suggestions on putting the intern/assistant in check

[pucho812]

o.k.  here is the situation. Got a low level( low on the hierarchy ladder as he is less then a year working with us at a clients place) paid intern/assistant who feels some of his duties are far below a person of his age and experience at 20 years old. He says that he has paid his dues since he has been working in various low key studios back home since he was like 14 or 15 before moving out to L.A.. He is starting to lax on some of his daily duties, in some cases not doing them at all, even though he has already been reminded what said duties are. For example one duty is that at the end of the work day he is supposed to take the studio trash out and vacuum the entire studio. Not to terrible and can easily be done in minutes. There are days he does not do it and in some cases if there is down time will ignore that for a  few days until I ask him about it. He wants more responsibility so we put him as a solo assistant on session that should be fairly easy but full of hard work as it is a full tracking date with a  rock band. as he loves to tout how he has experience and has paid his dues we figured we would give him His first assisting break. With in minutes, he was unable to figure out some very basic pro tools I/O setup  to get a full 24 I/O(use default input and output) and more over wasted an hour trying to figure it out before calling me. Which is now an hour of studio time that we either not bill the client or make up to the client later on. The client was pissed about wasting the hour. I think the kid means to do well but often times bites off more then he can chew. Also I understand at being 20 you think you know it all and want to jump into the drivers seat and little things like emptying trash is far from exciting. Now mind I have shown him on several occasions that even though it's not on my jobs list as a tech but, I will do things like trash and vacumm to make the place  look good. So any suggestions on how to wrangle the kid in? I really think he could do well if I deflated his ego in a way to not make him cry.

 

[gemini86]

Just let him know there are thousand kids ready to take his place...

I've been doing what I do for years, I still take my trash out every morning and cleanup during down time.

He sounds like more of a headache than he's worth.

 

[Ptownkid]

Just let him know there are thousand kids ready to take his place...

Yup..

 

[warpie]

Just let him know there are thousand kids ready to take his place...

Yup..

Nope...

There must be a reason why you chose him and not somebody else. On the other hand, there must be a reason if you decide to send him home. He probably knows very well that "there are thousand kids ready to take his place" so I can't really see the point of 'threading' him. Talk to him and try to figure out whether it.s worth keeping him or not.

BTW, that's my personal opinion. I hate this ''work for free" attitude (not in your case). I've never done it and will never do (unless it's the opportunity of my life). Maybe I should mention that I'm not a studio owner 

 

[Ptownkid]

You're right, the whole interning thing is absurd, but it is what it is. He's tried gently explaining that he's not fulfilling his duties and sometimes people need reminding that they can be replaced by someone who doesn't consider the responsibilities of the position beneath them...

 

[pucho812]

I agree all interning without pay is rubish and takes advantage of people. This kid is paid and in L.A. one  wouldcall him a runner(one who runs and gets things)/assistant. However we never really have him run out and get things so more appropriate to call him Paid Intern/assistant.

I also agree with the whole do not tread him on people wanting to take his place. In L.A. that is a given. 

On a personal note,  any

Intern

who I deal with is paid.

 

[Biasrocks]

He sounds like more of a headache than he's worth.

Yep, talk is cheap and obviously he's in over his head.

The whole idea of interning in the first place is to watch, listen and anticipate what's coming next. He failed miserably when you threw him the ball so it's obvious he needs to spend more time watching and learning and shutting the hell up. It doesn't matter if your scrubbing floors or cleaning the toilet, you're there to learn from the folks who are making records.

If he doesn't understand this basic concept, I'd say "NEXT".

Regards,
Mark

 

[MHanson]

This is a business, period.  If he's not willing to work then he needs to go home.

If you truly think there is something there to cultivate, then you're probably going to have to work a lot harder to instill in him a respect for the studio, the clientele, the employees, his duties, etc.  I know my gut reaction to this is that he is lacking in respect and/or motivation and it's not worth MY time to cultivate that regardless of how much I may wish it differently.  Maybe I've become a little jaded over the years with what seems to be the "entitlement" factor that has grown. 

Looking past that aspect, if he WASTED over an hour of time because he wasn't smart enough to just get the work done and/or ask the question if needed, that's a FAIL.  That's not the type of asst that I want in a room with me, or representing me.  I tell Every asst that I have that I'd rather they ask me a stupid question than flounder and waste time or possibly do something wrong.  I don't count asking a question as something bad unless they never learn and we continue to have the same problem.

I won't let an assistant work for me that I don't make sure gets paid either, but with that, they work.  Some days they aren't doing much but they are working and being respectful.  I'd rather just get another plant that will produce more oxygen than someone that doesn't do what they're supposed to do while taking precious oxygen away.  ;D

Back to comment #1, this is a business.  If he doesn't want to work he doesn't have to ... but that typically means he won't have a job either.

Michael

 

[abbey road d enfer]

HR 101.
That's a very common syndrome with beginners.
It was me when I started...
The guy is probably good (that's why you chose him), but he sees only one side of the coin. If he had worked somewhere else before - I mean in the same conditions, not as a hobby - he would have a point of comparison.
I've hired hundreds of people; I know when I see some applicant, it's his first serious position, he won't stay. He will see more frustration than fulfilment. His next employer may be the happiest man. I've been right 99%.
So let him go, you'll both be pissed for some time, you'll get over, he will thank you later. Next time, you hire a guy who's been employed before, he will realise that, even if it's not bad in his new job, the previous one was not that bad after all.

