Hiring

Ep.125: Motivating & Engaging Employees With Consistent Performance Reviews With Selema Lawson-Jack

November 2, 2020 Hiring, Management, Operations 00:32:43

We have heard contractors say, “This would be a great business if it weren’t for the people!”

Many remodelers get into the business to build and create… the unfortunate reality is that they can’t build things without people…yet!

One big challenge owners and managers face is the annual employee review. It seems ineffective at creating change and is often just a platform for an employee asking for a raise.

The Owner feels in a bind and grants the raise, often against their better judgment or without any data to back up their decision.

Tim and Steve welcome Selema Lawson-Jack to the show to talk more about how she has assessed each of her company’s Production staff, through periodic performance reviews, and has determined a growth path for them.

Selema Lawson-Jack is the Director of Production at Schroeder Design Build in Fairfax, VA. and has had great success with their performance review process that has resulted in more promotions from within the department than they have had in the past.

Tim, Steve and Selema talk more about:

  • Selema’s overall experience with job reviews in the past and currently.
  • The thought behind holding performance reviews every 3 months.
  • What the reviews consist of and what content is used.
  • The goal of each interaction.
  • Dealing with requests for raises and promotions.
  • Getting the ownership, management and team on board.

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Ep.123: Exploring the Decent Human Being Theory with Nick Slavik

October 19, 2020 Hiring, Management, Production 00:38:53

Many remodelers, builders and business owners make resolutions or commitments to create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and then they get caught up in the daily grind and it never happens. Or, they take the time and energy to create them and they sit, unused, in a binder on a shelf.

Another challenge for many companies we work with is attracting and hiring people, especially new people to the industry, and getting them trained to “do things our way.”

Our guest today, Nick Slavik, has done an outstanding job of developing SOPs for his company and then implementing training to meet those internally. It turns out he has some other views of the world that are extremely helpful in running a business, as well.

Nick is the Proprietor of the Nick Slavik Painting & Restoration Co., Host of Ask a Painter Live, and contributes to This Old House. He has been and national and international speaker on topics such as entrepreneurship, craftspersonship, trades reformation, working with millennials, harnessing technology for trades business, financial benchmarks, industry standards and coating science.

Nick has been a craftsman for more than 25 years. His company has been awarded more than 5 National awards for craftsmanship over the last 3 years. He has created a rigorous Apprenticeship program where he finds, trains, inspires and mentors young people in his craft. In 2018, he was made a family member at This Old House.

Tim, Steve and Nick talk more about:

  • Background and description of the Decent Human Being Theory.
  • Creating & developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
  • Holding teams accountable and getting them to adhere to SOPs.
  • Developing them is one thing but training to them is another.
  • Balancing the demand for work, growing the business and training new personnel.
  • Hiring green and training OR hiring an experienced painter and re-training them?
  • And more…

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Ep.114: Building the Next Generation of Trades with Brek Goin

August 3, 2020 Hiring, Management, Operations, The Tim Faller Show 00:43:54

We have covered the challenges associated with labor shortage on this show and we have probably had more than ten guests that are directly associated with solving the issue and increasing the awareness and opportunity in the Skilled trades.

We have included many guests who are getting involved by putting together programs and initiatives, and not just talking about the problem at hand.

In this episode, Tim and Steve speak with someone who is making a difference and has gone about it in way that especially appeals to the new generation of tradespeople, and that is social media.

Brek Goin, is the Founder of Hammr, an online professional network and labor marketplace for the construction industry. Brek grew up working next to his father in construction and over the last three years has built one of the largest building-related communities on social media.

Brek joins Tim and Steve to talk more about his mission to build the next generation of construction.

Websites and social media links mentioned in this episode:
Hammr
Builders of Instagram

This Episode Sponsored by: Wellborn Cabinet

We are excited to have Wellborn Cabinet as a featured sponsor for The Tim Faller Show!

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Ep.113: Hiring Right the First Time with Doug Howard

July 27, 2020 Hiring, Management, The Tim Faller Show 00:39:01

Finding and keeping good “help” can make or break your remodeling business. As a business owner you can recruit and interview candidates, maybe even hire one you think will be a superstar, and 2 weeks later you realize that not only are they a bad “fit,” they are destroying the chemistry and dynamic of your existing team.

In this episode Tim and Steve welcome back Doug Howard to discuss the challenges that remodelers face during the hiring process and ways they can overcome them.

Doug is the Director of Consulting for Remodelers Advantage and since joining R/A in 2017, has worked with hundreds of companies, developing strategic plans, streamlining processes, improving profitability, and navigating growth.

Tim, Steve and Doug talk more about:

  • The single most important thing/action in the hiring process
  • Some of the challenges and obstacles remodelers are experiencing
  • Building your own hiring process at your company
  • Some of the resources available out there
  • And more…

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This Episode Sponsored by: Wellborn Cabinet

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Ep.111: Becoming a “Carpentress” with Jade Duffy-Michael

July 13, 2020 Hiring, Management, Operations, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:35:42

As we continue to explore ways to overcome the labor shortage, that plagues so many remodelers and builders in our industry, we found that so many overlook one of the largest untapped labor pools out there… women working in construction.

Women make up a small percentage of the construction workforce and most are in office-based roles or in design. We were excited to hear from a listener that refers to herself as a “Carpentress” – Not sure if that is a real word but we can make it one!

In this episode, Tim and Steve welcome Jade Duffy-Michael to the show to talk more about her experiences as a woman working on the “front lines” of construction. Jade is a “carpentress” with LG Building and Remodeling in Southbury, CT; returning after a year in California where she successfully obtained her finish carpentry license.

