how to use it, light or is that 'right'?

[sbk]

We've had two of our staff for years, our main cook/asst manager has been with us for nearly 7 years. Never stolen a thing. We treat her with respect and kindness, allow flexibility and make sure she feels as appreciated as she is. She has rewarded us with loyalty and she works like a demon and is a terrific cook. No, you can't have her and I won't tell you her name. She could make more money elsewhere I am sure, as we are just a small bungalow operation, but she has worked in other places before us and knows that she prefers us.

Both of our long term staff are locals or married to locals. While a local might steal the consequences are much higher as my husband is also a local. Thief is not a good reputation to have in your community.

[BigC]

We've had two of our staff for years, our main cook/asst manager has been with us for nearly 7 years. Never stolen a thing. We treat her with respect and kindness, allow flexibility and make sure she feels as appreciated as she is. She has rewarded us with loyalty and she works like a demon and is a terrific cook. No, you can't have her and I won't tell you her name. She could make more money elsewhere I am sure, as we are just a small bungalow operation, but she has worked in other places before us and knows that she prefers us.

Both of our long term staff are locals or married to locals. While a local might steal the consequences are much higher as my husband is also a local. Thief is not a good reputation to have in your community.

can i steal your staff lol

[ClaudeFeller]

I am not working in the bar/restaurant business but in construction. My foreman is extremly good, honnest and reliable. I pay him as a freelancer and I pay very well. But he as a Thai has enormous problems to find relibale staff who want to stay with him longer time. Whenever they have learnt something they will run away, means not show up for a couple of days, not answer mobile, they are just gone. Now he is working with family members from South but it is not a satisfying solution.