SAY NO TO COMPANY DATABASING

[HeadRat]

Well, my fellow rats, I would say we have been doing a good job as far as the "SAY NO TO ROOMMATES" aspect of what we do, all but those that MUST take the job for some reason or other. And for the aspect of not getting paid NEARLY enough on other jobs saying "NO THANK YOU".

However, today I present to you yet another strange development. It's not new, but has not gone on the offensive toward us and is something that I don't feel very comfortable with and that is the new tactics the companies have come up with in DATABASING.

I've been home from Africa for some time now enjoying some "ME" time, and to say the least I think I have worked for, with, or been in contact with most if not ALL of the overseas contractors. So as I'm sitting at home slugging down good old Pabst Blue, I of course get the mail each day. This is only ONE of my MANY tasks from the HONEY DO list. Correct me if I'm wrong, but has anyone else been getting letters from companies talking about "soft employment"?

Basically, you will get a package or letter from a company asking you if they can put you on their "soft hire" list, what they pay, etc, but that is about it and there is a form in which you should fill out and send back. At first it really intrigued and confused me, but as I started to get them from companies I have either worked for or applied with, I finally caught on to what is happening.

My theory is that Rat Pack International has created such a stir in the industry that people no longer look to the HR depts. of these companies looking for work or RANDOMLY scattering resumes out for them to hold till they DO have work. Here you basically get WHO is looking RIGHT NOW. So the old days of people deciding, "Well, I need to start looking for work, I'll just CC everyone in my company list and go fishing" ARE OVER. To say this doesn't bring a GIANT smile to my face would be a LIE. :D

It apparently has gotten so bad, that now they are going on the offensive and sending out "info packs" to anyone that has ever tried to be employed or was employed by the company. WHY, you ask? SO, that they can just database your resume and get a hold of you whenever they feel like it. Sure, it sounds like a nice idea at first, but let's think about it. Why would I want someone to hold onto my resume if they are NOT going to do something with it right now? In other words, you are putting me on a "hold to hire" wait list, but I'm not getting anything out of it, I'm STILL looking for work.

Do you see my point, it is STILL an HR world of "help us, help us, help us.", but you get ABSOLUTELY nothing back from them. So to this I say SURE, you can hold my resume and put me on your "soft hire" list, BUT in doing so, you are going to need to be PAYING me something to wait around. This will make more sense to any of you that have done this for a while, rather than the others because one thing an experienced overseas worker knows is that, you don't look for work when you NOT WORKING. By signing or becoming a part of the "soft hire" list you are not, what seems to be, liable for when they DO want to hire you, IE: You got a job and are 2 months into a 2 year project, then here comes that email or call, "we have a place for you now". Aggravating.

In the end, of course, just as anything else as going overseas for less than $30/hr, Roommates, etc, it is up to you, but I'm calling for a "SAY NO TO DATABASING", OR if they are going to put you on a 'soft hire' list, get something for it. If you're going to be there for them whenever they decide to call, you might as well get something for being the dog on the leash.

[TheJester]

No kidding!!! I'm here for you whenever you like, but you're not there for me whenever I need it. I'm either hired or fired, not in between. Believe it or not, there are companies out there that still continue to pay their guys when they are not working to keep them for when they do need them.

[RatBrother]

Mr. Rat dude,
There aint no way in hell your going to get a thin Dime, from being on someones hire list. And not working.
Second , I have only ever been Employed by One great company that did that. AND it was the first time , I had even, ever heard about it being done.
Third, I'll send a Resume' to whoever I can to put my Name in the hat for future work.
And Numero fouro, on another note, I think, I had heard that Legally, If a company is " Holding Your Clearance" You need to be an Employee, even if it for one dollar a month.
my :2cents

[Gabriele]

I'm not sure if it is a good thing or not, unlike most trades mine is more specialized in that I would not be needed for year or two on a project. I wouldn't mind if I was in a data base where a employer could look up for my skills and see if I am available or interested in the project.

What does bother me is that the company I worked for had me sign contengent contracts for two projects, one when I was heading for one and the other when the project was about completed, of which neither came about for me or most of the guys, and then the Security folks for the company getting bent out of shape because I was taking a job in the states, which required a clearance. I told the security lady as much as I wanted to continue the overseas work, the company wasn't compensating me to sit on my ass and wait, as it would have been 6 to 7 months and still no call. They had offered me a job as an electrician, even though I had some military training, it wasn't my profession. Then of course you have the phone folks who believe you can't work on "their" equipment, even though you are trained and certified on about seven different manufactuers.

One guy wo worked me had been dealing with the HR people during this time, getting the run around because the HR people and the projects apparently aren't in step with each other.

[Pops]

my two cents...I would not be insulted by a job offer, anytime, I can always say no or just ignore it. And who knows, maybe the day I receive it I would be just in the right mood to "jump". I don't see any big problems with it, as long as there is no kind of penalty for turning the offer down. I still have an open mind about it, say more to convince me. And, I am not sure any companys really read resumes, apparently some of them don't. I am with you on sticking to the "at least $30/hr and no roomies. And the site is GREAT for us, I don't care one whit if it helps the contractors, or not.

