HIRE SMART, DELEGATE BEFORE IT�S TOO LATE

by Natalie C. Homes

      Finding quality, motivated employees is a common challenge for building business owners.  At the same time, you know you cannot perform all the administrative functions of your business and sell your services and produce a quality product � all while trying to envision the future for your company as CEO.  Therefore, if you have not figured out how to interview, hire, train, and retain excellent employees, it�s essential that you learn something about human resources management now.

      Only 10 percent of new businesses succeed.  If you want to be that one in 10, you need a quality workforce.  Having one will help you live a life that includes personal time, not just 100-hour work weeks as far as the eye can see.

      Whether or not you have adequate help - or the right help - to run your business can mean the difference between a correctly estimated job or one that leaves you in the red; a project ahead of schedule or one that misses crucial deadlines; repeat business or a string of disgruntled customers.  In short, staffing or no staffing may be the difference between success and failure.

 Where do you find the right employee?

      Building professionals recommend leaving no stone unturned in seeking qualified help, since not every hire will be a good hire and your best employees probably will move on, perhaps even start their own building business eventually.

      One builder hires only former Job Corps trainees; another business owner has had good experiences hiring veterans returning from the Iraq war; some have found that, while risky, hiring a former prisoner has been a good decision.

      You can find employees through your competitors, construction inspectors, trade contractors, professional associations, and other industries.  One business owner noticed excellent customer service skills in a waitress who served him and, subsequently, hired her.

State and Federally Funded Employment Services

      In fact, state and federally funded employment services are under increasing pressure to offer employer-demand-driven services to help people find and retain jobs in high-skill, high-growth areas like home construction.  So don�t overlook them as a source not only for workers, but for training and other supportive services that may help you hire someone and keep them employed.

      In addition, the U. S. Department of Labor has provided grants to the Katrina-affected states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, to train workers for jobs critical to the economic recovery of the Gulf region, including construction.  The public workforce investment system is supposed to use the $12 million provided to place trainees in jobs where there is a critical need for workers.

      Once you have a candidate in mind, there are a number of approaches - beyond interviewing them - to determine whether they have the skills you are seeking.  One builder requires candidates to demonstrate competencies in a 10-by-10 foot room where they hang crown molding, install stairs, and perform other similar tasks.  Another escorts candidates to their trucks so he can assess how well their vehicles are organized.

Ongoing Training