Secrets to Reducing Turnover and Enhancing Team Dynamics
Discover the keys to transforming your contracting business by mastering talent acquisition and retention strategies that truly work. Ever wonder why some businesses thrive while others struggle with employee turnover? Uncover the secrets behind creating job postings that attract top-tier candidates and learn how behavioral interview questions can predict future performance. With my proven approach, onboarding becomes more than just administrative tasks—it's a strategic opportunity to integra...
Show Notes
Discover the keys to transforming your contracting business by mastering talent acquisition and retention strategies that truly work. Ever wonder why some businesses thrive while others struggle with employee turnover? Uncover the secrets behind creating job postings that attract top-tier candidates and learn how behavioral interview questions can predict future performance. With my proven approach, onboarding becomes more than just administrative tasks—it's a strategic opportunity to integrate new hires through mentorship and clear career paths. And remember, leadership isn't just about delegation; it's about inspiration and fostering a culture of empowerment.
Tap into the power of diverse skill sets to build a balanced and effective team. Too often, businesses fall into the trap of hiring individuals who mirror their own strengths, missing out on the dynamic potential of a varied workforce. Embrace the idea of complementing, rather than replicating, your abilities to elevate your operations. I'll share my personal journey and insights, encouraging you to adopt this transformative strategy. Plus, explore practical steps like gratitude practices and referral programs that will ensure your hard-earned insights are put into action, opening doors to new opportunities and sustained success.
00:00:00.100 --> 00:00:02.068 Welcome to the Successful Life Podcast.
00:00:02.068 --> 00:00:06.628 I'm your host, corey Barrier, and today, folks, we are going to be solo.
00:00:06.628 --> 00:00:14.971 I want to talk about one of the biggest challenges in our industry, which is finding and keeping great people.
00:00:14.971 --> 00:00:23.234 When it comes to hiring, you've got to be specific in your job postings.
00:00:23.234 --> 00:00:35.008 Instead of just listing out the required skills the bare bones information that most people put out.
00:00:35.008 --> 00:00:41.412 You've got to paint a picture of what success looks like in that role.
00:00:41.412 --> 00:00:50.225 For example, looking for an HVAC technician who takes pride in solving complex problems and leaving customers with a smile.
00:00:51.427 --> 00:01:11.560 One of the things that one of the ways that you can find out how a person's going to perform and how they're going to behave, is by asking behavioral questions during the interview that you know that relate to scenarios specific to your business.
00:01:11.560 --> 00:01:15.951 For instance, tell me about a time that you had to deal with an unhappy customer.
00:01:15.951 --> 00:01:17.665 How did you handle that?
00:01:17.665 --> 00:01:18.808 And just watch.
00:01:18.808 --> 00:01:23.965 Watch their body language, watch how they respond, listen to how they respond.
00:01:23.965 --> 00:01:27.900 Watch their body language, watch how they respond, or listen to how they respond.
00:01:27.900 --> 00:01:35.239 Remember, the hiring process doesn't end when they accept the offer.
00:01:35.239 --> 00:01:42.406 You are going to want to have a comprehensive onboarding program that goes beyond just the paperwork work.
00:01:42.406 --> 00:01:53.350 I've seen a lot of success with people pairing new hires with experienced people within the organization, which helps integrate them into your company culture.
00:01:53.350 --> 00:02:02.742 Now you've got to be very careful that you don't pair them with someone who is going to teach them the wrong way or is going to be negative about the company.
00:02:02.742 --> 00:02:06.406 You've got to be very selective of who you pair these people with.
00:02:06.406 --> 00:02:40.228 And look, keeping your best employees is just as important as hiring them, and retention is a big deal in the industry, and one way that I've found as a good retention strategy is you want to create a very clear path for their career within your company.
00:02:40.228 --> 00:02:41.368 Show them.
00:02:41.368 --> 00:02:52.294 You want to show the team members how they can grow, whether that's moving into a leadership role or becoming an expert in their field.
00:02:52.294 --> 00:02:59.497 And as much as you don't want to do regular check-ins, it's crucial to the organization.
