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This has been called the "most severe labor shortage" in decades. This is no news to you -- or to any business owner. A basic shortage of workers resulting from long term demographic trends is exacerbated by a nationwide economic boom. While some company owners are convinced that "there are no good hires available," we are seeing others hire superstars. These owners are using three powerful strategies:

1. Successful retention of current staff thereby reducing need to hire
2. Streamlining systems and resources reducing need to hire
3. A powerful and effective hiring system -- so when you do hire, you hire right

Reducing Your Need to Hire with Successful Retention
"The degree to which employees feel supported is the largest single factor in
keeping them and keeping them happy." Tom Connellan, Performance Resource Associates

Reduce your need to hire by making staff retention a primary goal. Today's worker wants a learning environment, a family-friendly environment, teamwork, empower-ment, shared decision-making and more democratic management. Losing a talented, experienced employee is expensive. Add to that the time and effort needed to train and orient the new hire and you may have invested the position's annual salary.

Want to know more about retaining your best employees? Take this survey!

Reducing Your Need to Hire by Increasing Efficiency!
Here are nine practical ideas that will allow you to streamline the work done by your employees, thereby letting each employee leverage more volume.

Hold annual brainstorming sessions with your staff to review all procedures. Focus on streamlining. What work, forms, or overlapping procedures can be eliminated from the company?

  • Outsource more --both to freelancers for office work or subcontractors for production work. One remodeler even outsourced project design to a designer in Canada!

  • Are there labor saving tools, equipment, technology, or communications that would free up time for yourself, your office, or field staff? Save an hour here and an hour there and soon you won't have to hire another person.

  • Check with your suppliers for products they will install (i.e. windows, fireplace units, siding) or products that can save you in-house time (pre-primed moldings). Use their labor instead of yours and benefit from the expertise they have in mastering one task.

  • Check with subs to see if there are additional functions they can take over from your staff. Have your own carpenters? Keep them but consider subbing large jobs such as decks, siding, insulation, drywall and roofing which can be economical to outsource.

  • Are your field personnel equipped with state-of-the-art labor-saving tools and equipment? If you have 10 field employees and can save 20 minutes a day for each, that's 1000 minutes a week or 867 hours a year. That's 867 hours you don't need or 867 hours you can sell profitably to another client. One remodeler keeps a stocked trailer on every job site. It's good looking and well signed but it also saves time and running for materials.

  • Increased training for your field personnel will save time in installations. Check with your manufacturers, subs and suppliers for help in developing short training sessions.

  • Develop a cross-department team to research ways to reduce in-house work. Hiring Superstars! You've retained your great current staff, reduced work and outsourced wherever possible, but still you need to hire. It's time to get your hiring act together because, as with all successful projects, planning is the key to proper hiring.

Get Ready
1. Write a clear job description that accurately describes the position. This has been called the "single best thing you can do to hire well." This becomes your blueprint. Click here for a sample Lead Carpenter Job Description. Include not only activities to be done but also the underlying traits that are needed to succeed in the job. The Sandler Sales Institute, a national sales training organization, recommends that every job have a SEARCH description -- a list of Skills, Education, Attitude, Results, Cognitive Skills, and Habits needed for the position. (Remodelers Advantage members will find the Search Job Descriptions for a number of positions as well as conventional job descriptions on their Online Systems Resource Library.)

2. Script open-ended questions that will let you probe for the underlying traits needed to successfully master the position. An open-ended question cannot be answered by just a yes or no. Click here for sample questions. Remodelers Advantage members will find more interviewing questions under Hiring in the Online Resource Library at RemodelersAdvantage.com.

3. Plan your hiring procedure/system. How will the applicant apply, who will screen applicants, who will interview, for how long, will there be a formal rating sheet, etc.?
Compared to ten years ago, hiring is a much more serious and time consuming task in a business. Be prepared to get very professional about it. On the other hand, you might find that when you learn to hire well and have a good system for doing so, you might enjoy the process. "I used to really dislike hiring," explains David Foster, Foster Remodeling Solutions, Inc., Lorton, VA, "but now that we have developed a fairly foolproof system, I enjoy it."

