How to Hire Top Producing Employees

In this industry, one of the most common complaints we hear from business owners is how difficult it is to locate and hire top people. In just about every industry rag you’ll find articles with suggestions for hiring and unfortunately, they rarely come from recruiting professionals from the contracting industry. The truth is there are no tricks or tactics to recruit the best of the best and advertising is generally a lost cause. The Golden Rule for recruiting is: If you want to attract top talent, offer an opportunity they’re attracted to. It doesn’t get any simpler that this.

The bottom line is top employees go where the money is. Does this mean they are only money motivated? Not usually. It’s because companies where employees are earning $100-150K or more per year have the best to offer their employees. The best pay, benefits, culture, management, training, equipment, vehicles, marketing and advertising…and the list goes on. It seems most people in the industry are convinced there’s a shortage of technicians; I can’t disagree more because A/C units are getting repaired or replaced and plumbing systems are being upgraded. It’s not as if consumers are desperate for service; there are usually hundreds of contractors to call in most areas, so there is no shortage.

Consumers are, however, in search of excellence contractors. It’s just as difficult to find a quality plumber, electrician or HVAC professional as it is a good mechanic. Shoddy work, leaving filthy jobsites and poor service are commonplace in the industry. Is there a shortage of technicians? No. Is there a shortage of excellent technicians? Yes. What’s the solution? Training…that is excellent training. Do your employees know how to deliver five-star VIP treatment? Do they know how to thrill customers beyond their expectations to have referrals flooding in? Do they know how to offer options and upgrades with polished, value-building presentations that motivate prospects to buy without hesitation? The majority of technicians don’t have these abilities and this is where the problem lies.

Many business owners believe the only way to increase profits is to throw lots of money at different advertising sources and to add as many trucks as possible. All this does is multiply all of the problems right along with the stress. The most important aspect for determining your success relies on what your employees are doing with the valuable leads you’re giving them. 

Phil Knight and Ron Rice are the masterminds behind the Nike and Hawaiian Tropic empires. They didn’t have state of the art warehouses, or a team of CSR’s or fancy graphic wrapped vehicles to build their fortunes, they only had a trunk. They got to where they are today by knowing how to sell. Unfortunately, in this industry, most employees know very little about selling and that’s why so many contractors experience such low profits. In short, recruiting top people is as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Get Training
2. Get Profits
3. Get Top People