00:03:04.020 --> 00:03:06.229 Schedule one-on-one meetings with each team member at least once a month.
00:03:06.229 --> 00:03:12.090 Use that time to discuss their challenges, their goals, their ideas for improving the business.
00:03:12.090 --> 00:03:16.687 Ask their opinion on what they think could be done better.
00:03:16.687 --> 00:03:23.669 That doesn't mean you have to take their opinion, doesn't mean you have to take their ideas, but it does mean that you get to ask them.
00:03:23.669 --> 00:03:32.973 You know it means that you're asking their opinion, and lots of times, people feel valued when you ask for their opinion.
00:03:32.973 --> 00:03:35.326 I mean, everybody wants to give you their opinion.
00:03:35.407 --> 00:03:47.673 I believe, and this shows great leadership, and in the trades, leadership is not just assigning a task.
00:03:47.673 --> 00:03:58.175 It's about inspiring others on the team to do their best work, and you want to lead by example.
00:03:58.175 --> 00:04:07.335 If you want your team to prioritize safety, make sure you're always following safety protocols, even when no one's looking.
00:04:07.335 --> 00:04:14.240 You want to empower your employees by delegating responsibilities to them.
00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:26.172 Not only does this lighten your load, but it also helps the team members develop skills and they feel more invested in the company's success, and they feel more invested in the company's success.
00:04:26.192 --> 00:04:26.492 In our industry.
00:04:26.492 --> 00:04:37.463 This helps build relationships, and relationships are everything, both with your team and with your clients and for team building.
00:04:37.463 --> 00:04:42.612 Consider organizing regular social events or volunteer activities.
00:04:42.612 --> 00:04:45.035 Rhino Strategic Solutions does a great job of this.
00:04:45.035 --> 00:04:59.178 Once a month, the whole team comes together in one spot and they spend a whole day helping, giving back.
00:04:59.178 --> 00:05:04.074 And so, if you want a good example, you know Chris Yano and Jeff Boab and Michael Benitez over there.
00:05:04.074 --> 00:05:09.507 They do a great job of this and it really does build that company culture.
00:05:09.507 --> 00:05:17.124 Or you can even do something as simple as have a barbecue each month, or you know.
00:05:17.124 --> 00:05:23.790 Or just order pizza in and have everybody sit around a meal and enjoy themselves.
00:05:25.153 --> 00:05:29.963 And when it comes to client relationships, follow up after every job.
00:05:29.963 --> 00:05:40.336 Follow up after every job, follow up after every job A quick call to ensure they're satisfied can turn a one-time customer into a lifetime client.
00:05:40.336 --> 00:05:48.562 And look, I know that there's a lot of people that share the same feeling I do about networking with other professionals.
00:05:48.562 --> 00:05:54.947 And then there's a lot of people that won't network with other professionals in the trades.
00:05:54.947 --> 00:05:58.394 But I would argue that it opens up new opportunities.
00:05:58.394 --> 00:06:07.382 Join local associations or like the PHCC, or attend industry conferences to expand your circle of people.
00:06:11.031 --> 00:06:18.264 So, look, here's some concrete steps that you can take to start implementing these ideas.
00:06:18.264 --> 00:06:21.576 Here's how I start my day.
00:06:21.576 --> 00:06:24.278 I start my day with a daily gratitude practice.
00:06:24.278 --> 00:06:30.742 I write down the things that I'm grateful for, and it could be as simple as just waking up.
00:06:30.742 --> 00:06:35.742 It could be as simple as getting the opportunity to get in that freezing cold ice bath.
00:06:35.742 --> 00:06:40.341 It could be gratitude for waking up feeling good.
00:06:40.341 --> 00:06:44.360 It could be gratitude that I just have a job right.
00:06:44.360 --> 00:06:45.997 It could be as simple as that.
00:06:48.310 --> 00:06:53.062 The second one is implement a structured employee referral program.
00:06:53.062 --> 00:06:56.779 Offer bonuses for successful new hires.
00:06:56.779 --> 00:07:03.649 Schedule your first round of one-on-one check-ins with your team members.
