Why Is It So Damned Hard To Get Staff?

[impulse]

Start by offering 1,000,000 baht per year.

Keep dropping the posted offer until nobody calls for an interview.

Increase it a little and start hiring

I have seen very few times that there is a shortage of labor. A shortage of people willing to work for what's on offer- sure. Even if what's on offer is above the "prevailing wage" given the prevailing daily wage is just about enough to buy a small pizza.

Edited May 14, 2013 by impulse

[tragickingdom]

Try using a headhunter or if you have a trusted staff member that is really good, what usually means it is a woman, ask her to bring in new staff. We have no trouble getting staff at all for whichever position. We get lots of applicants in, some walk in some write us. Don't do the initial interviews yourself unless it is your first employee. Thai people are often a bit afraid of a Farang boss.

We started out at a serviced office in Bangkok. They had numerous very good and already screened people in their portfolio we took a few from them and from there on it was easy.

[dazk]

from my experience of employing thais in a word they are lazy, cross the boarder and its a different matter

and it dont improve when you pay more infact they cut and run sooner, as soon as they have money they can go drink and sleep for a few weeks then go look for work again

that is the main reason we are selling up and going else where you just cant get the staff

sad but true

[kdw512]

Get rid of the hundreds of sidewalk stalls. You'll see the unemployment rate go up.

[Estrada]

A friend who has had a business manufacturing clothing here for 30 years also could not find workers here except Burmese. He has now opened a factory on the Thai Border with Myanmar at Three Pagodas Pass. He pays the Burmese B120/day against 320/day in Bangkok. This doesn't solve your problem finding a salesman who should be Thai. Best way is word of mouth.

[Wat dee]

What are you offering? Peanuts?

[Arkady]

All the unskilled Thais are now working as ghost employees for fly-by-night farang "law" firms that provide them for farangs wanting a work permit. LOL.

Thais employ illegal Burmese for unskilled work and pay off the police. In my soi there are only 2 Thai maids left. Mine and one other. The rest are all Burmese and Lao - they avoid the Cambodians because of the old black magic. There have even been several reported citings of Burmese and Lao women working as hookers in massage parlours and bars. They tend to have alien ID cards that are valid for 10 years because they came here to work in a factory but ran away due to low wages and brutal treatment.

Now Filipinos are starting to appear as waiters and waitresses in places like Terminal 21 in Bkk. Don't see how they can have proper WPs because waiting at table is a reserved occupation and there is no labour MOU with the Flips that gives exemption from the reserved occupation annex to the Working of Aliens Act.

Edited May 14, 2013 by Arkady

[brianb1944]

My thai girlfriend had the opposite problem she found it very hard to get work. She is young, attractive speaks perfect english but still had problems. Employers seem to want experience, or big money up front (from the employee) or a thai guarantor.

Thai Brother in law, who is a chef, had same problem, came to Chiang Mai, 1st employer (Chinese) wanted 9000 baht bond, returnable after 3 months satisfactory service, and paying 7000 baht per month. 2nd employer (farang) offered 200 baht for 12 hour day, 16.5 baht per hour.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Advertise the jobs and the B300 per day minimum wage in southern tier euro countries and in most of the USA and I'm sure you're have more an enough applicants.

[itchybum]

My thai girlfriend had the opposite problem she found it very hard to get work. She is young, attractive speaks perfect english but still had problems. Employers seem to want experience, or big money up front (from the employee) or a thai guarantor.

What experience does she have?

Any photos?

We employ no less than 50 Burmese because of this problem. We go through the whole process of doing their work visa's and to be honest, they tend to work a lot better than Thai for the same amount of money.

Once 2015 rolls around and this ASEAN agreement comes into effect, you will see unemployment gradually rise in Thailand. When it happens, staff retention will be a lot easier.

How do you find these Burmese and what is the work visa process like?

[winstonc]

im afraid if you offer peanuts youl get monkeys,as for the guy paying the burmese 120bth aday hes a disgrace and should be run out of town,dispicable human,let him try living on that,praying on desperate people is just VILE

[Munger]

I have noticed that many Thais do not want to be tied down to a 8-10 hour job. They want to have a break once in awhile. Also when they are being paid 200-300 baht for a day's work, they feel they can quit and go some place else and get the same pay (with a break between jobs). Many factories in Rayong are having the same problem holding on to their workers and their benefits are good compared to other places. I feel businesses that really want to hold on to good staff need to give them higher wages in order to stay, commission if they are in sales, and proper training. Overall, it is a different attitude towards jobs here than in the West. For example, if you are content frying noodles making enough to survive on -but you are HAPPY- why change jobs? In the West, it seems we always want to make more money but we turn around and get ourselves in debt and have less time to enjoy and not happy.

