Hiring

Episode 162: The SPAR Process with Tim Faller

August 23, 2021 Hiring, Management, Production 00:37:11

Employee review strikes fear into everyone’s hearts.

Something has to change in the process of developing and figuring out how much someone is worth to a company, as well as a number of other aspects in the employee review process.  This episode talks about a change in this process to ensure employee growth, and how to take the necessary steps towards seeing employee reviews through a different lens.  

Host turned guest, Tim Faller, is a senior consultant and the “Master of Production” for Remodelers Advantage. For the past 17 years, he has worked with hundreds of remodeling companies, large and small, to help improve profits by creating smooth, efficient production systems.

Tim and Steve talk more about:

  • The SPAR process
  • Focusing on employee growth
  • The need for training and developing production staff
  • And more…

Get Your Production Team Focused on Profit!

Keep your production team focused on profit with weekly team training, whether they are in the office or in the field on a phone, tablet or laptop.

This Masterclass, led by Tim Faller, is held every other week on Monday afternoons, and the next class starts on September 13, 2021.

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Ep.160: Developing a Training Plan with Kevin Dunn

July 26, 2021 Hiring, Production 00:30:53

In an earlier episode, we spoke to Charles Boucher of Neal’s Remodeling in Cincinnati, Ohio, and discussed his role coming from auto parts manufacturing, to remodeling. 

He mentioned that he and their former Production Manager, Kevin Dunn, were working on training plans for the field staff, and we knew we needed to get Kevin on the show to discuss the need for companies to do the training of both entry level staff as well as those who have been around for a while. 

Kevin is the Production Training Manager at Neal’s Design Remodel, and has been with the company for 17 years.  He started at the company as a lead carpenter with 25 years of experience in construction, and has spent the last 12 years with Neal’s as a production manager, and managed the production staff from 4 million to 9 million per year. 

Tim, Steve and Kevin talk more about:

  • Starting a training plan
  • Creating structure
  • Implementing these plans
  • And more…

Upcoming Production Masterclasses

R/A Masterclasses are rich, intense, interactive learning experiences with plenty of hands-on instruction; blended with information, advice and strategies from some of the most experienced instructors in the industry.

The following Masterclasses will be focused on Production and led by Tim Faller:

Ep.159: Hiring a Trade Contractor to be a Production Manager with August Bergdahl

July 19, 2021 Hiring, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:34:20

With business booming and companies growing, one of the questions a lot of remodelers find themselves asking is, “Where can I find a good Production Manager?”  It is hard to find people that can do this very difficult role, and this episode will continue to look at this role in a company and who may be the best fit.

The focus of this episode is hiring one of your trades out of their business, and into yours.  Guest August Bergdahl talks about how this method came about and some tips for listeners to be successful in their search for a great production manager.

August is the Founder, Chief Growth Officer, and a Principal of Crescent Builds, a Seattle based residential construction and remodeling firm. August started Crescent Builds in 2007 and has been leading sales, growth, and business development from the start. He currently leads the sales team and is focused on the growth and success of Crescent delivered through relationships, analytics and new opportunities. 

Tim, Steve and August talk more about:

  • Getting started in the process of finding a production manager
  • Where to look in the search for a production manager
  • Signs you may need a production manager
  • And more…

Ep.155: The Games People Play with Jeff Neal

June 21, 2021 Hiring, Management, The Tim Faller Show 00:32:02

One of the most important topics in our industry is the labor situation. A corollary is once we have good staff how do we keep them? There are many answers to that question but the one that pops up more frequently than others is to have a great culture.

One thing is for sure you have to care about the people that work for you and let them know that in every way you can. Another component seems to be – have some fun.

Back in Episode 5, our guest, Brad Yetman, referred to what we have come to call “mini games” or different ways we can motivate and engage with our team members to keep them interested and on board.