Round Up Those Elusive Prospects
It's easier than you think -- but only if you think in the right paradigm. Whatever you might have learned about hiring 5 or 10 years ago probably needs to be revised. Finding top recruits for your positions has now become a marketing challenge. There aren't enough quality employees to go around, so you will have to have a plan for getting more than your share.

  • Recruit all the time. You often know what your next hire will be even if you are not ready to hire yet. Keep your eye out for good prospects at the grocery, the gas station, the suppliers', or the association dinner meeting. David Foster has had
    excellent results with talking to subs and suppliers and following up with a letter that describes the position he is filling. Utilize your industry knowledge/ connections/ network. Is there a struggling remodeler who would happily fold their business and come to yours -- with their personnel?

  • Encourage your employees to recruit. Put a job description and notice that you are hiring in each paycheck. When Bob Fleming, Classic Remodeling and Construction, Inc., Charleston, SC, needed help locating qualified employees, he turned to his current employees offering a $300 bonus to the recruiter if the new employee stayed with the company for three months. But this was only part of the program. A good looking flyer was developed as well as a small poster card (4" x 5") outlining and selling the job, the company and the benefits. The results were outstanding with a number of excellent new hires.

  • Market creatively. Focus on hiring the employed. Try to avoid the ubiquitous classified ads.

  • Develop fliers to leave at suppliers. Get a helper to distribute them on the trucks parked at the suppliers during the day.

  • Call around to find out who will post your flier on a bulletin board -- your grocer, your veterinarian, your printer, your suppliers.

  • Consider holding a well-publicized early evening or early morning Open House if you have a showroom or good looking office. Have employees on hand to talk and do a short interview.

  • Hand out materials on the job opening(s) and for the best candidates set longer, more formal interview times.

  • Offer employees and subs a referral fee for an employee who stays 3 months.

  • Advertise on the online employment boards. Employers spent $105 million on online advertising in '98 and are expected to spend $2.7 billion by 2003. Ads typically run for a month and run $40 to $300 -- a huge discount from newspaper advertising.

  • Advertise in the smaller neighborhood papers in the areas you work in.

  • Consider classified ads (benefit oriented and longer than normal) in your association newsletter.

  • In all written ads/fliers/posters emphasize your company culture, intangible benefits, and behavioral descriptors for the position as well as any technical requirements.

  • Brainstorm with your team for unique ideas!

  • Don't forget that your best candidate may be a woman, a minority or a person from a totally different field who has the right attitude and excellent management skills. A recent online discussion had lots of response from remodelers who have turned to Hispanic crews. The writers note that the work ethic is excellent and the workers have a good network to refer other good workers. However, there will be a need for some bilingualism on your part and your supervisors' part.

  • Advertise for superstar employees on your trucks and on your website.

    Seven Steps to an Effective Hiring System
    "Experience shows that of every three employees hired, one makes a solid contribution, one is marginal, and one should not have been hired in the first place."
    Richard Pinsker, Hiring Winners. It's time to meet the best applicants and put them through your system.

    1. The Application:
    How will the prospect contact you? Should they send a letter, fax a resume or make a phone call? What do you want to know about them at this very early screening stage? That's what you should ask in the phone call or ask for on the application.
    If you decide you want an application filled out, many hiring experts advise you to have the prospect fill it out at your office so you know exactly who really filled it out! Look for neatness, completeness, good grammar and English ability if those are important to the job.

    2. The Initial Screening:
    Make a judgement on how strictly you will qualify your leads. If you get 5 applicants, how will you handle this? If you get 50 applicants, how will you winnow them down to only the best and most fitting. What are your base criteria for screening prospects either to receive a nice "No thanks" letter or be invited for an interview?

    3. The Interview:
    Steel yourself to look for your top candidate--not the "best of the worst." The superstar may not be in this batch of applicants. Hold out and keep recruiting.
    The interviewer should use scripted questions. Some should be open-ended and generic. Others will be job specific. Keep score. Don't rely on just memory. What kind of formal scoring system will you use? You could take the job description and assign ranking and weighting and develop a score-able system. Keep your focus on how well the candidate fits the job profile -- not who you liked best, or looked best
    in the interview. Copy any documents the position calls for such as a drivers license.