 

[chrispbass]

So did he do a good job of tracking the band after his false start?

 

[peterc]

Interns need to get their backsides kicked (in a nice way) from time to time.....

Make sure he has a job description & give it to him on paper & make him sign it. Brings it a little closer to home.

It can be a painful process, but sit down with him, and go through the problematic session step by step. What did the client want? Could he do it? Why could he not do it? Has he had the training? Was the client happy? Did it cost the company money?

He has to understand the gravity of the situation. People tend to see the bad stuff before the good stuff. So every incorrectly patched cable reflects on him. Every re-done take reflects on him. If he does a 1000 things right, he is only doing his job, from the clients perspective, but if he does 1 thing wrong, they will remember. Especially if he is younger.

Not doing menial tasks like trash & vacuuming reflect a lack of maturity. If he shows enthusiasm for these crappy tasks, his seniors will note this and it will stand him in good stead.

Peter

 

[okgb]

Pride of workmanship ,  It's an exaggeration  but if he were allowed to run the business into the ground
there would be no money to pay him , it's attention to details , clients are paying for a service and a clean & organized
studio is part of that .
Does he live with his parents ? who vacuums there ? he doesn't have a computer w/ PT at home ?
If he can't wait and is not asking for feedback or evaluation , let him prove himself and show his
bravado by getting a gig at another place , if he's as good as he thinks he should be no problem right ?
he's not someone's relative there eh ?

At one point when i was trying to get a job , one place told me
" we don't have any work for you but if you want to bring a band in ,
we'll give you a great deal on time "

 

[JohnRoberts]

I am probably too old to relate to modern young pukes, but perhaps ask him, to look at it from the people signing his paycheck's perspective and not completely from his personal "I'm too cool to do housekeeping" perspective. (although probably don't say it exactly that way.)

Two simple questions:

A- does the housekeeping need to be done?
B- who should do it?

If his answer is no, or yes but not him, he needs to explain and justify who should do it instead of him. If he still doesn't come to the correct conclusion, maybe he isn't the right guy to be your intern. It may make the task less onerous, if he is given the decision making judgement to perhaps skip the occasional light usage day, as long as his threshold for when cleaning is required is stricter than yours and the customers.
===
We have all done unpleasant jobs along the way, and guess who does the toilets in a small one man business? It's not paying dues, as much as doing whatever it takes, or whatever needs to be done. Perhaps shift it from being about him, to about being something that the business needs accomplished

JR

 

[gemini86]

My remarks were only based on the fact that he talks the talk, but then failed to walk the walk when the chance was given. That alone should have been the humbling experience needed to get him to work harder...but since this is still an issue, I see slow learner syndrome. Or maybe he's just one of those kids that's convinced himself that he's so awesome.

 

[sodderboy]

Interns are lucky that there is any kind of "farm system" left anymore.  Good studios incentivize with recording clinics or assisting the techs where they can get deep in the equipment.

The daily responsibilities should be on a checklist and initialed when completed. That is the only way to outline the gig and know that it is being done. Incentivize as necessary. That's how all my commercial clients run things, and their interns are lucky to get fed. There are plenty waiting for their chance to put their initials on the chores list.

And they are all lucky that there are no more reel flanges around to throw at them. Just talk to anyone who worked with Phil Ramone or other hotheads back in the day.  Brits got real evil and psychological.

Mike

 

[Emperor-TK]

Everyone here is being way too nice.  He needs to go.  He has a clear cut job description which he is unwilling to perform.  And despite his non-compliance, he was given the opportunity to audition for the next position up and failed.  Without any repercussions, his poor work effort and poor attitude (ego) will likely remain until it really affects something.  Today it's shit-stains in the toilet, but tomorrow it may be a deleted PT session with no backup.

Don't look at it as "firing" him, rather look at it as "giving him the opportunity to become an entrepreneur". 

 

[zebra50]

And perhaps send him a link to this thread?

 

[Kingston]

I remember long time a go I was at my first serious assignment composing for a theater, at that critical all knowing age of 20. I was kind of oblivious to the fact people there had been working for decades, the actors included. I was basically acting like I was still in school, not getting things done in a professional way, disagreeing with said professionals when I was supposed to shut up. I didn't realise this of course. The director then gave me a serious talk because she was having none of that. It was basically "shape up, or get out". She didn't want me to go, told me she was giving me this chance not because I was damn good, but because you gotta start somewhere and if she didn't give me this chance, maybe no one ever will.

Nothing even remotely like this happened ever since.

 

[pucho812]

So did he do a good job of tracking the band after his false start?

well things went after his false start. I was told fairly well. The band is in all weekend and they have a different staff assistant the rest of the weekend due to schedule conflicts in dudes schedule.  I popped in today to find little minor things that if I was a paying client I would be pissed about. Like for example NO toilet paper. Yeah they ran out last night at some point and dude did not change it. We have plenty in the supply closet. So This morning Pucho stopped his daily tech duties and handled a few things just because I want  these new clients to have a good experience here. It doesn't take that long if you just do it right away.

You know I am going to ask him on the toilet paper thing, 2 things had to have happened. Either he didn't see it because he did not check the bathroom or He checked the bathroom and ignored it. There is no other possibility. I started off in a position just like his, your paid and you have your job. Just fing do it ya know.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Either you take responsibility that your assigned tasks get performed or you don't. If you don't, you are not earning your paycheck and need to be replaced with somebody who will.

JR