Jade, Tim and Steve talk more about the challenges and opportunities that she has experienced, including:

  • Jade’s role in working with LG Building and Remodeling
  • What the industry and business owners can do to cultivate interest in construction for women
  • What the challenges are that she, and other women, face by getting into this business
  • And more….

Introducing Our New Sponsor; Wellborn

We are excited to have Wellborn Cabinet joining us as a featured sponsor for The Tim Faller Show. Wellborn has been a huge supporter of Remodelers Advantage for years and it is great to have them involved in our growing podcast. Welcome, Wellborn Cabinet!

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For more information about Wellborn Cabinet and their amazing products, click here to visit their website.

Ep.109: NARI Work Force Training with Michelle Glassburn & Asher Nichols

June 29, 2020 Hiring, Management, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:37:56

The skilled labor shortage is a challenge we hear far too often about in our industry. In many cases we have asked “What are you doing about it?” and for many, it has been very little.

It’s tough for business owners to take this on themselves because of the finances and resources needed to tackle the issue. It is refreshing to see the trade association stepping up and making a difference.

Tim attended a dinner meeting with the Eastern Mass NARI group a few months back and during that meeting he learned more about their work force development project.

Tim and Steve welcome Michelle Glassburn and Asher Nichols to the program to discuss the progress and success of their program.

Since 2013, Michelle Glassburn has served as Executive Director of the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of NARI. The organization has created the Youth Remodeling Career Day event, a complement of programs that support vocational schools in the area, a mentorship program for emerging businesses.

Asher Nichols is the owner of Asher Nichols & Craftsmen, LLC in Newton, MA. He has been in business for 15 years, and is a member of the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of NARI. For the past 2 years, he has worked with Michelle on the Youth Remodeling Career Day Event.

Ep.106: Running a Debt-free Company with Wally Staples

June 8, 2020 Finance, Hiring, Management, Operations, The Tim Faller Show 00:42:13

We usually focus on production issues like getting good help, working with trade contractors, change orders, etc. In this episode, we change things up and tackle a more general business topic, running debt-free.

We are fortunate enough to have a returning guest join us for this discussion. Wally Staples was on Episode 72, talking about how he recruits employees. For this episode, however, Wally goes into detail about how he has established and run his company, Wally J Staples Builders, as a debt-free business.

Wally started his company in 1993 and worked in the field building new homes and completing renovations until 2001, when he then focused on growing and making the company better. Wally J Staples Builders has some employees that have been with the company for 10-20 years and has never laid anyone off in 25 + years for lack of work, one of the main benefits to running a debt-free company.

Tim, Steve and Wally start with how and why he established his business this way and went on cover more topics:

  • How and why he established his company this way
  • Clarification on what he considers a debt-free scenario
  • Benefits of the cash environment
  • Involving your team in the process
  • How an existing business transforms to debt-free

Tim wraps up the episode with his thoughts and experience in working with debt-free businesses, including his own, over the past 20+ years.

Ep.105: Solving the Skilled Labor Crisis with Clayton DeKorne

June 1, 2020 Hiring, Management, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:41:12

For the last decade (pre-COVID), the demand and lack of skilled labor may have slowed production and increased housing costs more than any other factor. This condition is not new to the U.S. housing industry; the nation faced similar conditions at the founding of the country, and the evolution of the U.S. education system and the building trades have contributed to our modern labor woes.

Is there a path that will lead us out of this? The answer
will depend on where the future of housing is going, which is any one’s guess
now. But, by exploring our past, we may be able to see more clearly what got us
here and help us avoid repeating past mistakes.

In this episode, Tim and Steve welcome Clayton DeKorne to the show to explore this topic further. Clayton is Chief Editor of the JLC Group for Hanley Wood, LLC. Clayton has been with JLC since it’s “early days” in 1988, joined Hanley Wood when JLC was acquired, and also was the founding education director for the JLC Live series of events held annually around the country.

Tim, Steve and Clayton address the skilled labor issue,
which includes:

  • The role technology plays in the future of our workforce.
  • How our colonial history can possibly transform the state of the industry today.
  • How income plays a role in how some choose a profession.
  • And more…

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Ep.104: Inside the Home Builders Institute with Ed Brady

May 25, 2020 Hiring, Operations, The Tim Faller Show, Uncategorized 00:39:07

Meeting the growing need for a qualified workforce in the remodeling and home building industries has evolved into seeing the ideal worker as coming from a range of backgrounds but with a common interest.

In this episode, Tim and Steve welcome Home Builders Institute (HBI) President and CEO, Ed Brady, who explains the breadth of programs offered and the evolution of services HBI is undertaking to match the industry’s varied and changing needs.

Home Builders Institute (HBI), a national nonprofit that trains underserved populations, including veterans, transitioning military, high school students and justice-involved youth and adults for careers in the building industry. Ed currently oversees the operations, products and services for HBI and is a second-generation home builder from Bloomington, Illinois.

In addition, Ed has served 12 years as Independent Director of the Chicago Federal Home Loan Bank, working with leading experts to advance the nation’s housing policy and has also served as a senior officer with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and as the 2016 chairman of its board of directors.

Ep.100: A Conversation with Tim

April 27, 2020 Hiring, Management, Operations, Production 00:37:06

Congratulations on Reaching 100 Episodes!

To celebrate this milestone, we’re changing up the format, turning the tables and featuring our Host, Tim Faller!

In this episode of the Tim Faller Show, Steve interviews his co-host and explores Tim’s background as a lead carpenter, business owner and his transition to a trusted advisor and sought-after industry “guru.”

Steve and Tim discuss:

  • Shifts in the industry, from 1-2 person operations to larger design/build firms we see today.
  • The birth of the lead carpenter system and its evolution.
  • Common issues and challenges that Tim sees in working with Remodelers in the US & Canada.
  • Finding good help and building an awesome production team.

A few items that Steve and Tim reference in this episode: