To be suprised we can't fill these vacancies at work?

[CatthiefKeith]

I have been trying to recruit weekend receptionists for over a year. Ideally I am looking for two people, who can work every other weekend. We have tried having someone that works every Sunday, and someone that does Saturday's, but it never works out.

The money isn't brilliant, admittedly, but it is above minimum wage, the work is easy and sometimes you get to mess about on boats on the river.

For the last 6 months, I have been working Saturdays, and we have had another woman just doing Sundays. She has recently found a full time job, and has realised that she loses most of her part time wages to tax, so has handed in her notice.

Surely there must be people out there willing to work weekends? What am I missing? Why can't I find any staff?

As a boss who recently successful recruited to a similar role what I had to do was
Make it at least 16 hours per week, 24 is actually more desirable. Offer more holiday than standard, but I limited it to not more than 4 weekends a year.
I actually pay less than you are offering thought do it as hourly rate.
I had 90 applicants in the South East from exactly the kind of candidates you are looking for.

So there a half hour unpaid lunch? Who covers the reception over lunch?

You're wanting cover for 17 hours over the weekend- I think this is too much for anyone who's working or full time studying during the week.

I've done pt weekend jobs on top of a ft mf 9-5 job but it'd be 6 hours one night eg 6pm-midnight.

The hours you want would mean an early night the night before and then being very tired after a long day in the evenings. I can see why few people want it at that rate of pay.

It's not like a receptionist can get tips.

Plus it sounds quite lonely.

Could you just offer morning/afternoon shifts and look for 3/4 people? Imo lots will jump at a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

Unfortunately it does seem like the whole team need their hours restructured which is your bosses issue.

It isn't really 'accounts' work, it is just customers paying their bills. You have to look their account up on SAGE, but its not difficult in the least.

We need to be open 7 days per week - it is a marina, and people want access to their boats, especially at the weekends.

There is usually a salesman, a receptionist and a yard person on - we just all cover each other for lunch, although I tend to eat at my desk if its quiet.

I wouldn't consider a every other week scenario but would consider a Saturday job

I wish I was in Kent, I would jump at it. And be very grateful too.

I'm sorry I haven't read all the replies but is it worth saying every weekend or possibility of Job share, as I assume if someone couldn't work through the week due to childcare or studying but needed the money they my might work both days every weekend?

I've just returned to work after almost 10 years as a SAHM in just this sort of position. I work 10-4.30 on Saturday and 11.30-4.30 on Sunday (though once we've locked up it we tend to leave a good 10 or 15 minues earlier). It suits me just fine as I was really panicking about getting a job that would allow me the flexibility to be available during school holidays etc. I get paid time and a quarter on Saturday and time and a half on Sunday.

DH has the children at the weekend and I didn't need to work a minimum set of hours as he already does enough in terms of tax credits requirements.

I do obviously miss out on seeing the children during the day (especially as DC2 has only just started Reception) but I'm home by teatime and to be honest, we didn't tend to do a lot of 'family stuff' at weekends anyway as DH sometimes worked one or both days until he moved jobs recently and we're quite happy to potter at home. Only downside I can see is if any of the DCs get invited to weekend birthday parties as we're very rural and DH doesn't drive. Your vacancy sounds like just the sort of thing someone who was in my position would jump at - perhaps there's a school with a newsletter you could advertise in?

If it's busier at the weekends the weekend staff should be paid more.

It isn't busier in the office at weekends. In fact I haven't seen a customer or even answered the phone for at least an hour.

There are plenty of people around, and down on the pontoons, but it really isn't a taxing job.

Advertise your post via the nearest Career Transition Partnership. All applicants will be ex-forces personnel, moving from military jobs to civilian ones. Good work ethic, transferable skills and reliable.

I've also had issues filling a reception / admin role in a major city centre. More than half the applicants didn't fill in the form correctly, and the remainder asked to start after 9 or finish before 5, which was impossible due to needing to cover the phones and take the mail to the PO. IT WAS above NMW and had plenty of holiday and scope to progress. It's really hard to recruit good staff.

Ds2 (18) is having a "gap year" before going to university next September. He has various classes on weekday evenings. This is exactly what he is looking for. Sadly we are nowhere near Kent.

It is a pain to work weekends when you want to do other things - I am a runner and a parkrun obsessive and HATED it when I worked in a library and had to work alternate Saturday mornings, it made me so miserable missing parkrun every other week. So I'd definitely try to look for people who want a Saturday job or a Sunday job. Yes they might leave to go to uni but the chances are they have friends in the year below who they can tell about the job and you could have some handover. It also means you have people who will probably cover for annual leave in the holidays.

But if that doesn't work, I'd restructure the hours so I could recruit someone else for during the week as well and have everyone doing at least one weekend day a month or fortnight - whatever is needed to cover the hours.

This might be too obvious, but advertise it in Mumsnet?!

Is it hard to get to / hard to park at? I'm assuming you might end up battling the tourists on weekends...

Where is that AgentProvocateur?

Tbh I wouldn't see every other weekend worthwhile, I don't think it would be even as a student.

Have you put a notice up on the board outside the office? Is there other work that can be done in the week, so offering more hours to a student, but they do the slightly different job at the weekend?

If it's the marina very near somewhere historic, then it's lovely

Well, I'm going against the grain and saying I'm also surprised that you can't get someone decent to do this role.

For years when Ds was small I worked weekends in the retail role I previously worked in ft. I did a mixture of every weekend, every Sat, alternate weekends etc over a number of years.

It suits Mums (or Dads) who are SAH during the week, don't want - or can't afford - to pay childcare, but whose partner earns too much for tax credits and who wants/needs some extra money coming into the house.

Or, obviously, an older or semi-retired person, a sixth-former etc etc.

I mean, there are lots of people on the credit crunch/money threads stating that they can't afford to pay childcare to work in the week, but who desperately need extra money coming in.

Providing partner's hours are weekdays only, this would be perfect: an extra £250 ish coming in, no tax to pay, and still eow with the family.

Glasgow, MrsGosling.

I am surprised too, I love working weekends - having time off in the week when things are quieter is great. My DS is a teenager now so he doesn't need constant looking after & as DH & I don't share the same interests it doesn't bother me at all that I don't have much 'family time' hate that expression anyway.

Yes how is the parking? And public transport at those times.

It is probably best to divide the whole 7 day week between a selection of staff with weekday workers working say one weekend day in 4?