As the construction industry slowly rebounds in select parts of my territory a few of my distributors are considering hiring a new employee or two.
When it comes to hiring or wanting to be hired, our industry is different than most. We have such a niche market that I’ve joked you never have to grab the classifieds if looking for a job, just the phone book.
Sometimes a company is so excited that a candidate has commercial door and hardware experience that they skip over important steps and hire someone too fast.
But I urge you to slow down and take the steps necessary to find the right fit for your team. Knowledge is important, but in our industry attention to detail and organizational skills are crucial to the success of our businesses. Finding a candidate with those qualities may take some time.
The good thing about our industry being small is that a potential employee’s history can be easily followed. It always surprises me how little time a hiring manager takes to check references. Check at least two references. If you are only going to check one, don’t pick the current or last place of employment. Skip to a previous employer.
Why? It’s possible that employer has a vested interest in making sure a particular candidate finds a new position. Perhaps they are performing badly and they want them to move on without having to claim unemployment.
Another thing I would suggest is to have two interviews. One in the office and one off site, maybe over lunch or coffee. Seeing how a prospective employee interacts with the service industry can offer valuable insight into their character.
A more recent tactic is taking the time to check out a candidate’s social media accounts. Believe me, this shares a lot about their character! Probably too much. EHarmony is planning to launch a new employer/employee match service in the next 6 months. They claim they can add a little science to the search to assist you in finding the right person for the job. Use these new tech tools to help you find your desired employee.
There has been a lot of talk about companies being too quick to hire and too slow to fire. Don’t let that be you. Be patient and do the research. Your staff is the most valuable tool in your arsenal.
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