It's not just a desire to make more money in the west, it's also about the work ethic. We are raised to try to improve our lives, to be ambitious and change things for our benefit and that of our families. It is taboo to sit back and just let things happen. It is also about being happy (or rather at least not be sad) but in a different way to Thais (but not Thai Chinese). Financial security for ourselves and our family is also a major desire in the west, but Thais often don't think about that as they have a 'now' philosophy. A bit like children who just want to play while the sun shines. And it always seems to shine in Thailand - how many depressed-looking Thais unhappy with their lot in life do you see around?

Plenty everyday

Correct, plenty everday, but you must remove the rose tints first.

[wineman]

Hi,

My Thai wife may be interested. Please PM me with details and she will see later. At the moment she is out on a sales round.

[12DrinkMore]

Provide them with an Iphone for continuous facebook use, somtam every two hours and a pillow for napping might be an incentive. Serious problem for most employers I think

You need to chuck a TV running 24/7 in there as well.

[DRONGOH]

That's strange. Haven't all the Russians and Chinese already taken all theThai's jobs already?

and take a staff in your hand too. They need a nudge pretty often.

[bobthomas]

Getting, (and retaining) Thai Employees is part artform and part chemistry. Most Thais will often choose a smaller salary and less responsability with a big Company rather than a larger salary and more responsability in a small Company. Thais are a collective culture with a herd mentality. They love both the anonymity and the prestige that working for a large company provides. They are exceedingly nervous and uncomfortable working alone, in a small employee pool, or doing something that requires innovation or adaptation. They are most comfortable in a job that emulates their culture, in which there is a well established, (known) methodology (IE doing the same repitive task(s) every day) and most importantly a well defined heirarchy in which everyones role and status is known- Especially the status and "strength" of the boss. It's pretty hard for a Farang to get all the ingrediants right and run the fine line between gaining their respect/obediance without getting them so pissed off that they just walk out.

The reason is accountability. In the West a bad work history follows you around. Not so here.

Being outside of Bangkok doesn't make it any easier either.

I would put the job on the various Thai and English classified websites and even though you need them to speak Thai- I would hire only someone with a 4 year Uny degree and good English proficiency. This will "weed out" the quacks that will just waste your time.

Good luck,

Uncle Bob

[raro]

well, I was running a freight forwarding company here in Pattaya a while ago and we hired our staff mostly through jobbees.com. We had plenty of applicants and were able to chose from them. Not without a certain pride I must say that we had a wonderful team. We also paid well over market - about 30,000 in average per month.

For other companies I worked before I never had any such problem either.

Now we are looking for sales people and we offer an initial guaranteed salary and the prospects of making seriously good money in commissions are very realistic. And yes, this is certainly way over minimum wages. So all those peanuts/monkey comments are valid but do not apply here.

Burmese cannot do this job as we need Thai nationals due to work permit restrictions and Thai language is a must anyways.

[attento]

Basic market economy, increase offer ($) to meet demand

Absolutely correct. At times of nationally, high employment, be careful about taking-on someone who is unemployed. Many of those are the work-shy and incompetant. You want the best, you must be prepared to pay for it. Look for people at their work places, don't advertise to the jobless.

Maybe a hard line, but effective in my experience in both Europe and here.

Edited May 14, 2013 by attento

[Card]

Basic market economy, increase offer ($) to meet demand

Absolutely correct. At times of nationally, high employment, be careful about taking-on someone who is unemployed. Many of those are the work-shy and incompetant. You want the best, you must be prepared to pay for it. Look for people at their work places, don't advertise to the jobless.

Maybe a hard line, but effective in my experience in both Europe and here.

Well I beg to differ. In all my experience of Thailand for the last 25 years, basic market economy has never really applied. It might apply to western labour but generally not to Thai labour. You can see this with the behaviour of Thai workers in western companies in Thailand - eg. Tesco, Big C, - same herd behaviour as on the street ("mai mee', "over there', 'don't ask me for help please' 'let me play on my mobile', 'I will ask another, then another....... just to pass the buck'. These companies might try their labour theories in the west but they don't apply in Thailand probably because money is just a means to a simple end to Thais, not an objective in itself and not something to save up to buy something (maybe to pay off credit, but that can wait). I am not saying you cannot find good workers in Thailand who might respond to incentives, but they are not that common.

[manarak]

Well, the salary (commissions) would be very good and growing over time with repeat customers.

Our market is predominantly Thai, so for this reason only a Thai person would be more suitable than a foreigner, work permit issues being the ultimate deal breaker.

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same problem here, I am trying to find PHP programmers / webmasters / graphic designers...

[Trentham]

Well, the salary (commissions) would be very good and growing over time with repeat customers.

Our market is predominantly Thai, so for this reason only a Thai person would be more suitable than a foreigner, work permit issues being the ultimate deal breaker.

