Workers in Trinidad

[Slartibartfast]

Hey guys, I would like to get some honest opinions from business owners. I am trying to figure out what makes for good and bad employees from a business standpoint and what can be done to ensure your company is more full of good employees than wastes of time. The following was copy/pasted from a comment of mine from a previous thread.

What is your experience like with your workers in general (good/bad, problems etc.)?
In your opinion what are the reasons or causes for the bad qualities or aspects of your workers?
In you opinion what are the reasons or causes for the good qualities or aspects of your workers?
What would you like to change about your workers?
What do you do to motivate you employees to change in the way that you would like them to?
If given the choice, would you choose to have better employees (can trust to run things the way you want without you there.) or higher profits where you can't leave the employees alone without fear of them slacking off or fking up?

Personally as an employee, whether or not I care about company profits is beside the point. All I have to go on right now is my reputation which is good so far among my peers and which I plan to continue improving so that I'll be in good standing among my peers when I'm ready to move into business for my own. So I have selfish motivation to show up to work early and work hard no matter the conditions or where I am. However, if I was working for some small business or government job with low wage and little to no benefits or future prospects, I sometimes wonder if I would be one of the lazy workers that people talking about in this thread due to lack of motivation.

[Miktay]

Two rules of workers in Trinidad...

1. Workers really run the day to day of a bidnezz. Employers should never let the workers know that.

2. Tdad workers will do anything for you...more than in the developed world...if you can get them on your side.

[crazybalhead]

What is your experience like with your workers in general (good/bad, problems etc.)?

A wide range. Careful selection helps, but sometimes you get a person who does not perform or is dishonest for some reason.

In your opinion what are the reasons or causes for the bad qualities or aspects of your workers?

Wide range of reasons. Personal issues and attitude seem to be the most prevalent.

In you opinion what are the reasons or causes for the good qualities or aspects of your workers?

Proper coaching and guidance.

What would you like to change about your workers?

Depends on the person, we all have things we can improve on, myself included.

What do you do to motivate you employees to change in the way that you would like them to?

Sharing experience, personal coaching and taking an interest in their development makes for a better team and employee. Listening to suggestions for improvement and encouragement to take personal responsibility. "We", not "Them".

If given the choice, would you choose to have better employees (can trust to run things the way you want without you there.) or higher profits where you can't leave the employees alone without fear of them slacking off or fking up?

Leaving employees to do as they wish is always a risk. A certain amount of autonomy is good and encouraged, but as a manager ow business owner, know what's happening around you and either make the choice to let it play out as a learning, or nip it in the bud as a dangerous and destructive practice as necessary.

My 2c

[MaxPower]

Ive had too many issues with trinidadian workers....they are full of sheit, too much excuses, always ill, incompetent, lazy, rude, always hitting a shot etc etc...

I have no issues with my foreign workers...few from santo domingo...few from Colombia...they are here to work and mean business.

Hire local?........not

[RedVEVO]

Ive had too many issues with trinidadian workers....they are full of sheit, too much excuses, always ill, incompetent, lazy, rude, always hitting a shot etc etc...

I have no issues with my foreign workers...few from santo domingo...few from Colombia...they are here to work and mean business.

Hire local?........not

Max-i is you and me

There are exceptions but 100% agree.

[airuma]

Ive had too many issues with trinidadian workers....they are full of sheit, too much excuses, always ill, incompetent, lazy, rude, always hitting a shot etc etc...

I have no issues with my foreign workers...few from santo domingo...few from Colombia...they are here to work and mean business.

Hire local?........not

I am willing to bet that the workers that have passed thru you and are not full of sheit, think that you are full of sheit and don't stick around too long. The foreign workers do not have Mammy and Daddy to fall back on, in fact they most likely came here to send money back for their families, so even if they think you full of sheit, they will take it until they get something else and since their "network" is very small, this can take a long time..... hence, your affinity for foreign workers.

[RedVEVO]

Ive had too many issues with trinidadian workers....they are full of sheit, too much excuses, always ill, incompetent, lazy, rude, always hitting a shot etc etc...