00:07:03.649 --> 00:07:12.545 Create a mentorship program that pairing experienced technicians with new hires.
00:07:12.545 --> 00:07:20.641 But you got to have this stuff set up and set up a project management system to improve the communication and efficiency.
00:07:20.641 --> 00:07:26.624 Remember, building a successful contracting business is about more than just technical skills.
00:07:26.624 --> 00:07:33.098 It's about creating a positive environment where you can thrive and your clients feel valued.
00:07:33.098 --> 00:07:38.596 And the best way to do that is to start implementing these things that I've talked about today.
00:07:38.677 --> 00:07:50.442 And look, I'm not saying this stuff's easy and I'm not saying you're going to be able to just start implementing all these things today, but implementation is the chokehold for most businesses.
00:07:50.442 --> 00:07:58.617 You may go to conferences, like I mentioned earlier, and you may get a ton of information, but what are you going to do with that information?
00:07:58.617 --> 00:08:04.002 Are you going to implement or are you just going to write it down in your book and do nothing with it?
00:08:04.002 --> 00:08:05.557 Because that's what most people do.
00:08:05.557 --> 00:08:16.252 Most people go to conferences and they talk about all these things that they're going to do and then they go back and do nothing, and I would argue that's a waste of your time.
00:08:16.252 --> 00:08:22.394 Now, if your intention is to go there and build relationships, that's one thing and you should do that.
00:08:22.394 --> 00:08:28.495 But you should also take down the information these leaders are freely giving.
00:08:28.495 --> 00:08:30.240 I say freely giving.
00:08:30.562 --> 00:08:35.720 You have to pay for the conference, but at the end of the day, you're getting more value than what you're paying for, guaranteed.
00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:38.136 You know it's conference season right now.
00:08:38.136 --> 00:08:45.316 It's hard to choose which conference to go to and which conference not to go to, and they're all valuable.
00:08:45.316 --> 00:08:57.441 You just got to pick which one's best for you and go there with the intention that I'm going to find one or two things out of this conference and I'm going to go back and implement those one or two things.
00:08:57.441 --> 00:09:02.184 It is vital to the success of your company.
00:09:02.184 --> 00:09:05.972 It's vital to you being able to sell out.
00:09:06.254 --> 00:09:17.327 If you're going to sell to PE or you're going to pass it down in your family, you got to have systems and processes in place, and if you don't have those in place, you're you're likely not going to be able to sell.
00:09:17.327 --> 00:09:24.928 Likely, you're sitting on a business that's really not even a business, it's just a job, and I know that might be hard to hear, but it's just the truth.
00:09:24.928 --> 00:09:41.350 And listen, there's a lot of companies out there that go to sell and they don't have any value within the organization because they don't have systems and processes.
00:09:41.350 --> 00:09:50.768 Look, al Levy's got a whole program the seven power contractor, like check his stuff out.
00:09:50.768 --> 00:09:57.846 He is a titan in this industry and Al Levy is also a good friend of mine and I value him tremendously.
00:09:57.846 --> 00:10:07.604 But he realized early on without systems and processes he wouldn't be able to scale to the level he did.
00:10:07.604 --> 00:10:09.027 Look at Tommy Mello.
00:10:09.027 --> 00:10:19.711 He scaled and sold 41% of his company for a very sizable amount of money and the guy kept 59% of it.
00:10:21.054 --> 00:10:31.586 That was actually usually pretty unheard of, but he brought people in like Al Levy, to help him build out the systems and processes that he didn't have.
00:10:32.609 --> 00:10:35.522 It's okay to admit that you don't know everything.
00:10:35.522 --> 00:10:43.875 It's okay to bring people in and get advice and pay people to help you with the things that you're not the best at.
00:10:43.875 --> 00:10:55.725 A lot of people are great at turning wrenches but they suck at doing business and if you're one of those people, you've got to find people in the industry that can help you, and there's a million out there.
00:10:55.725 --> 00:10:57.967 There's also a bunch out there that will not help you.