In this episode we look at things from a slightly different perspective with guest, Jeff Neal from Ozarks Remodeling and Design in Springfield, MO. Jeff joined Ozarks in August of 2020 to take over managing the production side of the business and has been able to grow the production staff to double the size, allowing them to reduce their backlog and serve their customers sooner.

Tim, Steve and Jeff talk more about:

  • Background and description of Ozark Remodeling (size, types of work, etc.)
  • The Definition of a “mini game.”
  • Where the concept come from and the motivation behind offering them to the team.
  • An example of a game that has been used to “fix” a problem.
  • And more…

Ep.153: Using a Talent Management Test for Hiring with Ben Reynolds

June 7, 2021 Hiring, Operations, The Tim Faller Show 00:34:27

The hiring process is a big challenge for, well, all of us.  

One way to assist in this process is by having a good set of interview questions, and the skills to actively listen to the responses given.  Without these tools, you may find yourself later on wondering how you missed red flags in an employee’s interview and hiring process. 

Guest Ben Reynolds joins this episode to teach you how to avoid that very situation.

Ben is the production manager at Kawartha Lakes Construction in Lakefield, Ontario, a design build company that has implemented a hiring process that has proved to be successful, and promotes employee retention.  

This process includes a required skills assessment made up of practical tasks that a potential employee in a specific position would be faced with on a regular occurrence.  By adding this to their hiring process, they are able to ensure that prospective employees are proficient and efficient when operating in remote and hard to access areas, a large part of their business.

Tim, Steve and Ben talk more about:

  • Who should be participating in the interview process
  • What positions require this demonstration of talent
  • Hiring based on drive and aptitude
  • And more…

How Much Does a Bad Hire Cost Your Business?

The Remodelers Advantage Hiring Edge Program helps you hire key team members more effectively using a unique combination of TriMetrix DNA Assessment Tools and experienced, hands-on business coaching. Our mission is to improve your hiring process and help you attract the talent your company needs and deserves.
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Ep.150: Building a Team, Not a Family with Jef Forward

May 10, 2021 Hiring, Management 00:40:45

While having a family-like culture is a well intended premise, it is oftentimes impractical.

Companies may notice that one or two employees are intolerant of the family-like culture in place, and leave the “family” dysfunctional. 

Creating an environment where there is a structure that resembles a team, rather than a family, is a way to avoid intolerance, and grow as a company.  In this episode, guest Jef Forward describes how he was able to achieve a team-like culture in his business, and why it has been successful.

Jef has a Masters Degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan and started Forward Design Build in 1997, focusing on a design and build method to ensure successful projects. He defines a successful project as a happy homeowner with a beautiful, functional home completed with-in ‘stated’ expectations of cost, service and schedule from the beginning of design to the end of construction.

Tim, Steve and Jef talk more about:

  • The “locus of control” 
  • How to address and correct the path of someone who is trending sideways
  • How to efficiently communicate with different team members
  • And more…

Get on the Waitlist for the 2021 Remodelers Summit in Phoenix

We are very excited to announce that after more than a year of virtual conferences and canceled events, we are holding the Annual 2021 Remodelers Summit LIVE and In-person at the luxurious Arizona Grand Resort & Spa, in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 22, 2021. We will launch registration on May 19, 2021, but if you’d like to join our waitlist, we will guarantee you a spot at this event and offer you the lowest pre-sale special pricing of $500 off the standard registration fee. So, sign up today!

Ep.147: How to Engage Your Staff to Help Train Each Other with Ned Trimming

April 19, 2021 Hiring, Management, The Tim Faller Show 00:40:28

Training, training, training!  

Business owners, production managers and general managers often get caught in a position wondering how to do it all. 

So, we turned to a former guest and a member of our production manager roundtables, Ned Trimming, to share his efficient training process, which involves both current and new employees.

Ned Trimming is the Production Manager at Crescent Builds located in Seattle, WA.  Ned and his team at Crescent are dedicated to building high-quality spaces for people to live and work in, while also creating an employee review process that continues to morph into new areas of training.