    "You should care enough to listen while interviewing. I feel a great obligation to the gang in the shop not to put a turkey in their midst. That's my motivation. You may not be born with interviewing skills, but they can be developed." Tom Melohn, president, North American Tool & Die Inc. as quoted in Inc. magazine.

    4. Multiple Interviews:
    Many companies prefer multiple interviews. A lead carpenter might be interviewed by the Production Manager and if they appear to be a qualified candidate for the job, then be interviewed by two other carpenters and then by the company owner.

    5. Checking References:
    It's been said that a bad reference is as hard to find as a good employee. However, there are ways around the reluctance of references to say anything negative about the candidate. Here are six tips from Robert Half in How to Hire Smart:

    1. Don't delay checking references. You don't want to lose a good candidate.

    2. Ignore written references handed directly to you by the candidate.

    3. Seek references not mentioned by the candidate. Ask the references the candidate gives you for another person who might know the applicant.

    4. Call most or all former employers.

    5. Get references by phone rather than by mail. People are more guarded about what they put in writing.

    6. When filling a key position, make a personal visit to the person giving the reference. People tend to be more candid in person. Brian Reid of Reid's Remodeling, Jamestown, RI, uses a magic question when calling references of a potential new hire . After he's been told all the great things about the former
      employee by the reference, he asks "If you were going into business today and your income was dependent on this employee, would you hire him/her again?" Reid's experience is that only then do negatives tumble forth.

    6. The Personality Profile:
    Personality profiles match up an individual's traits and qualities against those needed for a specific job . A good hire is a win-win for both you and the candidate, while a bad hire is a lose-lose action. Many companies have found such an objective instrument is invaluable in either cementing the impressions left by a candidate or disqualifying them. These profiles are usually handled by an industrial psychologist or
    consultant. If you are doing a lot of hiring, you can have the software loaded on your computer to enable you to administer the profiles. Typical cost to have a consultant facilitate the administering is $200-300 a candidate. Thus you want to use this tactic after you've decided on the final one or two 2 best candidates. Remodelers Advantage offers Personality Profile testing

    7. Pre-Employment Screening:
    Mark Goldsborough of Mitchell Best and Goldsborough Inc., Rockville, MD, routinely uses a preemployment screening firm to verify the applicant's educational history, employment background, driving record, workers compensation usage, social security number, to check for criminal convictions, and run a credit report. The cost is under $100 per applicant and Goldsborough has the information back within 24-48 hours.

    These seven-steps will clearly delineate the superstar candidates so that you can hire effectively. You will see two immediate results from following this rigorous and well-planned hiring process. You will hire superstars who match your job criteria. And you will engender a desire in these candidates to work for your company because they will be impressed with your systematic approach to hiring only the best.

    Ready! Aim! Hire!
    "Your biggest reward for creating and following a good hiring process will surprise you. It won't be the lower turnover or other concrete results you set out to secure! It will be this: if you hire the right way, you will manage your people better than ever before." Ellyn Spragins, Hiring Without the Guesswork, Inc. Magazine, 2/92


  • RETENTION SURVEY
    Use the following checklist to assess your retention potential : (rate your company on a scale of 1=poor! to 10=great!)

  • Pay: If you are the best company in your market, isn't it likely you'll need to have the best pay in order to attract the highest caliber people? Do you?

  • Benefits: How do you rank in providing health insurance, retirement funding, profit-sharing, etc.?

  • Physical Environment: Is your staff working in pleasant, private surroundings? Do they have the resources and tools they need to do the work whether it's computer software and hardware, faxes, copier, construction tools. Would they be proud to show off their office or jobsite to their family?

  • Psychic Environment: Is your staff working in a positive, optimistic, fun atmosphere ? Is there a permeable climate of respect between workers? Are there unifying social activities?

  • Advancement: Do you publicize all new or open positions within the company first? If so, do you then put the employee/applicants through the same process as the outside applicant?