I have no issues with my foreign workers...few from santo domingo...few from Colombia...they are here to work and mean business.

Hire local?........not

I am willing to bet that the workers that have passed thru you and are not full of sheit, think that you are full of sheit and don't stick around too long. The foreign workers do not have Mammy and Daddy to fall back on, in fact they most likely came here to send money back for their families, so even if they think you full of sheit, they will take it until they get something else and since their "network" is very small, this can take a long time..... hence, your affinity for foreign workers.

Not really

There is a better installed work ethic.

Chinese, Japanese , Germans etc., do not fall within your definition.

In T&T many lazy and drink way way too much alcohol.

Others just lazy for genetic reasons.

[Slartibartfast]

Ive had too many issues with trinidadian workers....they are full of sheit, too much excuses, always ill, incompetent, lazy, rude, always hitting a shot etc etc...

I have no issues with my foreign workers...few from santo domingo...few from Colombia...they are here to work and mean business.

Hire local?........not

Max-i is you and me

There are exceptions but 100% agree.

Out of curiosity, what field of business do you guys operate in and what selection criteria (besides place of origin) do you use when hiring people?

[matix]

I wish you luck, almost all the businesses that I do work for have worker issues including myself. The drive isn't there anymore with most people. Laziness is the new trend.

[MaxPower]

I am willing to bet that the workers that have passed thru you and are not full of sheit, think that you are full of sheit and don't stick around too long. The foreign workers do not have Mammy and Daddy to fall back on, in fact they most likely came here to send money back for their families, so even if they think you full of sheit, they will take it until they get something else and since their "network" is very small, this can take a long time..... hence, your affinity for foreign workers.

Lmaoo faggyruma....you rel believe the trinidadian labour force so efficient eh? And they MUST be hired or given preference over locals? It boils down to job performance and the foreigners taking win.

And Soldier what mammy and daddy sheit u talking? This is business we talking about, not no mickey mouse games.

dont tote how a lil Vene take yuh small wuk na.

[ruffneck_12]

ask them what kind of music they like

People who listen to soca tend to live for the weekend and public holidays and take unexpected sick days.
People who listen to dancehall/rap live for the nights and might come to work hungover.
People who listen to chutney/taylor swift/pop like to gossip, but gets the job done.
People who listen to rock/metal will work hard, but they might be unpleasant to be around or an absolute delight, there's no inbetween.
People who listen to anime sound tracks will work the hardest for you, but you should help them to lose their virginity as a favor.

[MaxPower]

Ive always loved the Lion King soundtrack...oh an an Alladin

[Slartibartfast]

What is your experience like with your workers in general (good/bad, problems etc.)?

A wide range. Careful selection helps, but sometimes you get a person who does not perform or is dishonest for some reason.

In your opinion what are the reasons or causes for the bad qualities or aspects of your workers?

Wide range of reasons. Personal issues and attitude seem to be the most prevalent.

In you opinion what are the reasons or causes for the good qualities or aspects of your workers?

Proper coaching and guidance.

What would you like to change about your workers?

Depends on the person, we all have things we can improve on, myself included.

What do you do to motivate you employees to change in the way that you would like them to?

Sharing experience, personal coaching and taking an interest in their development makes for a better team and employee. Listening to suggestions for improvement and encouragement to take personal responsibility. "We", not "Them".

If given the choice, would you choose to have better employees (can trust to run things the way you want without you there.) or higher profits where you can't leave the employees alone without fear of them slacking off or fking up?

Leaving employees to do as they wish is always a risk. A certain amount of autonomy is good and encouraged, but as a manager ow business owner, know what's happening around you and either make the choice to let it play out as a learning, or nip it in the bud as a dangerous and destructive practice as necessary.

My 2c

This seems very similar to me experience so far. Sometimes there are hopeless cases but a lot of the time you can get local workers to put in good work with proper treatment, guidance and motivation. It sounds like some employers have no idea how to handle people properly are skewed to think that foreign workers are guaranteed to do better work because they foreign.

