hiring

Ep.28: Building the Ladder of Opportunity with David Keebler

October 22, 2018 Hiring, Management, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:22:14

Hiring and retention are big issues everywhere. As much as we talk about salary and bonuses, the way to get workers to stick around isn’t always about money. It’s more about the culture of your business, and the way you treat your employees from day one.

You need to give people a vision for what they can become, from the first interview. David Keebler returns to the podcast to talk to Tim and Steve about his ladder of opportunity, a step-by-step systematic approach to training and keeping good people.

David is the Production Manager for Harth Builders in Spring House, PA, and a Roundtables member since 2014. He oversees three Project Managers and six Lead Carpenters who are on target to produce $7 million this year.

The ladder is a roadmap for for potential growth for workers in the field. It quantifies what it takes to move up the ladder. In this competitive labor market, a ladder of opportunity can be the difference between a worker taking a job with your company.

David recommends giving yourself a deadline to create this ladder — gather input and commit to a deadline. Get buy-in and information from your Project Managers and Lead Carpenters. Set up a document that shows what is needed to advance, along with a realistic timeline. You’ll learn the benefits of implementing this system, including how it can:

  • Reduce bickering and complaining
  • Set clear expectations for pay rates
  • Identify where your workers want to go
  • Create a clear system for reviews
  • Boost in motivation at all levels
  • Accelerate training and scheduling
  • Become a marketing tool
  • Plus much more…

You’ll also learn how to train your employees to teach their field teams. Tapping into the knowledge of your team and setting clear goals will empower your production and hiring processes.

Ep.27: Building Great Trade Partnerships with Cory Fields

October 15, 2018 Hiring, Management, Operations, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:30:24

The term “trade partners” is beginning to replace subcontractor, and it’s a growing concept in the remodeling industry. It redefines the relationship, too, putting it on an even playing field.

But it’s more than just a term, and Cory Fields says they’re separate roles. A trade partnership is like a marriage, based on trust and mutual interest, and you work with them from project to project. You’re just dating your subcontractor, though, working on building a relationship that might not work out anyway.

In this episode, Cory explains more about the trade partner relationship to Tim and Steve, and why it can help your company get through the challenges of finding in-house employees in a labor shortage.

Cory is the Production Manager at Schroeder Design/Build in Fairfax, VA. He’s been there for a little more than four years, starting with four carpenters and three or four trusted trade partners, and growing his team to 14 carpenters and 10-15 trade partners.

Finding a trusted trade partner is a process, one built on clear communication and mutual respect. When you find the right ones, they can help you manage a job better than you could on your own. Cory talks about his interview process, and how he works with trade partners, including:

  • The importance of fair pricing
  • Working with you vs. working for you
  • How to move forward after conflict
  • Why you should never hold money back from a trade partner, even if it’s their mistake
  • Wanting the best for them and you
  • And more…

Building relationships isn’t easy, but finding and developing the right trade partners can make you more competitive and profitable.

Ep.21: How to Transition from Lead Carpenter to Production Manager with Ray Hornsby

August 20, 2018 Hiring, Management, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:28:00

It’s a challenge to hire the right people for the right jobs. Finding a Production Manager is especially difficult — so many remodeling business owners think about moving a Lead Carpenter into that role. It often doesn’t work out, though, because the management skills needed for each job are vastly different.

Ray Hornsby drops by to talk to Tim and Steve about how he did it, the challenges involved, and what he looks for now when considering moving a Lead Carpenter up. Ray’s experience gives him a unique view of what it takes — for everyone involved.

Ray started in construction in 1977 as a painter, and over the next nine learned every facet of the trade. Ray joined Hopkins & Porter Construction Inc. in Potomac, MD, in 1986 as a carpenter, then became a skilled Lead Carpenter. He moved into the Project Manager role for new home construction, then became the Production Manager (replacing Tim), then General Manager, and now owner.

Having looked at the change from both sides, Ray has great advice for owners about what to look for in a Production Manager candidate, and also what Lead Carpenters should consider before making the leap.

The key to a successful transition lies in preparation, communication. and creating a great support system for the new Production Manager. Ray talks about the characteristics that make a Lead Carpenter a good fit for the Production Manager role. “People don’t think about the complexity of the role,” Ray says. “You can’t avoid conflicts, you need to put your foot down, and you have to be good at construction, budgets, and efficiencies.”  He offers other tips for making it work, including:

  • The importance of talking with former peers about the new working relationship
  • Why Production Managers need to let things roll off their backs
  • The challenges of sitting in an office for at least eight hours a day
  • How to structure the transition for success
  • And more…

If you’re a business owner looking to move someone up from Lead Carpenter, or you’re a Lead Carpenter who’s thinking of making a leap, you need to listen to Ray’s experiences, insights, and good advice. Click through for more about Hopkins & Porter.

FIVE Reasons to Attend the #1 Remodeling Production Event in the Country 

  1. Great Speakers / Great Content
  2. Learn from Industry Thought-leaders and Peers
  3. Networking Opportunities & Connections
  4. Cool Venue in an Amazing City
  5. Spend the Day With Tim Faller!

Learn More & Register Today!

 

Ep.19: Training Project Managers with Mason Gatto

August 6, 2018 Hiring, Management, Operations, The Tim Faller Show 00:30:47

The labor crunch is real — and it’s getting even harder to hire great employees. But with an intentional training program in place, you can create greatness.