  • Creative Benefits: Do you offer flextime? How about a 4 day work week with 10 hour days? Or is there a mountain cabin that families can use for vacations? What do you offer that is uniquely your company's benefit?

  • Feedback: Do you receive regular, anonymous feedback on just how happy (or unhappy) your employees really are? You should!

    What Makes Employees Unhappy?
    1. Harrassment, whether sexual or not.
    2. Favoritism
    3. Insensitivity of managers.
    4. Depersonalization of the workplace
    5. Unfair performance appraisals
    6. Lack of support resources
    7. Lack of adequate training
    8. Lack of teamwork
    9. Withdrawal of earned benefits
    10. Lack or violation of trust
    11. Poor communication
    12. Absentee bosses
    Hendrie Weisinger, a psychologist specializing in anger management, quoted in Training, 12/96


    Remodelers Advantage can survey your employees extensively, quickly, anonymously and very inexpensively.


    LEAD CARPENTER JOB DESCRIPTION
    OBJECTIVE:
    To provide:
    1. On-site project management and supervision.
    2. Supervise carpenters and subcontractors.
    3. Order materials and schedule subcontractors.
    4. Coordinate scheduling and details with the PM and the Clients.
    5. Expedite timely completion of the work.
    6. Ensure jobsite safety and enforce jobsite rules.
    7. Maintain regular client contact for duration of projects.

    POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
    Strong communication, job coordination, organizational and supervisory skills. Extensive rough and finish carpentry skills. Knowledge of a broad range of construction methods and techniques. A basic understanding of all trades relevant to the project. The ability to interact and communicate well with the Client throughout the job.

    POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Read and interpret paperwork, including all plans and specifications, purchase orders, subcontractor work orders, change orders. Bring questions, discrepancies, and unusual conditions to the attention of the Production Manager in charge.

  • Understand the scope of the work and discuss all requests for additional work with the Production Manager in charge. You must understand change order procedure and ensure that all change orders are written up and signed prior to implementation.

  • Participate in a pre-construction conference, jobsite inspections with the Production Manager, local building department inspections, and final (end of job) inspections with the Production Manager and the Client.

    LEAD CARPENTER
    Maintain an organized field file that will include a complete set of plans, specifications, cost codes used on the job, construction documents, engineer's reports (if any), and job communications (memos, etc.). A job box will be provided for this purpose.

  • You are responsible for supervising all job-related carpentry, requesting help as required and anticipating the need for additional carpenters so that they can be scheduled in a timely fashion. You are responsible for reporting late subs, scheduling problems, and for keeping the Associate in charge informed of job status.

  • You are responsible for purchasing and ordering materials except as specified by the Production Manager in charge. You must plan ahead for timely delivery and use the vendor's delivery services whenever possible.

  • You are responsible for time management to ensure that there is sufficient time each evening for end-of-day procedures, such as clean-up and security. You also must notify Clients in advance of utility service interruption.

  • You are responsible for scheduling subcontractors.

  • You are responsible for jobsite safety for both the Clients and the workers. Inspect all equipment on site for proper safety features and correct any unsafe conditions. Ladders must be taken down at night and security fences must be checked before departure. You are responsible for locking the Client's house before leaving.

  • You are responsible for keeping track of carpentry job hours and making sure that all time entered on all workers' time cards relates to the cost-coded specification sheet. Time cards must be filled out at the end of each working day. It is the Lead Carpenter's responsibility to ensure that all time cards are in to the business office at the end of the work week. No checks will be issued in the following week for time
    cards not received by this deadline.

  • You are responsible for maintaining correct dress and behavior standards on the job according to the Jobsite Rules.

  • Check in daily with the Client and Production Manager to maintain contact and to answer questions that may arise.


    Winning Interview Questions
    1. Tell me about the first paid job you ever had. What did you learn from it?
    2. If you had only 3 adjectives to describe yourself, what would they be?
    3. What are some of the biggest work-related obstacles you have had to overcome?
    4. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
    5. What would be the most important thing your boss can say or do to support you?
    6. Based on your understanding of the position thus far, what would need to occur for you to come to work for our company?

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