Keep up the good work, and spread some more insights on us. I do bow to your greater experience, just don't fully see your point, I guess.

[HeadRat]

...just don't fully see your point, I guess.My point isn't so much as to not get work, but for the fact that companies have to show that they have the people and clearances to do the work they are trying to win. If you can show that you have 5000 cleared people you are most likely to win the work or to be offered work.

The thing that I'm curious about isn't getting work or not, or "having your name out there" it is are the companies playing up to par on having the jobs for the workers or to be able to hold the clearances to try and get the work at their own gain?

[Pops]

ahhh, I think I see your point, and now I am wondering too.

[Expat]

Sent in my resume to MC Dean for Berlin and got a response back saying they would like to do a telephone interview and ask for a convenient time and date. I sent them a date and the reply I get is a form they would like me to fill out, a per interview form. Among the several questions is what are your expiations for wage, per-diem and housing. To me this sounds like they are just fishing to see what it's going to take to get people. This is all prepackaged nothing personal in it and I'm sure several others have gotten the same response. I know it's a good location but now is not the time to go in low. $30/hour minimum, full MI&E and good housing, no sharing.

[mexfishguide]

A lot of firms like to database a lot of folks, just to show a depth of work force. Not for your good, only for their show of front. To impress a client.

To be used, like the forms they send out asking if you will fill the form out to show your desire to be the -man- on this future project or that future project. Database of qualified personel.

Head hunters are the worse trying to amass a large data base of folks to -show- the large hiring figures the "base" of potential employees they have.

Like it no, but unstoppable, once your information goes out into the wide world of web - frightening things happen to it, strange how a persons desires can get bend around.

Head Rat, council members, and membership, are we not on the way to building our own data base? I have put in my 2 cents worth a few times.

We need a list of names, trades, clearance, area of desire, past positions, license, etc. to be available to all firms, that are interested.

Now the prospective employer would see at the beginning - no name - just a number like 67E, type clearance, craft, position,years of exp.., some past projects, the firm hr tells the headrat, we would like to hear from #81C, headrat contacts the dude and he inturns sends his resume to the firmhr. As soon as this happens - 87C, gets a new random numbers such as 16C.
etc., etc.,

The prospective hiring firms pay a fee for access to this information. Which is
only fair for access to a --- dataBase --- such as we will have.

About the time we put this into use, we will need a full time person to controll the site activity, the hiring firms will have to pay enought to take care of the site costs.

We need to be building towards something, how about this?

Take Care
Mexfishguide:cheers

[The Wild Rover]

Hey Mex-fish,
thats' a great idea. But I can put anything I want on a resume, and for proof there is the resume database we have on site now. There is an electrical asshole on site right now, that is claiming work for himself that I did...from start to finish. I want to pull his balls out an the block, and expose him for the piece of shit he is. He is the type that will never post up, and simply use this site to gather his e-mail contacts for employers, and fade away into the jobstream taking work from me and you for the next ten years because he is a fucking white ticket journeyman or a "Mike Holt Master Electrician from a correspondance course/internet learning program from Florida American Builders Congress asshole"..... Is that enough bullshit for you???
The good old boy network of B.Harbert, H.B. Zachry, Cadell, KBR, and the rest of those assholes looking for a Masonic Ring knocking know-nothing motherfucker that doesn't know blackberries from goat droppings is not going to end anytime soon.
As long as these contractors pay shit West Texas wages, and blindly expect and wish for New York style construction, they are going to get what they pay for. Fucked up shit, built by illiterate, inbred hillbillies for $20.00 per hour, and no per diem.
The honest thing is that 75% of the guys on this site have never posted up, or ever will...because they lurk on this site looking for a fucking damn handout to better their position in life... well, the whole idea of the site was WE help each other. I know headrat can count on his hand the number of consistent members posting on this site. The whole idea of this site was because for years we ALL had to rely on word of mouth to find out where the jobs were, and you had to know somebody! Fuck. I am tired of giving away info, if every one of these assholes takes, and never gives back...I am not the only one that is tired of seeing guys log on looking for work, and you never hear from them again...
"Hi, I'm Joe electrician, and I'd like to have all the info available from you to me, without contributing...how long did it take you? 15 years? Gimmie, gimme, gimme....Well fuck you newbie shit. :2up Post up, and show up, and maybe I'd consider telling you guys who offered me $50/hour and full per diem just the other day...for TS cleared electricians...That is NO bullshit. You get out of life what you put into it...
I guess I've had enough for this evening,
See you around brothers and sisters, And for you wanna be's, get fucked.:AR15

[Junior]

:popcorn:

WR, that was freakin' GREAT! Wow....
Hope you guys don't think I fall into that catogory, cuz, seriously, you sound ready to rip someones manhood off!

