Changes to CoolWorks.com

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Permalink Reply by Connie on August 21, 2009 at 2:16pm

One of my concerns about the job postings is that while the employers tell how much board and room or RV spaces cost, they are not giving information on the salary range people will be earning in any of the jobs they post. I think that is a real bummer!

I learned much about this employment niche after working my first year. This leaves me with wanting to know much more than is explained in the job postings. I know the many reasons why they don't tell you, but I think as employees we need to be firm about getting good information up front.

By the time you pay for travel to the job, and board/room, it is tough to do much more than break even, especially when some companies do not offer a bonus to people who stay for the whole term. In addition to this problem, when people leave early, it puts more pressure on the remaining employees. Some employers will schedule you to work more than 40 hrs/week but some are firm on not letting you put in any extra hours. In those situations, during the time you are working, you must take up the slack of being short-staffed. It seems to be a win-win for the company and not the employee.

Yes, I love this work and being in the places I get to be when I do the work, but I feel that in many ways these companies are taking advantage of good people. As a service to the potential employees, the postings by the companies need to include information about the financial benefits of the jobs... If there are any by the time you get done paying to get to and live at the job site!

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Permalink Reply by Kari Quaas on August 21, 2009 at 2:27pm

Great points, Connie. We encourage employers to post as much information as possible in their job postings, but some don't heed our message. I'll do my best to let them know through our HR blog and any other conversations I have with my clients to let them know your concerns. I'd want to know the same thing if I was in your shoes.

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Permalink Reply by akscootr on August 21, 2009 at 6:43pm

Connie is 100% right; Many where I worked this summer walked with 300.00 every two weeks. I made 1/2 of what I did last summer because of the numerous deductions....How many people do you know that can actually afford that? Many quit because of it; People have bills to pay and that is the bottom line. Those that broke contract for that reason now have a bad reference. What choice to make; Bad reference or go broke? It is grossly unfair to the employee.....
Coolworks exists not only because of the employer but because of the employee; The employer exists because of the employee. I had an international ask me, "Why do they hate us so much"? She didn't even make enough to cover her cost of getting here and then back to Hong Kong......Is that the impression we need to leave with people from all over the world?
Coolworkers (and aspiring Coolworkers) deserve accurate and honest information so that they can make the right choice. Employees are part of the equation and deserve to be treated accordingly... Perhaps advertisers should be required to devulge such important info....

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Permalink Reply by reggie on August 21, 2009 at 7:16pm

alot of the internationals have to get an second job just to make ends beacuse of all the money they have to pay back alot of the places dont give them an chance to have an second job cause of the location so they feel trap then u have places that charges u outrages prices for housing then have to pay for your own meals so its hard to come out ahead when u do this type of work so u have to really budget your money true alot of the employers need to devulge info so we know what do we expect when we get to the places and we wont be shock and quit i guess that why alot of employers dont do that cause of money they loose on the training of the employess

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Permalink Reply by Keith Larson on August 25, 2009 at 9:49pm

I've thought of this for a couple of days. First, on the overall earnings at some places...I'll agree that they are not good.

Second, on the postings having the earnings listed...I'm going to respectfully disagree. In places where I have worked in the restaurant/resort world and wage ranges have been posted, I have found just about everyone believes they should be at the upper end of the scale. Especially those whose quality output is near the bottom. In the seasonal world I have applied to a few of places that listed the ranges on their website and I have been offered slightly more in some of those places. If their scale isn't accurate, or if it causes an even lower morale...then why have a public one?

With every offer I have received in the industry, whether non-seasonal or seasonal, I have been told what the pay/benefits would be before accepting or not accepting that specific job. Almost all of my seasonal hires have actually contained more detailed information than the non-seasonal.

I haven't tested the pay theory in the seasonal world yet. But in the non-seasonal restaurant/resorts the bigger the company = the top pay for the top jobs is better and the bottom pay for the entry jobs is worse. The average pay at the average size company for the majority of the jobs is better. The smallest places can be even better...or worse...too many variables to take size only estimates.

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Permalink Reply by jackie morris on September 10, 2009 at 6:38pm

this is tricky but it is nice to have coolworks to discuss things. i work for dnc i new up front the cost of rv and that there was no bonus. i found out xanterra did pay a bonus but then i also found out the xanterras rv lots next to me were over twice the amount i pay. so they really do not get a bonus. i think all things work out in the end. it is just what the person wants to make of it.

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Permalink Reply by Keith Larson on August 22, 2009 at 1:38pm

I like the look of the subtle style changes to the Highlighted Jobs/Help Wanted Now lists. I'm interested in finding out about the "better search" capabilities...I don't find it difficult at all to search now.

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Permalink Reply by Kari Quaas on August 23, 2009 at 11:27am

Keith, I like the look too. It's fun to see it change. The better search will be coming in the form of better "tags." In other words, there will be better keyword search in the future. Also, we hope to link up the job titles listed on the employer profiles to jobs being highlighted. Lots more to come!

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Permalink Reply by Kate on September 10, 2009 at 6:27pm

I agree a hundred percent with Akscootr and connie on this.... Employers NEED to tell people who have to travel to get to them, if they know beforehand, what the working schedule will be like, as a specific example... I was not told before I came up to AK that I would be on six-day work weeks ALL season.....it was not a "suddenly-short-staffed scenario at all...As much as I like the managers and coworkers I've worked with and around, this major omission has left a bad taste.... Otherwise I'd give this employer a five-star review. I've made the best of things but I did base my decision to come to AK partly on wanting to see Ak..... LOL.... so it was a big shock when I found this schedule thing out.
....I adjusted... but I know I'm going to be more careful in the future about what I ask, not that all employers will disclose everything they should. Yellowstone did; I carried that trust forward to the company I am at now... they've rebuilt the trust to the most part except for this..... I don't want to be overly picky, as I am grateful to be working, but I do consider this a major issue that needn't be an issue at all with some decent communication and understanding of what employees are looking for...

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Permalink Reply by Connie on September 10, 2009 at 7:00pm

Kate, How many hours/week did you get? We were only allowed 37-38, so you couldn't make any extra cash flow. They did tell us that before, and also that we would have split shifts, however as a first year seasonal employee, I did not fully comprehend how much this schedule would reduce time to see the area as well as limit the salary.

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Permalink Reply by Keith Larson on September 28, 2009 at 9:50am

Just a thought -- Is it possible to add some kind of search capability for the international applicants searching for H2B availability? There seems to be more questions lately...perhaps because there are so few opportunities.

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