I've been contracting for years and been in-house a few times in operations, maintenance and support.
So I've been around and seen things from various sides and what I've seen is the slow sure degradation of our industry.
Bringing people in, you want the better ones, as there are many subpar contractors out there, especially these days.
So finding the best requires identifying them, attracting them and keeping them.
As a contractor, here's what you look for:
Who's paying the highest wages and per diem. We're here to make money.
What state gives highest unemployment?
What location is easiest for me to reach?
What shops, crews, are enjoyable and not toxic.
What shops offer me what I would like to do, versus getting crap all the time. Money isn't everything.
Leverage what positives you have.
I liked working Southern sites because they were generally friendlier even though less pay.
I liked working near cool things I wanted to see or go do.
I liked working where I had friends to see.
So, offer great money.
Find the good ones, not with HR who couldn't find them if they tried, but by talking in online forums, asking other good contractors and plant supervisors.
Get the ability to bring people in yourself that you want.
Otherwise you'll get HR and contracting recruiters randomness and riff-raff and rejects from other sites they're trying to dump on you.
A gem contractor is worth several slothing useless contractors who got into the industry somehow or are permanently tired and retired.
You'll get productivity and less headaches versus trouble and rework.
Next. Get good trainers if you can.
Too many trainers are just spent tired techs going through the motions.
But, getting them is difficult.
For some reason our industry makes terrible choices over and over.
They staff positions not for who's best for it, but for who they're wanting to get rid of from somewhere else.
I was in-house VY Senior I&C with lots of Maint and Operations experience.
We needed an I&C trainer. I wanted the job but didn't have the experience in training.
Which didn't matter because I knew all the material and much more.
But, the dummies there hired an experienced trainer who was a mechanic, to train I&C, which of coarse he couldn't.
So I went back to changing lightbulbs on the RX Control Panels planning my departure from that sinking ship.
Quick list.
Training is time consuming. Find the heavy guys out there, pay them well. They'll teach your guys something.
Get training to blaze off their qualifications.
Half of my I&C training was just signed off and believe me, it didn't matter.
There are contractors out there I've met who'd run circles around in-house guys, other nuclear and gas plants, oil rig techs.
Energy. Get ones who can and will get out of their chairs.
Watch-out for the few like me who are too much out of their chairs and you can't find them.
I like to talk and explore. ADHD is a curse and gift.
If onboarding is a challenge for anyone, then that used to be a great screening to reject them.
Only an idiot or slouch has trouble with the onboarding process.
Making that easier is NOT a good thing. God help our industry.
Watch out for the dangerous ones. Those who are serial rejects from other sites or shops.
Get clear on the goal- is the contractor just a helper to a qualified in-house tech or do you want a fully qualified tech?
I liked working with an in-house guy as their assistant tech. I could help, CV, etc, give advice from my experiences and knowledge.
My quals and training could be lower, fast, easy, but maximum on the job through the in-house guys.
Places where they want me solo, lead on a job were usually difficult and messy.
I had no acccess to all the things and support the shops guys had so being integrated gave that to me through the in-house guy.
If I had a young in-house tech, I could be practically be lead without redoing all the boring training.
Now, if you hire a young less experienced and less educated contractor, pair them with the heavy guys. They'll help and learn.
Best to you-
BS