Tim, Steve and Ned talk more about:

  • Active cross-training
  • Training opportunities within a company
  • Establishing lateral service goals
  • And more…

We Have a New Production Manager Roundtables Group Forming Now!

Do you want your Production Manager to learn from the best?

Remodelers Advantage is adding a new Production Managers Roundtables Group to our roster of 5 successful, thriving groups. If you are interested in learning more, click here to visit our website.

Ep.146: Diversity in Trades with David Jacobs

April 12, 2021 Hiring, Management, The Tim Faller Show 00:40:54

As the remodeling and custom building industries struggle to find young, talented, hard-working talent to hire, business owners often miss out by not looking toward opportunities for minority hiring.

Expanding the search for talent in otherwise overlooked groups of people can open up an entirely new group of prospects. Guest David Jacobs of Jobs for Delaware Graduates shares how he provides students with a post-secondary plan while encouraging students to enter fields of trades.

David has spent the past seven years as a classroom teacher with the mission to enable students to achieve academic, career, personal and social success.  With over 15 years of experience working with youth, David discusses the challenges that he sees in inner-city students who may lack motivation and a vision for their future. 

Through the Jobs for Delaware Graduates program, he is able to provide students with the knowledge and benefits of choosing a career in the field of trades.

Tim, Steve and David talk more about:

  • The current lack of diversity in the trades
  • Expanding the search for trades
  • Possible ways to increase awareness and diversity in the field of trades
  • And more…

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Ep.143: From Client to Employee with Meghan Haines

March 22, 2021 Hiring, Management, The Tim Faller Show 00:30:15

The transition from client to employee, does it work?  

Meghan Haines joins Tim and Steve in this episode to talk about the dynamic from being a client to now an employee and why it may or may not work. 

Having the knowledge and experience of a client in the remodeling industry is helpful in the transition to becoming an employee and brings a point of view that some employees may not have.  Meghan talks about the surprises and potential roadblocks in the transition and how she has made it work.

Meghan Haines is the Production Coordinator for Hercules Design Build, a remodeling company in the St. Louis area. Meghan has been with Hercules for a little over a year and a half; However, before joining the company, she was a client for three remodeling projects in her own home.

Tim, Steve and Meghan talk more about:

  • Customer relations
  • The benefits of bringing experience into remodeling from different fields 
  • Advice for contractors interested in hiring
  • And more…

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Ep.137: Work Force Development in Non-vocational Schools with Rhonda Hanaway

February 8, 2021 Hiring, Management, Operations 00:33:34

We have done a number of podcasts on work force development. We have spoken with contractors, vocational school teachers, and trade associations like NARI about the topic that is so important to the future of our industry.

In this episode, we are expanding by talking to a Career Advisor who works in the guidance department of a Charter School here in Rhode Island.

We have worked with Rhonda Hanaway on in-person and virtual career days and learning sessions with her school and others in our region.

Rhonda is the Career Advisor at Blackstone Academy Charter School in Pawtucket, RI and has recently been appointed to the Governor’s Coaching Corps in the state of RI. This is a cohort of 35 professionals chosen out of a large pool of people around the state to work on essential questions for Workforce Development.

Tim, Steve and Rhonda cover:

  • The difference between a Charter School and a Regular School.
  • What Remodelers and Builders can do to get involved in the non-vocational schools in their own areas.
  • What the approach should be and what person or title should they should reach out to.
  • How to get schools involved that may not have a similar program in place.
  • Job Fairs; what are they and how can they be started.
  • And more…

FREE Webinar: The Slippage Blame Game - Who's Fault is it?

As long as there has been estimating, there has been the blame game when the estimated price doesn’t match the production costs… that gap is referred to as “slippage” and when left out-of-control, can be devastating to a growing remodeling business.

Tim Faller will lead this FREE webinar on Tuesday, February 23rd, and will focus on the challenge of getting the numbers right and how to look at the problem from all perspectives.

[Click Here for More Information & to Registration]