In my experience, people from a foreign country (this includes trinis living abroad in many cases) tend to work harder because they have more internal motivation to do so. Not to mention that if you already made the effort to go all the way to a different country just to work, then chances are that will be your main focus so there is less chance for distractions. Also remember that immigrants and expats are a subset of the country they come from and may not adequately represent the population of that country.

I don't think that local employers realise that they are just as lazy when it comes to actually dealing with employee problems. It seems like most of the other people in this thread make it seem as though the worker is the cause for all the problems.

In my opinion, if you are able to help fix a problem but do nothing, then you are a part of the problem, even if you are not a part of the cause. A lot of business owners don't seem to get this.

[MaxPower]

Well i agree Slarti, some business owners do treat their workers horribly. Not everyone joins the workplace a “good worker”. They may have poor work ethic and if management refuses to address the problem at an early stage it leads to problems. We cannot expect people to be hired and automatically start producing the required output. There is something called internal customer service that is lacking in many establishments. This results in a very high staff turn over in a short space of time and in turn brings an inconsistent work application.

But the main problem, and this has been discussed many times, is the culture. You can be the best of a manager, take good care of your workers and yet still...they take advantage of it. Business owners are rampantly hiring foreign workers over the locals and its weee cause that upon ourselves. Understand what is going on. If you have 10 trinis and 10 foreigners....yall KNOW based on the current state who will give the better result....why is that?

Both managers and employees must work hand in hand.

[ruffneck_12]

Ive always loved the Lion King soundtrack...oh an an Alladin

That means you're a dreamer and you will get the job done but you won't go the extra mile

[RedVEVO]

^^

The main issue (maybe) is that some "workers" who come to the workforce look at "work" as a hustle.

It is not a commitment .


Business owners have everything on the line . It's not a hustle.

Business owners go against the T&T main stream of " a gov't wuk " is all I need and I will be taken care of forever with a pension."

Some T&T workers have an excuse for everything. They will bring "home & other personal problems" to the work place.

The majority cannot cope mentally and barely survive financially - yet they refuse to work.


These negative traits start in school and in the home when young and need to be addressed.

[Slartibartfast]

Well i agree Slarti, some business owners do treat their workers horribly. Not everyone joins the workplace a “good worker”. They may have poor work ethic and if management refuses to address the problem at an early stage it leads to problems. We cannot expect people to be hired and automatically start producing the required output. There is something called internal customer service that is lacking in many establishments. This results in a very high staff turn over in a short space of time and in turn brings an inconsistent work application.

But the main problem, and this has been discussed many times, is the culture. You can be the best of a manager, take good care of your workers and yet still...they take advantage of it. Business owners are rampantly hiring foreign workers over the locals and its weee cause that upon ourselves. Understand what is going on. If you have 10 trinis and 10 foreigners....yall KNOW based on the current state who will give the better result....why is that?

Both managers and employees must work hand in hand.

i hear yuh. I believe it should be a give and take relationship. Reward good work with incentives (i.e. money) and bonuses (i.e. money)

Be clear with what you expect from your worker and if they not up to snuff let them know they will be replaced because they costing you more money than they making you. At the end of the day a business can only be profitable if the employee generates more benefit (i.e. money) than they are being paid.

The worst situation is one where the value of the work being done is worth less than the amount that the worker is being paid while the amount that the worker is being paid is worth less than their time. I believe in a lose/lose situation like that you guaranteed to get workers falling into that rut of laziness and complacency. Employers dont want to pay more because they not getting value for money and workers dont want to work harder because it not worth it.

So in a situation like that, what solutions are there and is it the employer or employee that has the power and responsibility to enact change?

[RedVEVO]

^^

Per above , it's not a fast and sure rule - or a solution if that is what you are asking .

You have to deal with the reality that workers will come and go .

Good workers who get better will eventually move on to better opportunities or their own business.


You as a business owner will have to manage your work force.

You cannot be wasting your time too much since you have a business to run.

You try to be fair , occasionally you will be taken advantage off but that's the risk of running your own business.


T&T Workers rarely understand the link between productivity and business profit/loss.

