Not Again, Dad! – How to Find Great Employees

As we begin to move into what is typically our busy season, I thought it would be good to discuss a topic that is one of the most challenging issues for component manufacturers: finding good employees. In a recent One Minute Poll on the SBC website, respondents said finding and retaining good employees is one of their top obstacles to overcome as business ramps up. We’re all familiar with the common hiring concerns:

• Good people are hard to find.
• Young people today just don’t seem to have the same work ethic they did in years past.
• How do you find people who can pass a drug test?
• We hire 10 people and only one or two make the cut.

Component manufacturing is a rewarding profession. Most of the people I know truly love the industry, but those working in component manufacturing aren’t your average run-of-the-mill people. Finding good ones like them is difficult, to say the least.

My company has all the hiring processes and procedures you might expect a large and established company to have. We have position postings online, corporate recruiters, a detailed policy for finding good people, background check policies, detailed job descriptions for every position, a physical test a candidate must pass to even get in the door, and an aptitude test for our technical positions. Without a doubt, these methods work and I appreciate all of the tools available to help our managers find the right people. That being said, I still believe that implementing recruiting strategies in and around your community will produce the best results. I’ve worked on this issue my entire career. While I still face the same challenges that we all do, I have found some methods for finding good people close to home that I’d like to share.

First of all, I am always on the hunt for good people and I look for them in my everyday life. My wife and kids have seen this first hand and get a kick out of my recruiting methods. A few times (okay, my family might say many times) I have received outstanding service from our waiter or waitress at our family’s restaurant of choice. This person has been courteous, energetic and really gone above and beyond in the area of quality service. I try to observe how a person carries themself, works with others, and relates to the management of their current workplace. When I notice these things, I tend to mention it to my family. This is usually when they roll their eyes and say, “not again, Dad!” I strike up a conversation with our server and ask about his or her interests (this is usually when my kids warn them they are being recruited). I’ll ask if they have any interest in the work we do. If they’d like to learn more, I give them my card with an encouraging note about their performance and an invite to come see us for a career opportunity.

I follow this logic in all kinds of day-to-day situations. Good workers are all around us and a lot of them are still looking for a job that is worthy of their devotion and work ethic. The key is weeding them out from all the others.

Recently while traveling to a customer meeting, I noticed a particularly energetic gentleman in a Statue of Liberty costume in front of the local Liberty Tax Service. He was dancing and flipping a tax return sign like he was as happy as could be doing his job. I figured he must have just gotten started for the day or it was his first day on the job, but during my return trip four hours later, he was still there going just as strong as before. That night, I told a couple of friends about Lady Liberty’s work ethic. My friends said he had been working outside that office for about two weeks and he was like that day in and day out. The next time I was in the area, I purposely drove by to see for myself. Sure enough, he was still hitting it with the same steadfast enthusiasm. I was convinced. I pulled over and told the gentleman that anyone who could work that hard in 30-degree weather and stay that energetic was the sort of employee we were looking for. I left him my card and invited him to stop by the plant to fill out an application. A little later, I checked with our production manager to see if someone had come in and presented my card asking for an application. The production manager answered my question with a big smile and told me the guy did come in and his formal interview is scheduled for next week. I have no idea if he will make the cut, but the production manager’s comments were favorable after the first contact interview.

Keeping my eyes open all the time for good people has been helpful, but some other great successes have come from building strong relationships with local educators to help us locate desirable employees. When recruiting potential technicians, we work with local colleges and vocational institutes in the area. Many times, construction management, architectural and engineering students start down the path of a four-year degree, but change their minds a year or two in. These students sometimes find the idea of working as a truss or wall panel technician a desirable alternative. They can also pursue their education with our company’s assistance as they work in these positions. I have seen several solid long-term employees develop using this method.

We have also formed relationships with coaches, guidance counselors and vocational educators at local high schools. They can be very helpful finding solid kids just coming out of school who are ready to join the workforce. These educators send us kids that have a strong work ethic and solid attendance in school, two great recommendations.

When working with educators, SBCA’s WorkForce Development (WFD) promotion binder is an excellent tool for providing background on the industry. The binder includes an introduction on the structural building components industry, as well as career brochures and SBCA publications to hand out. The WFD website, wfd.sbcindustry.com, is also jam-packed with information about the industry and training resources.

While it’s understandable to focus on the younger generation, don’t forget about more seasoned and even retired workers. A few months ago, our shipping manager was having trouble finding good escort drivers. Many people had poor driving records and the varying schedule of receiving a few hours one day and then working all day the next didn’t appeal to others. We didn’t want to give up current workers to jump in an escort truck for a few hours because we needed sawyers and builders on the shop floor. Our shipping manager couldn’t seem to find good employees who were reliable and that would stick with him. I put some thought into it, talked with some of my retired teacher friends from the local coffee shop, and we struck a deal (see photo). The retired educators hired on as escort drivers and we put them on a call list. When we need a driver, we simply call down the list until we find a driver who isn’t busy that day. With a number of possible candidates, there is always someone willing to fill the position for that day. This gives our company very reliable (Master’s degree educated, no less) escort drivers, and it gives the breakfast crew a nice part-time job that doesn’t interfere with too many of their fishing days. Everyone wins!

So keep your eyes peeled. The person who serves you breakfast, or the person who eats breakfast with you, could be your next superstar employee.