Welcome to Kenmare

Feature Stories (Vol. 109 No. 34--9/05/2007)

Opportunities Abound in Area
Many jobs available for too few seekers

This article is the second in a series about employment
opportunities and needs in Kenmare.

By Caroline Downs

If you want to work, Kenmare wants you.

Whether full- or part-time, career track or second income, business owners, managers and administrators around town agree they can use a few more employees.

"We are in need of people," said Karen Schwartz, administrator of the Baptist Home of Kenmare. "I’m short of evening help. Ideally, I could use three or four more resident aides. I’ve got part-time cooking hours and part-time dietary aide after school."

Aimee Wheeling oversees the human resources and payroll departments for Eagle Operating, Eagle Well Service and MW Industries. "We have 180 people on the payroll, but we have trouble getting people in certain areas," she said, listing truck drivers and welders as critical positions. She said there seems to be a shortage of workers qualified for those positions. "Some experience is needed and certification, but we actually help them get [certified] once they’re on our payroll."

"We’re always looking," said Nancy Bauer, general manager at South of the Border. "Most of what we need are flexible and part-time hours. Servers, dishwashers, bartenders, all part-time but dependable."

"We’re looking for nurses, RNs and LPNs," said Ranae Ehlke, human resources coordinator for 100 employees at Kenmare Community Hospital.

"There’s a nationwide shortage of those," added Shawn Smothers, Kenmare Community Hospital administrator.

"It’s been a zoo since the end of June!" said Shelley Brekhus, manager of the Farmers Union Oil Cenex C-Store. "It’s like somebody opened the floodgates for us....There’s lots of Canadian traffic."

She currently has 10 employees. "I could hire eight more part-time, in the pizza area and at the till," she said.

A glance at the classified ads in The Kenmare News, or at the "Help Wanted" signs posted in several local businesses, suggests lots of jobs are available. However, the local economy doesn’t appear to be hampered by a scarcity of workers. "I think everybody’s a little bit short," said Arlen Gartner, owner of Gartner’s Jack & Jill. "We’re in good shape right now, except we don’t have any school kids to work."

"We’ve always got openings in some departments, but our staff is so dedicated, they manage to cover," Ehlke said.

"That’s the nice thing about working in a small facility," said Smothers. "People do band together."

Minimum wage to $19
Starting wages around Kenmare range from just above minimum wage to $19 an hour, while benefits vary from none to extensive packages. Managers and business owners acknowledge both the limitations and opportunities of the positions they offer.

"We’re working to increase the salaries here," said Schwartz. "All our positions pay over minimum wage, from $6 or $6.50 to $7. Every department is different, and it depends on the hours you work and your experience." Employees who work at least 30 hours per week can choose medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits and life insurance.

The Baptist Home rewards staff members with $1000 for each new employee they recruit to work more than one year. "We feel like you’re not going to refer someone who’s not a good worker," Schwartz explained.

Like the Baptist Home, the C-Store pays lower hourly wages but offers a benefit package. Brekhus said, depending on experience, kids start at $6 per hour at the pizza counter and adults usually come in at $7. Workers at the till begin at $8 per hour. Full-time employees, at 36 to 38 hours per week, are eligible for health insurance, paid time off that accrues after three months, a 401k plan after 1,000 hours of work, and raises based on job performance.

Employees at South of the Border also start above minimum wage, beginning with $6.50 per hour for dishwashers and $6.75 plus tips for servers. Bartenders come in at $8 plus tips, and cooks start at $9 per hour.

According to Bauer, no additional benefits are offered at this time other than a free meal during a four-hour shift. However, employees can increase their earnings if they’re willing to serve in more than one capacity. "The more flexible they are at learning different jobs, the more hours they would get," she said. "If people are interested in any of the different areas, we’ll train them in every job."

Eagle Operating, Eagle Well Service and MW Industries have high expectations for their employees, including clean driving records, drug tests and some experience. The compensation is also high, with welders generally starting at $15 per hour and rig workers at $19 an hour. Most employees work 50 or more hours per week.

According to Wheeling, the staff receives top of the line health coverage for themselves and their families, a 401k plan, and pay increases based on job performance and supervisor recommendations. "There’s always room for advancing here," she said.

She emphasized how the three companies assist qualified workers in earning the required certifications. "Training is provided," she said. "You can start out on a lower wage until you receive your certificate, by passing the test on site."

Kenmare Community Hospital offers wages that vary according to the position’s duties and each employee’s experience. "We’re competitive with other facilities our size," said Smothers.

Ehlke explained the lowest wage paid is $6.04 per hour. "There’s a grade category for each position that Trinity [Health] has developed," she said.

Full-time employees at 40 hours per week can also choose from a wide array of benefits, including health and dental care, paid time off, sick leave, life and disability insurance, a 401k plan, another retirement account funded by Trinity, options for other types of insurance at a reduced cost, and more.

Nurses have their own list of incentives and benefits, with sign-on bonuses, student loan repayment programs, tuition reimbursement, scholarship programs and more involved.