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What area are you in? I know a 33 year old Thai guy , has a business English degree, looks very presentable and is looking for work. Also what salary do you pay?

[Steiner]

Found the same problem with sales staff.

If we find them they stay for 2 weeks then gone again.

If I was being honest they are too lazy to work hard.

We offer a basic + travel allowance + commission and if they got their finger out and worked like a farang they could earn 50-60k.

We don't even care about qualifications, sales is not about what they did in school but still no takers.

Advertised in every medium but applicants that could be counted on one hand.

[raro]

please no more peanuts/monkeys comments. I heard you but it does not apply.

[raro]

Found the same problem with sales staff.

If we find them they stay for 2 weeks then gone again.

If I was being honest they are too lazy to work hard.

We offer a basic + travel allowance + commission and if they got their finger out and worked like a farang they could earn 50-60k.

We don't even care about qualifications, sales is not about what they did in school but still no takers.

Advertised in every medium but applicants that could be counted on one hand.

that range is also very realistic here. Not on day one, but within a couple of months. Within a year also more than that.

[bojo]

In the very late 90's there were about 7 million visitors to Thailand, now there are about 23 million or so, lets just say that tourism has tripled in about 15 years or there abouts. The population has remained mainly static and training for tourist related businesses has perhaps only marginally increased.

Assuming that this post is about finding staff in foreigner tourist areas, it is no surprise that it's hard to find staff, let alone good ones. Staff can pretty much come and go as they please as everyone is so desperate to hire. Even local Thai businesses are plagued with exactly the same problem, there are simply not enough staff available for work, even increasing the salaries doesn't seem to buck the trend.

I have alaso noticed an increasing trend of staff demanding longer periods of time off for whatever reason in the knowledge that they know they are 'wanted' and that most bosses will let them take those breaks in the hope that good ones will return. These staff will just work elsewhere on their return if the boss says 'no' anyway, so it's a win win situation for them. About time really I suppose as most willing working staff have been paid a pittance for too long I think.

I think every business that I know has over the past two years increased staff salaries by at least 30%. Many can't even open new businesses as they simply can't service the customer consistently if at all.

Furthermore, where previously Thais begrudgingly migrated to tourist areas in search of work, they now, with a booming domestic economy everywhere, happily need not travel afar as there is plenty of demand at home.

Anybody got any surplus, coz I'm always looking!!!

Bojo

[kevvy]

you think you got troubles try finding good staff in the construction game .. Lucky I have as I pay them above the rate they were getting before , try increasing your wages to them . if they are happy they will not leave . good luck

[Card]

you think you got troubles try finding good staff in the construction game .. Lucky I have as I pay them above the rate they were getting before , try increasing your wages to them . if they are happy they will not leave . good luck

Yes, we all know they will stay if they are happy. What we are discussing is what makes them happy. Is it good pay, a good boss, freedom to p"ssabout, lots of companions to p"ss about with, or what?

Edited May 14, 2013 by Card

[toenail]

I know a Thai buddy of mine who speaks fair English, has good people skills, and a has a good appearance. He is 41 and when I tell him to go out and apply for some of these jobs he says he can never get a job since he did not graduate from highschool, is from Isaan (doesn't look Isaan -he is thai and Chinese mixed), and is too old - no one hires a 41 year old. I tell him that when u are in your 40's you are more responsible. Right now he runs one of those clothing shops barely making it. What do you think? Do any businesses hire "older" Thais who do not have a high school education? His attitude is (maybe) typical Thai...it is not "Yes, I can." -But no I can not. (due to Karma?)

[lemoncake]

I have been having same problems for past 2-3 years, basically i am always short of staff.

Another problem i found, is the ones who do call or come(if come) are somewhat border line "challenged.

-Come for interview with friends

-Come with no paperwork or anything at all

-Come and ask for WIfi password so they can check emails

-Can not speak a word of English

-Asking for double advertised amount yet no experience at all

-Spend 45 mins telling me how engine pump works

-18 Years old claiming to finish high school and yet work at age 16 as shop assistant for 30 000/month

And list goes on.

What i think the problem is in Pattaya is lack of people who actually come here to work.

Many females, work in the bar and ONLY look for regular job when boyfriend is in town or its a low season.

Many start off in a regular job, but after listening to bar girls and their fairy tales of "easy life and money" go down that path

Many males, simply alcoholics who can not hold a job

Many males have bar girlfriends who support them.

Now to help OP. I always advertise ONLY at Friendship, and Pattaya Job center.

Friendship always gets better response but always from unqualified people.

Pattaya Job center gets good people, usually can get one "OK" one in about 3 months, but then other ones leave as it's either time to go back to village or too tired or boyfriend or whatever else.

To make OP feel better, he is NOT the only one, we are all struggling

[raro]

This is not so much about keeping staff, this one is rather about making them respond to a job ad...

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