The last place most people would expect to get “how to do it” suggestions on successful hiring practices would be from a plumbing and HVAC article. That is an unfortunate misconception.
The reality is protecting the health of our community is serious business. To do it responsibly, John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical had to get good with hiring and managing skills to develop a top-notch team that is talented. Here are some “secrets” on common sense ways to hire a quality team!
We learned to get rid of the excuse said so often that “it’s hard to hire good help”! The reality is there are great people all around us waiting for an opportunity. Most people want to have successful careers. We just needed to find them, manage and pay them well, and fully appreciate them.
After getting past the “excuse” that “it’s hard to hire good help” we found it gets easier to look for the good in others and find it. We became good finders. The good finder philosophy was so contagious our team developed a written recognition program called LINKS. They recognize the positive things their peers do!
We naturally purged negative words like “employee” and “good help”. Successful companies tend to have team members and function as a team.
We eliminate internal company politics by encouraging open communication in our Learning Center which is a Free Zone and in all management practices. Team members accomplished more in our positive work environment. We believe team members need to play fair or quickly go to the competition!
We “hire for attitude and train for skill”. All things can be accomplished better with a positive attitude, which includes training for new job skills. How do we find good attitudes?
Good attitudes can easily be discovered by asking very difficult questions during job interviews to find out what’s in the heart and souls of applicants. It’s hard to fake a good attitude. People tend to become what they think about all day long and who they become obvious. Truth is a patient hunter.
We religiously use personality surveys to hire and manage our team. It’s important to get the right person in the right position, and then manage them in a way that helps them succeed. This is extremely important!
Hiring a quality team is an ongoing challenge and it will never be easy or an exact science. Hiring mistakes will be made. The good news is your team will help correct those mistakes.
A strong team that works well together naturally helps new team members succeed but also eliminates those that will never make the journey. Good teams will not settle for mediocrity. If a new hire is destined to fail it’s best to move on and quickly cut losses. Companies usually hire too quickly and fire too slowly.
Even responsible team members will occasionally make quality mistakes. In positive working environments team members quickly admit their mistakes, because that is encouraged in the culture of a good company with integrity. There is no fear of repercussion, but only trust and an understanding their mistake will be corrected. Our common goal is a happy customer. Because of the customer we exist!
The challenge to a successful company with a great team is uncontrollable growth. At John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical we learned to maintain slow, manageable growth. Our steady growth still forces us to constantly search for potential team members.
Currently, we are seeking apprentice plumbers that can be trained “the John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical’s way”. The plumbing and HVAC trades can provide great challenges in fun careers that pay extremely well. Job security is extremely good.
We are also seeking an Accounting Manager with a solid background.
Please consider John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical if you know someone seeking an interesting career at a progressive company. Our extensive interview process takes up to four hours. We survey seven personality traits and perform criminal history checks as well as drug and alcohol testing.
If you want to visit a company that has “too much fun” every day, our doors are open to tour our Learning Center, Diner, museum pieces, and overall facility. You will find John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical is anything but typical!
Life is short and we owe it to ourselves to enjoy it to the fullest. That includes our “jobs”, which are more like a hobby when we are motivated by them.
Hopefully, my hiring suggestions can make a difference. You are important.
