labor shortage Archives - The Tim Faller Show

Ep.37: How to Prevent Employee Poaching with Erika Taylor

January 7, 2019 0:30:27

Although wages and benefits are rising faster in the remodeling industry than in others, the labor shortage remains an ongoing problem. Good talent is hard to find. Many companies are poaching production staff from other firms to solve their problems.

In this episode, Erika Taylor talks to Tim and Steve about the issue, why it happens, and how to structure your company to keep your workers from being lured away. It goes well beyond wages — and Erika also discusses the results of a national survey of pay and benefits from Professional Remodeler.

Erika Taylor is director of content for Professional Remodeler. She’s also served as an editorial director with Hanley Wood and as a contributing editor for the Los Angeles Times Book Review. Her work has been published in Los Angeles magazine and the LA Weekly. A native of New York and California, she currently lives in Dallas.

You have to fully engage your employees in your company to reduce the risk that someone else can woo them away. According to the survey, remodelers say they plan wage increases across the board and remodelers are more likely to offer benefits than other small-business employers. So throwing more money at the problem isn’t going to make it go away, because more money is out there anyway. Erika tells you how to proactively structure your company so employees want to stay with you, including:

What goes into a great culture, and why you need to have one
The importance of training to beat the labor shortage
Taking a hard look at what it’s like to work for your company
How to hire for culture
Identifying and living your company values
Why you should have quarterly check-ins with your employees
Identifying areas of growth for your people
The importance of trust and transparency across the board
And much more…

To learn more about developing your company culture, Tim highly recommends reading First Break All the Rules, from Gallup — it’s a great companion to this episode.

Ep.35: Find Great Employees with Effective Marketing with Jack Jostes

December 10, 2018 00:31:32

As the labor shortage drags on, and may even be getting tighter, getting the word out about open positions in your remodeling company is more important than ever. Your recruiting effort is really a marketing function.

In this episode, Jack Jostes drops by to talk with Tim and Steve about going beyond the help-wanted ad to effectively use digital marketing tactics to fill your open positions.

Jack is the author of Get Found Online: the Local Business Owner’s Guide to Digital Marketing, and CEO at Ramblin Jackson, a digital marketing agency in Boulder, CO, that helps remodeling companies and contractors get found online.

In marketing, the key is make your message about what the customer wants, needs, and dreams of. Show them how you’ll solve their problem, identify their pain points and offer them solutions. It’s the same when recruiting. People want to make good money, enjoy their work, and be part of a team. They want job security. Remember that hiring isn’t just about that one person — it’s about their spouse or partner and family.

Knowing that can also help get the word out. If you’re trying to recruit, and a spouse sees it on Facebook or Instagram, they may bring it to the right person’s attention — “here honey, this sounds just like you.” It’s also imperative to make everything easy to find on mobile devices like smartphones. He tells you how to do that, as well as:

The importance of having a career page on your website
Using video and YouTube to your advantage
How to involve your team to get the word out
Controlling the message
Positioning your company as a winner online
And more…

Think of yourself as a storyteller, says Jack, and he how to craft stories that will bring more applications to your inbox.

Ep.32: The Importance of Hands-On Tool Training with Gary Katz

November 19, 2018 0:34:44

Skills training is a hot topic, but too few companies are doing anything more than discussing it. The industry can no longer count on anyone else to do the basic training for trade skills, those in the remodeling business need to do it to help solve our labor shortage.

There’s also a fear of training employees, just to see them leave with their new skills to work for someone else. But training your employees will help the industry as a whole, and that means taking responsibility and doing something about it, says Gary Katz.

In this episode Gary tells Tim and Steve about why — and how — companies can commit to training their people to keep up with new technologies and products, and build your business.

Gary is the publisher of THISisCarpentry.com, an online magazine devoted to craftsmen and craftsmanship. For two decades he has been a frequent contributor to Fine Homebuilding, Journal of Light Construction, Fine Woodworking, and other leading trade magazines. Gary’s books include The Doorhanger’s Handbook, Finish Carpentry: Efficient Techniques for Custom Interiors, and Trim Made Simple. His DVD series, Mastering Finish Carpentry, sets the standard for professional video instruction in the construction trades. The Katz Roadshow provides hands-on training at lumber yards and other locations to share techniques and best practices with industry professionals.

To ramp up your in-house training, you have to create a systems-based approach to everything your people do. Everyone has to do everything the same way, and having a dedicated training facility is ideal — but you can train your team without it. Start by reading your trade magazines, go to demonstrations at trade shows, and create a library of DVDs. Gary shares his insights on training, including:

Why everything moves — and how understanding that changes the way you build
Why training will actually help you keep the employees you want
How to ultimately pass the cost on to your clients
The steps to getting into a training mindset
Making it fun
Unleashing the power of true craftsmanship
Tips on vetting new products
And more…

The underlying importance in training is teaching your people how to think, to figure out how to to adapt techniques to new materials, products, and tools. To find out more about training your team, and where to find the resources to do it, email Gary at gary@garymkatz.com.

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

October 22, 2018 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. 14: Women in Production with Kendal Lenton-Cooney

July 2, 2018 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: