Your company will become more competitive and successful if it is comprised of top talent. A world-class team translates into superior customer service and high-quality work, which enables you to create satisfied customers. Satisfied customers will not only stay with you for the long term, but will also send you referrals.

I’m going to share some principles that we follow at Jon Wayne to ensure that we recruit and keep the best.

MAKE RECRUITMENT AN ONGOING, NEVER-ENDING PROCESS

Many HVAC companies only recruit when needed: to fill a vacant position or when a large project demands more manpower than their current headcount can support. This approach has many limitations. Excellent candidates are rare, and you will miss the chance to interview many of them if you are not recruiting when they are available in the job market. Also, recruiting is like marketing — a process that has to be constantly refined and finessed. By recruiting all the time, you will improve your process and generate better results.

WHEN YOU FIND THE RIGHT CANDIDATE, BE FLEXIBLE

When negotiating the terms of a job offer, assuming the employee is top notch, you should be prepared to bend over backwards to accommodate his or her needs.

Although salary is important, additional benefits and perks like increased vacation time, bonuses, or relocation packages for candidates who would have to move for the job also influence a candidate’s decision.

Great candidates will almost always have job offers from other companies. If you can provide benefits that are tailored to their personal needs, they are more likely to choose you.

TECHNICAL SKILLS CAN BE LEARNED; A GOOD ATTITUDE CANNOT

Top HVAC companies have training programs to teach newly recruited employees. However, technical skills are not the only thing required in our industry. Equally, if not more important are personality traits, such as being proactive, thinking outside the box, a solid work ethic, a willingness to learn, and the ability to work well on a team. These traits cannot be taught, and so you must screen for them during your hiring process.

At Jon Wayne, we hire based on a candidate’s character, and we train them on the technical side of the business after the fact.

FOSTER AN AMAZING CULTURE TO ENSURE YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE HAPPY

Dedicate an outsized amount of time to creating a work environment that people love. At Jon Wayne, we are always showing our employees that we care. For example, we acknowledge important life events publicly. When a staff member has a birthday or an anniversary, we announce this via email to the whole company. He or she will then receive 50-plus congratulatory emails from other employees.

We also celebrate and encourage vacation. Vacation requests are simple and easy. When an employee goes on vacation, we celebrate it in a meeting. This is our way of recognizing and appreciating a team member’s hard work and effort. Working for months or years on end with no break is not beneficial to the company or the individual.

Publication date: 7/30/2018

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