By Dr. Charles Coker, LifeThrive
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with more contractors than I can remember. During that time, the same scenario occurred hundreds of times — over and over.
“We’re in a pinch and need to hire someone (or a sub) quickly to get the job done in a hurry.”
Countless times company owners who take their reputation seriously and try to provide the new owners with the best quality money will allow, find themselves having to go back, spend additional funds, clean up messes and lose valuable time because the person was not what their resume or interview purported.
It occurred then and is very prominent today with the high demand we are experiencing in the North Florida area.
The reality is that most contractors stay “under the gun” and at a high stress level from the time the contract is signed until the closing. Everything is urgent.
A rain delay for digging the footer leads to a delay with the plumbing sub, delaying the pouring, delaying the framing, etc., etc.
You’ve been there and experienced one situation after another — Murphy’s law in action.
Even if you have a great strategic plan with built in days for rain, “things happen.”
What many contractors miss is the fact that approximately 80 percent of the challenges they face are people problems, not weather, permitting or other issues.
And 90 percent of those problems are due to not their ineptitude, but their lack of experience in the hiring process.
The hiring process is important and should take precedence to the many little “urgent” issues that are not as important.
There are reasonable approaches that can end up saving you the challenges of quality issues, time lost, money lost and turnover if you just keep in mind these few things:
• Recruiting time and interviewing costs you time and money that you really do not have to spend if you have good people.
• Salary (and benefits, if offered) covering the period of time the poor performing individual was employed cost you real dollars.
• Training and orientation keep you from doing what you do best.
• Productivity losses cost you money in lost time, poor workmanship, etc.
• Lost customers and market reputation cost you money.
• Negative effect on co-workers’ morale and productivity can cost you customers and/or new clients.
• Unemployment compensation, legal fees and severance pay eat up your profit.
Here is a short list of the important things you can do to help eliminate much of the “urgent issues.” If you focus on these key issues you will make better hires.
If the process is streamlined and formatted, an admin or even someone outsourced can do this very inexpensively and save you thousands of dollars. Here is your list:
• Outlining the specifications for the position (job description, compensation package, etc.) are available on the Internet or for very minor fees. This will save you time and energy. Just modify to meet your needs.
• Writing and placing the ad should be done by someone who understands what you are looking for in a personality, not just job skills.
• Have yours or hire an admin to receive, organize, review resumes and arrange interviews (after phone screening) that are convenient for you.
• Developing a short list of candidate for second interviews
• Test your short list candidates to ensure they meet the “people” requirements of the job.
• Conducting second interviews.
• Again, have yours or hire an admin to perform reference checks, extend an offer, send rejection letters and assessment related activities.
Please feel free to contact me ([email protected]) if I can be of help or assistance to you. I have multiple free services available to you as a member of NEFBA.