I’m tired. Tired of
– unreliable and under-performing coworkers
– putting in the effort but getting let down
– contributing more and getting paid less
– seniority getting rewarded over production
“James, don’t complain. You own a business. You signed up for this.”
Ya, you’re right. I do own a business. And it’s about time I take ownership and start acting like it. My days of compromising are done. I won’t apologize for holding myself to the highest standard and I won’t settle until I’m working with a team of others who do the same. I’m not going to feel bad about having a positive attitude. If you don’t love the work, go away. I appreciate and respect the hell out of anyone crazy enough to work with me and I expect that road to run both ways. Limits are made to be pushed, skills are meant to be developed, people are meant to grow. If you can’t deal with that then this isn’t for you.
I used to be scared. A lot of people are scared, addicted to hiding from real life in phones, in games, in booze, in drugs, in excuse after excuse after excuse. You see it out there, the culture of ‘I don’t give a shit’ saturates everything. And it’s lazy. I’m prepared to step up. I’m willing to stand up, to say, “I give a shit” and deal with the struggle, the heartbreak, the challenge and the triumph that comes along with it.
How about you? Are you ready?
Look, I could mail it in like 99% of other companies and tell you that I will trade you $18/hr if you can chip a lot of trees. I’m not wired like that. You’re worth more than $18/hr. Life’s too short to trade your time for money. Let’s do something better. Let’s work together to make an impact, to put a dent in the world. Why don’t we eliminate mindless, unnecessary work – work like management. People can manage themselves, let’s build a company that cuts them free, lets them fly and then watch what they can do. Let’s teach people to stop working for a wage and to start working for themselves. Together we can help people take ownership, teach them how to become owners and build something bigger than ourselves from the ground up.
What do you think?
“James, that sounds terrible. I want to sell 8 hours of my life everyday until I can retire so I can do nothing.”
Ok, go work somewhere else.
“James, that sounds awesome. How do I do this?”
Let’s start with what we have. We own Precision Tree Services Ltd, a tree company that specializes in tree work with a purpose – to build a team that controls our own future and specialized in wicked tree work. Precision works full-time, year-round and strives to keep our awesome team working where we live – at home. We are currently executing Long Term Agreement work for BC Hydro, and are in charge of all BCH vegetation maintenance from Courtenay to Port Hardy. And we’re looking for leaders like you. Hell ya, right?
Do you fit here? We love:
– how essential our work is to our families and our community
– working on a wicked team
– using technology and data to do more work with less effort
– being disciplined and managing ourselves
– setting financial targets and going after them hard
– sharing profit
– laughing at weird jokes and ourselves
– challenges like climbing mountains and fractions
– being outside, away from artificial air and plastic people
– adrenaline-inducing activities not for the faint of heart
– being healthy
– comics and/or superheroes and/or supervillains
We want to work with new team members to develop skills and earn certifications in:
– first aid
– traffic control
– operating a chainsaw (slashing, felling)
– driving a commercial vehicle
– climbing trees
– aerial lift operation
– Certified Utility Arborist, ISA Certified Arborist, Falling Bucking Endoresment
– arboriculture
– business
– financial literacy
– tree care, assessment, and maintenance
– being an even awesomer human than they are now
We take pride in pushing the limits of skill development, providing a complete Skill Development Checklist and accompanying training from experience industry leaders. We have a standing offer to all people to train them from the ground up to the sky. Think of Precision as a ladder to your success. We are building a team that less than 1% of people out there will qualify for. Once you’re in, we will do whatever it takes to help you get to where you want to go. It doesn’t even have to be tree work in the end, helping the best people get to where they want to go means that not everyone will end up with Precision. That’s just reality and we might as well be straight up with each other right off the bat. The trade off? You act like an owner – you show up, you give a shit, you are ready for work (and leave work ready for work) and you own and take responsibility for your mistakes. Simple? Hardly. Worth it? Damn right.
Steel toed boots are mandatory, all other safety equipment provided. You must have a valid driver’s licence to qualify for consideration.
Our company is a non-smoking workplace and this position is for non smokers only.
Our pay structure looks like this: Precision Tree Positions 2019/20 Position Rate + Profit Share Level (% of additional pay available as bonus if max target reached) = Total Possible Rate (wage plus max profit share)
New Hire (probation) $17.50 + 13% = $19.78
Groundman 1 $18.24 + 13% = $20.61
Groundman 2 $19.58/hr + 13% = $22.13/hr
Saw Operator 1 $20.48/hr + 14% = $23.35/hr
Saw Operator 2 $22.56/hr + 14% = $25.72/hr
AUA 1 $24.05/hr + 15% = $27.66/hr
AUA 2 $25.65/hr + 15% = $29.50/hr
AUA 3 $28.82/hr + 15 = $33.14/hr
CUA 1 $30.44/hr + 16% = $35.31/hr
CUA 2 $32.06/hr + 17% + $37.51/hr
CUA 3 General Foreman $35.66/hr + 18% = $42.08/hr
Benefits available after 6 months. You give your time, we cover the cost of training.
Position Agreements outlining requirements for each Position will be provided.
Shortlisted candidates will:
1. Be e-mailed
2. Get a phone interview
3. Have references checked.
4. Get interviewed in real life
5. Earn a try out with the team
6. Have a second debrief interview
7. Get offered a Position, which will require reviewing and signing a Position Agreement prior to commencing work.
Please include a cover letter telling us what you will do to improve our team. Maximum effort yields maximum results. Don’t half ass it. Low/No effort applications – ie those without cover letters – will be reviewed with equal effort. Which is none. Which means we’ll trash them without a look.
Thank you for taking the time to read to the end of our really ridiculously long posting. Maybe you should apply.
~James, Team Captain, Precision Tree Services Ltd
James' Blog 
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