Part-time employees at 20 to 40 hours per week can take advantage of the benefits on a pro-rated basis. Casual employees, at fewer than 20 hours per week, receive none of the above-mentioned benefits. However, they do receive periodic raises, the opportunity for transfers and promotions, and double pay if they work any of the six major holidays.

"Plus, as a benefit, you get to work with all these lovely people!" Ehlke added.

Various skill levels
Most workplaces in Kenmare hire people of various ages and skill levels, and most employers accommodate their staff’s needs in the work schedules.

Brekhus welcomes anyone from interested high school students to senior citizens. "I’ll start them at age 14 in the pizza area," she said. "But I prefer older workers for the till. There’s a lot more there than people realize, like truckers’ checks and the North Dakota Lottery. Experience is welcome, but we train."

More important than age are her employees’ dependability, motivation and courtesy. "I need people who see things that need to be done and go ahead and do them," she said. "Truckers can be demanding, but customer service is really very important. You want everyone to stop back."

Gartner’s Jack & Jill also employs teens and beyond. Owner Arlen Gartner grinned as he refused to estimate one senior employee’s age.

"We want people who want to work here," he said. He will hire 14-year-olds with permission from their parents, and students up to age 16 must maintain satisfactory grades in school to keep their jobs.

He continued, "We’re really flexible with hours. We encourage the kids to be active with school."

The staff trains new employees in all departments. "We work with everybody who comes in here," said Gartner. "We don’t just throw them into a situation. Like any job, it’s not for everybody. I tell my employees, I’m not paying their wage. Every customer who comes in is paying their wage, so treat them right. That’s what we can always do, and always do better, is service."

DuWayne Gilseth at Super Valu relies on employees from several generations. He estimated the average employee age at 45, but pointed out the reliability of semi-retired employees Jerry and Artie Rasmusson.

Gilseth usually has a handful of teenagers on his payroll, too. "I prefer to start with 16-year-olds, but if there’s a 15-year-old out there who wants to work, I’ll give them a chance," he said. In recent years, his teen workers have been loyal employees, staying with the store until they leave for college.

Schwartz considered The Baptist Home fortunate to have a majority of the staff with three years’ or more experience, while four employees have more than 20 years to their credit. She will hire at age 16, with all necessary training provided onsite. "We don’t require a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant designation) to work here," she said.

Kenmare Community Hospital does mandate the CNA designation. Employees receive formal or on-the-job training as necessary. The facility has staff members from age 16 to 80, with the Wellness Center as one popular location for teens to work. "We have openings in most departments," said Ehlke.

Both Kenmare Community Hospital and the Baptist Home face the challenge of hiring enough employees to provide care around the clock, all year long. "It may be a holiday, but we still need housekeeping, dietary and nursing assistants," said Smothers. "The employees feel pride in what they do. A lot of times you get back more than you give."

Schwartz agreed. "All our residents are able to communicate and are active," she said. "The staff here is active with the residents on a daily basis. It’s a fun place to work!"

Good place to work
Kenmare employers are well aware they’re competing for personnel with larger population centers like Minot that may offer more attractive compensation, and with the high demand for skilled workers to meet the current oil boom.

Jamie Livingston, president of the Kenmare Association of Commerce, sees two sides to the issue. "There’s tons of potential [in Kenmare]," he said. "It’s hard for mom-and-pop stores to find people, with oilfield jobs and the wages they’re paying. It’s harder and harder for families to get by with $7-an-hour wages. At the same time, it’s hard for businesses to pay more than that.

He continued, "To me [though], there are benefits to working at a small business. You can see the impact you’re making in that particular business, as opposed to working in a corporation."

Gartner agreed. "We’re limited in what we can offer," he said. "But we get to know most people who come through the door. It’s close-knit. In a bigger town, you never get to know your customers to speak of."

At Eagle Operating, Wheeling sees another impact of the business on the community. "We’re bringing a lot of people into this town," she said. "The staff here is wonderful and you don’t just find that everywhere."

Bauer considers working at South of the Border as a way to represent the best of Kenmare to visitors. "It’s an adventure. No two days are ever the same!" she said. "You get to promote what’s good about the area. If you want to be involved in building something people from surrounding areas will come to visit, it’s very fulfilling and exciting [to work here]."

And some of the jobs in town, such as those at the hospital and the Baptist Home, provide unexpected benefits. "Yes, it is hard work, physically and emotionally," said Ehlke, "but it is rewarding when you see the residents upstairs appreciate what you do for them."

Smothers addressed a concern heard from some potential employees about working with ill or dying individuals. "You see people when they’re most vulnerable and make an impact on their life, and if not them, then their family," she said.

She continued, "Health care impacts almost everybody in the community, whether it’s in the clinic, the lab or the ER. There’s so many different contacts with people. If you’re a ‘people person,’ this is the place to be!"

Smothers’s statement could describe most of Kenmare’s workplaces. Despite temporary frustration for local employers, Livingston sees the number of job openings as a sign of opportunity for Kenmare. "There’s houses for sale, too," he said. "We’re set to grow!"