The average worker's concern is his/her welfare vs business's welfare .


Again as explained above it's our work ethic culture that is NOT cultivated in our schools and home environment.

[zoom rader]

I pretend to work when my employer pretends to pay me

[screwbash]

if trinidad employers continue to think workers are expendable, workers will just be in it once money in the bank month end. if trinidad employers treat their workers with respect the employees will have a sense of belonging and ownership and try to make the business better. this BS of employers feeling they can hire guyaneese, spanish and even chinee or small island people cheaper will continue to add to the contempt that local employees feel to their employers.

[RedVEVO]

if trinidad employers continue to think workers are expendable, workers will just be in it once money in the bank month end. if trinidad employers treat their workers with respect the employees will have a sense of belonging and ownership and try to make the business better. this BS of employers feeling they can hire guyaneese, spanish and even chinee or small island people cheaper will continue to add to the contempt that local employees feel to their employers.

Workers are VERY expendable.

Aren't workers being paid ?

What is the problem and why they cannot make a business better since they are paid ?

TT employers are employing foreigners .

It's a reality .

[screwbash]

if trinidad employers continue to think workers are expendable, workers will just be in it once money in the bank month end. if trinidad employers treat their workers with respect the employees will have a sense of belonging and ownership and try to make the business better. this BS of employers feeling they can hire guyaneese, spanish and even chinee or small island people cheaper will continue to add to the contempt that local employees feel to their employers.

Workers are VERY expendable.

Aren't workers being paid ?

What is the problem and why they cannot make a business better since they are paid ?

TT employers are employing foreigners .

It's a reality .

a lot of employers are holding the passport of foreigners ransom so that they will work.
employers are paying local workers and they get sub-human working conditions, they are expected to do everything and jump when the employer calls, poor washroom facilities, poor lunch room area - most times its a bench under a step somewhere, they are expected to do their duties example sell on the sales floor but also when they reach in the AM they are expected to mop, make coffee for the boss etc. if you hire someone to sell y must they clean and mop also when there are janitorial companies to do that. employers can get away with it from foreigners because they have no choice but when those same foreigners turn an bite the hand that pays them who will be laughing then - example when the foreigner security guards hired by the owners of happiness grocery and the mark he, rob and kill him and try to go back to they small island. TREAT YOU LOCAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS AS YOU WOULD WANT THEM TO TREAT YOU.

[wagonon20's]

Ive had too many issues with trinidadian workers....they are full of sheit, too much excuses, always ill, incompetent, lazy, rude, always hitting a shot etc etc...

I have no issues with my foreign workers...few from santo domingo...few from Colombia...they are here to work and mean business.

Hire local?........not

Hate to say it but my nemesis max is right , outsiders aka "foriegn" employed workers will beat trini workers in so many categories other than what he stated above , i dont kno y majority of job seeking and employed trini people so backward it saaad , they need some form of a reality check like a food shortage or sumthing maybe they might appreciate what they have more than the outsiders, jus saying my experience

[Redman]

What is your experience like with your workers in general (good/bad, problems etc.)?

You get good and bad people- As the employer its my responsibility to determine the difference.

In your opinion what are the reasons or causes for the bad qualities or aspects of your workers?

Work ethic IMHO comes with poor principles in general-its the employers job to id the workers traits.

In you opinion what are the reasons or causes for the good qualities or aspects of your workers?

You hire CHARACTER-you train skills.Search for character in the hiring process.
If you hire a qualified arsehole....you pay for it....its your fault.

What would you like to change about your workers?

Nothing- the workers that are mine, are mine for a reason-the rest are here until their issues outweigh their positive impact to the co.While not an exact science-you should know it when you see it.

What do you do to motivate you employees to change in the way that you would like them to?

Dont encourage the sheeit. and dont let sheeeit pass without correction.
This means-communication,process and decisiveness.

If given the choice, would you choose to have better employees (can trust to run things the way you want without you there.) or higher profits where you can't leave the employees alone without fear of them slacking off or fking up?