[mexfishguide]

Wild Rover, I understand and feel your frustrations, you go on the job and draw a tool buddy whom you find out in a hurry knows nothing.

You say well hell, he is a pretty good ol boy, so you carry him, show him the ropes and keep him out of trouble, !!!BAM!!! one day you wake up and find out he is the one carrying you and telling you what to do, if you do not believe they will stick you in the back you have a suprise coming hand.

It is getting harder and harder to get a real construction HAND anymore, on a recent project I was previledged to work on, in my daily reports each day, I ask for some henuine construction electricians and pipefitters, guess what I never did get them! Out of 60 I had maybe 15 hands, trhe rest were a joke!

The folks setting on their ass stateside, do not want you to terminate bad people, just transfer them to anothere crew and try tp get our money out of them, what a deal, a dounce, non knowing, non carrying, drunk, drug addict, is beyomd getting your money out of. Don't care who you are.

Caddell, did tell me they were going to start bringing all their overseas hires into the Alabama office for an interview, before they were sent overseas. Now if they have a good man doing the interview process, that will make a bog difference.... Wait and see.
When I am running the project, it is my duty to enform the HR department what I need and want on the site, I also try to make them understand, I have no time setting in the middle of ????????to teach people the crafts they are suppose to know ahead of time!!

I know it to be a fact, some people spend a full 4 year apprenticeship, installing nothing but EMT, pulling wire, running ridgid, etc. YES on the surface it says journeyman electrician, but when you go into sign as out of work, the sheet has places for you to check what you can do, emt, ridgid, tray, pvc, pull wire, lighting, etc. Years ago when I was working with my tools, & went into a place like that, I all ways wrote across the page in bold letters JOURNEYMAN.

If you run into a person on the job that you know is not qualified, refuse to work with him as a tool buddy or in the same crew........

Take Care
Mexfishguide:cheers

[Rocky]

Hey Mex-fish,
thats' a great idea. But I can put anything I want on a resume, and for proof there is the resume database we have on site now. There is an electrical asshole on site right now, that is claiming work for himself that I did...from start to finish. I want to pull his balls out an the block, and expose him for the piece of shit he is. He is the type that will never post up, and simply use this site to gather his e-mail contacts for employers, and fade away into the jobstream taking work from me and you for the next ten years because he is a fucking white ticket journeyman or a "Mike Holt Master Electrician from a correspondance course/internet learning program from Florida American Builders Congress asshole"..... Is that enough bullshit for you???
The good old boy network of B.Harbert, H.B. Zachry, Cadell, KBR, and the rest of those assholes looking for a Masonic Ring knocking know-nothing motherfucker that doesn't know blackberries from goat droppings is not going to end anytime soon.
As long as these contractors pay shit West Texas wages, and blindly expect and wish for New York style construction, they are going to get what they pay for. Fucked up shit, built by illiterate, inbred hillbillies for $20.00 per hour, and no per diem.
The honest thing is that 75% of the guys on this site have never posted up, or ever will...because they lurk on this site looking for a fucking damn handout to better their position in life... well, the whole idea of the site was WE help each other. I know headrat can count on his hand the number of consistent members posting on this site. The whole idea of this site was because for years we ALL had to rely on word of mouth to find out where the jobs were, and you had to know somebody! Fuck. I am tired of giving away info, if every one of these assholes takes, and never gives back...I am not the only one that is tired of seeing guys log on looking for work, and you never hear from them again...
"Hi, I'm Joe electrician, and I'd like to have all the info available from you to me, without contributing...how long did it take you? 15 years? Gimmie, gimme, gimme....Well fuck you newbie shit. :2up Post up, and show up, and maybe I'd consider telling you guys who offered me $50/hour and full per diem just the other day...for TS cleared electricians...That is NO bullshit. You get out of life what you put into it...
I guess I've had enough for this evening,
See you around brothers and sisters, And for you wanna be's, get fucked.:AR15


Ha Rover I agree with what you have written here . To many times I have seen these companys keep a piece of shit and lay off the real journey man. J. A. Jones an Flour were real bad about that and Caddell. Caddell has a man name Paul who is realy worthless can't build sofets can't layout. But they keep him. Like you said some people just use this sit to9 better them self, and screw the rest of us. I don't know how many times I have had to go and redo someone else is crap because he was an I WANT TO BE. I have seen alot of dum F---s come out of Mississip Alabama, Georga, all a cross the south . you called it wright when you said INBRED F---S.:banghead :2cents

[mexfishguide]

BRO I DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD CONDIM EVERYONE FROM ANY STATE.

Even west virginia, ohio, illinois, texas, have a few folks that can speak english, walk, and chew gum, at the same time.

In my few years in the business, I have had good & bad from ever state
and a lot of other countries.

I judge people one at a time on what they do when with me. If a bad dude is from New York, I do not say every one from NY is a dumb ass hole.:wtf

Take Care
Mexfishguide:cheers