00:10:57.967 --> 00:11:04.466 They'll tell you they're going to help you but they're not going to.
00:11:04.466 --> 00:11:06.695 You know, they're just going to take your money and you've got to figure out who those people are.
00:11:06.695 --> 00:11:07.457 Al Levy is not one of those people.
00:11:07.457 --> 00:11:10.581 He is going to help you and his programs work.
00:11:10.581 --> 00:11:14.926 Doug Wyatt if you're looking for sales help, he can help you.
00:11:16.628 --> 00:11:20.071 You can listen to other people's podcasts, like Brian Burton and Nate Minnick.
00:11:23.615 --> 00:11:25.535 We're obviously already listening to this podcast.
00:11:25.535 --> 00:11:33.092 You should probably subscribe to it if you haven't already.
00:11:33.092 --> 00:11:34.857 Um, look, the industry's changing.
00:11:34.857 --> 00:11:43.230 You know we've got a lot of things that are happening right now that if you don't wrap your head around AI especially, you're going to be left in the dark, and I don't want that for you.
00:11:43.230 --> 00:11:45.153 I don't want you to be left in the dark.
00:11:45.153 --> 00:11:59.702 I don't want you to show up empty handed when you go to sell your company and you realize I don't have anything to sell, because I've been working at a job for the last 25 years Thinking I was building a business and you're not.
00:11:59.724 --> 00:12:03.726 If you don't have systems and processes in place, if you don't have memberships in place.
00:12:03.726 --> 00:12:09.927 If you don't have the shit in order, you're going to be screwed.
00:12:09.927 --> 00:12:18.989 Look, josh and Laura Kelly over at Clover, they can help you get a lot of this stuff in order.
00:12:18.989 --> 00:12:27.131 They know what they're doing, they're industry leaders, and look, I could talk till I'm blue in the face.
00:12:27.131 --> 00:12:39.639 But if you don't do anything with this information then you're going to be right back where you started and you know, I'll just tell you that it's not going to be a good feeling.
00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:44.899 You know, I'll just tell you that it's not going to be a good feeling.
00:12:44.899 --> 00:12:48.845 And the last thing I'll say you know I started this conversation out about, you know, hiring retention.
00:12:48.845 --> 00:12:58.833 Figure out how to get ahold of this stuff, because it's costing you a freaking fortune to cycle through employees, like you probably are, and I know it's getting into shoulder season.
00:12:58.940 --> 00:13:02.004 You think, well, corey, I don't need to hire right now because it's about to be slow.
00:13:02.004 --> 00:13:04.307 This is the time to hire.
00:13:04.307 --> 00:13:10.807 This is when people are looking for a change and you've got people that you know are.
00:13:10.807 --> 00:13:18.470 They're ready, they've worked their ass off this summer and they're ready for a change.
00:13:18.470 --> 00:13:34.587 And if you don't get a hold of this hiring process, you're going to be left with a bunch of crappy employees and if that's what you want, then you're going to get the same thing you've always been getting.
00:13:34.587 --> 00:13:45.191 But if you want something different, there's options out there and, of course, I'm going to plug WhoHire, because that's where we're making a massive, massive difference in the industry.
00:13:45.191 --> 00:13:58.674 By streamlining your hiring and onboarding process, we're able to automate all of this process to where it takes you out of the loop, takes the emotion out of hiring.
00:13:59.240 --> 00:14:02.682 You know, I've hired people that are just like me and they don't work out.
00:14:02.682 --> 00:14:06.278 But I hired them because I liked them, because they're just like me.
00:14:06.278 --> 00:14:07.964 That doesn't mean they're going to be a good employee.
00:14:07.964 --> 00:14:10.048 That just means that they're like you.
00:14:10.048 --> 00:14:14.948 You don't want 12 people that are just like you running around running your business.
00:14:14.948 --> 00:14:17.562 You need people that have different skills than you do.
00:14:17.562 --> 00:14:21.311 So I appreciate you guys listening If you would share the show.
00:14:21.311 --> 00:14:24.206 Thank you very much and we'll see you on the other side.
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