Better employees =higher profits, better quality business, and better work environment.
However it is a process where the responsibility of making investment of time,training and relationship building is on the employers part.

If an employer finds himself with too many poor workers-the problem is not the workers-its the hiring process.

[Slartibartfast]

Workers are VERY expendable.

Aren't workers being paid ?

What is the problem and why they cannot make a business better since they are paid ?

TT employers are employing foreigners .

It's a reality .

This is the problem. If you expect pay to be the only motivator then you better be paying extremely well. If not, then there better be other perks and motivators. Two of the biggest ones would be job security and any freedom that gives the employee more time for themself (time is money after all).

But you treating them as expendable and treating them the same regardless of the effort they put out. What reason do they have to look out for you or your business if you not showing them or their well being.

This is why good workers always move on to better places to work. If you have a problem with good workers leaving then I have some news for you, chances are that you place is not a good place to work and that is entirely on you.

Local employers that are unable to properly manage staff end up having to hire people that are more and more desperate for work. Basically someone with their own motivation that willing to take a similar or lower pay check. That is the real reason why local companies hiring foreigners. Cuz they need can work the same with less effort being put out from the employer. I see that this is desirable from a business perspective but I think businesses are ignoring the fact that this is only making the same problem they complain about even worse.

[crazybalhead]

Good thread mamoo, enjoying the read.

[Ben_spanna]

Ive had too many issues with trinidadian workers....they are full of sheit, too much excuses, always ill, incompetent, lazy, rude, always hitting a shot etc etc...

I have no issues with my foreign workers...few from santo domingo...few from Colombia...they are here to work and mean business.

Hire local?........not

but 88sins swears that the problem is that employers are at fault...…….. and that local workers are exploited...…

[Ben_spanna]

if trinidad employers continue to think workers are expendable, workers will just be in it once money in the bank month end. if trinidad employers treat their workers with respect the employees will have a sense of belonging and ownership and try to make the business better. this BS of employers feeling they can hire guyaneese, spanish and even chinee or small island people cheaper will continue to add to the contempt that local employees feel to their employers.

Why the hell should local businessmen have to hire locals if they are the worst to deal with?
if locals are angry that employers are hiring foreigners they have no one but themselves to blame! …
Im in full support of having a reliable, well mannered, hard working honest staff...…….. and you don't seem to get that from our local work force.

[crazybalhead]

We painting with some broad brushes in here.

[RedVEVO]

Workers are VERY expendable.

Aren't workers being paid ?

What is the problem and why they cannot make a business better since they are paid ?

TT employers are employing foreigners .

It's a reality .

This is the problem. If you expect pay to be the only motivator then you better be paying extremely well. If not, then there better be other perks and motivators. Two of the biggest ones would be job security and any freedom that gives the employee more time for themself (time is money after all).

But you treating them as expendable and treating them the same regardless of the effort they put out. What reason do they have to look out for you or your business if you not showing them or their well being.

This is why good workers always move on to better places to work. If you have a problem with good workers leaving then I have some news for you, chances are that you place is not a good place to work and that is entirely on you.

Local employers that are unable to properly manage staff end up having to hire people that are more and more desperate for work. Basically someone with their own motivation that willing to take a similar or lower pay check. That is the real reason why local companies hiring foreigners. Cuz they need can work the same with less effort being put out from the employer. I see that this is desirable from a business perspective but I think businesses are ignoring the fact that this is only making the same problem they complain about even worse.

In your analysis you are NOT taking into consideration that T&T workers have serious problems with work ethics.

T&T has approximately 14 Public Holidays and even if you request an employee to work with "double time pay" the answer
is usually in the negative. The business or firm has to stay closed .

Workers are expendable but it's due to THEIR choice as to the productivity they give and many times they "float" their job just to pay bills. The work they do is to an absolute minimum . Even if you raise the salary , the productivity will NOT increase .

Has TTPS productivity increased where we see a reduction in crime ? Banks workers and public employee get increase every so often have we seen increase productivity whilst they receive increased salaries ? Are teachers more efficient and productive with salary increases ?