Mason Gatto joins Tim and Steve in this episode to talk training — specifically about his approach to training Project Managers, but the same ideas apply when teaching Lead Carpenters.

Currently the Production Manager of SoBo Homes Design and Build in Boulder, CO, Mason started as a field laborer and has worked every construction position on his way up. He’s drawn on this experience to develop his approach to training Lead Carpenters and Project Managers.

Mason’s training program for SoBo may surprise you — it’s a 60-day probationary period, with an emphasis on shadowing, not getting hands-on immediately. “Hiring is expensive,” he says. “A couple months seems like too long, but you’ll save time and money over the years.” Success starts with hiring for the right fit, not necessarily for skills or a long resume. He details his training program, as well as:

  • Why you need to train before mistakes are made
  • The importance of teamwork
  • Why a Project Manager should shadow every role in your company
  • Ways to cut down on the battle between Sales and Production
  • How to set goals for success
  • And more…

Finding skilled help is already difficult, with no sign it’s going to get easier. But with an intentional training program in place, you can teach the skills that will ensure success for your new hires, and your company. See more about Sobo Homes Design & Build.

 

Hear More From Mason…

We’re excited to have Mason as one of our featured speakers at The Purple Production Conference coming up in September! The Purple Production Conference runs alongside our Remodelers Summit in the amazing city of New Orleans on September 27th. Don’t miss this one-day journey through the inner workings of some of our industry’s most successful production departments. REGISTER TODAY!

 

Ep. 14: Women in Production with Kendal Lenton-Cooney

July 2, 2018 Hiring, Management, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:27:04

It’s been a man’s world for a long time in Production — and home remodeling and construction in general. Change is coming, though. Hiring women for construction and Production jobs makes good business sense, especially with the labor shortage affecting our industry.

In this episode, Tim and Steve talk to Kendal Lenton-Cooney about how to attract and keep women in the remodeling business, and why it makes good business sense to proactively open up the industry to 50 percent of the population.

Kendal Lenton-Cooney is the production manager for Lenton Company in Palmdale, CA, and is a Production Manager Roundtables member. She prides herself on her attention to detail.

“I like making sure all the parts and pieces fall into place so that the job runs smoothly,” she says. Kendal began working with Lenton Company doing occasional office tasks while in high school; her father, Robert, is the company president. But working for the family business was not part of her life plan. After two years in college, Kendal worked in the information technology department at Southern Oregon University and was a receptionist at an insurance company.

When she returned home in 2010 she realized it was the “perfect job she never thought she wanted,” she says. Kendal’s the third generation to work for the company.

Kendal, Tim and Steve talk about what needs to be done to encourage more women to take jobs in Production, remodeling and construction, and how that benefits men, as well, and the business as a whole. They discuss important topics that will help, including:

  • Identifying and attracting good candidates
  • The need for support and training
  • The power of asking questions
  • Great-paying jobs available to women
  • Confronting stereotypes
  • Organizations and training resources
  • And more…

See more about the Lenton Company by visiting the website: LentonCompany.com.

 

FIVE Reasons to Attend the #1 Remodeling Production Event in the Country 

  1. Great Speakers / Great Content
  2. Learn from Industry Thought-leaders and Peers
  3. Networking Opportunities & Connections
  4. Cool Venue in an Amazing City
  5. Spend the Day With Tim Faller!

Learn More & Register Today!

 
 
 

Ep.09: Keeping Craft Alive & Closing the Skills Gap with Rob Yagid

May 21, 2018 Hiring, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:30:44

If you are in the home building or remodeling industries you are more than familiar with the number one issue facing companies who are looking to grow their respective businesses… Finding Good Help.

By that, we mean filling the estimated 6.5 – 7 million jobs that currently go un-filled because there are not enough skilled workers to fill these positions. This skills gap not only hurts growing companies, it affects the nation’s economy as the building and construction industries struggle to keep pace with demand.

From a post-secondary perspective, students today are encouraged or “put on a track” where college is the preferred option; sometimes ignoring the trades as a viable option for many who have interest.

In Episode 9, Tim and Steve welcome an individual who is not only bringing awareness to the issue, but he is also helping lead the charge in celebrating the trades and honoring true craftsmen who are passionate about the work they do every day.

Rob Yagid is the Editorial Director of Fine Homebuilding Magazine and the Founding Director of Keep Craft Alive, an initiative to help celebrate craftsmanship as a valuable and honorable lifelong pursuit.

What began as a simple social media hashtag has quickly grown into a national effort to create awareness, build support and help close the skills gap experienced by so many in the industry.

Through a partnership with Skills USA, Keep Craft Alive provided more than $70,000 in scholarship funds in the 2017-18 academic year, supporting students in various disciplines (plumbing, HVAC, electrical, etc.).

Tim, Steve and Rob discuss the skills gap issue, the work Rob’s team at Keep Craft Alive is doing and some of the other aspects that this employment disparity is causing within the industry.

A great episode about a very timely and important topic. Listen today!

How Can You Help? How Can You Get Involved?

Visit Keep Craft Alive’s website and learn more about how you can support this great initiative. Donate, get involved, follow them on social media, use the #KeepCraftAlive hashtag, buy a t-shirt… whatever you can do to help.

 

Registration for the 2018 Production Conference is Now Open!

After an amazing turnout last year (more than 100 attendees) we are excited to host the 2nd Annual Production Conference, held alongside the 2018 Remodelers Summit in beautiful New Orleans, coming up in September. Register Today!