Tom Hanks in the movie “Forrest Gump” said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” The same is true when hiring a new

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employee. There is an artful science to choosing the right person. Follow these ideas to help yourself avoid problem hires and find future employee all-stars.

• Make sure you’re using people effectively. First, never hire to fill a gap where a better process is needed. A classic example is hiring additional front office staff to help keep customers informed about their estimate, schedule or job. Often using an automated e-mail system is much more efficient, leaving time-consuming calls for only those customers without an e-mail address.

• Create the position and then fill it. Sometimes it’s hard to pass on a strong candidate. Trying to find a place for a mediocre employee rather than letting them go can be even more difficult. The better practice is to create the position and its duties, then find the right person to fill it.

• Know who’s on your bench.Teams have backup players. Yours should, too. Always be recruiting. Create a buzz about your company and be on the lookout for talent. You never know when you’ll find the right person. But keep this in mind: If they aren’t working now, there is a reason. Have a backup for each position in your company. Keep them in mind and call on them if a position opens.

• Slow down!What’s the rush? It is estimated that hiring the wrong person will cost $50,000 on average. From training and lost production to infecting others and severance pay, hiring quickly will cost you. Take your time and make sure it’s the right decision. Remember, hiring is the easy part.

Where to Look

Forget the services. Monster, Career Builder, the classified section or your local newspaper and headhunters are a waste of time and money. The people you want are connected to your organization already. Offer up $100 to your existing staff for anyone who brings in a candidate that gets hired. If that candidate stays for 90 days, give the finder another $300. This will create the “pigeon effect.” Your existing staff members will take the new hire under their wing and acclimate them to your company’s culture. This is invaluable and will produce the fastest results. But there are other places to scout out future employees.

• Salespeople:Bartenders make great salespeople. They are used to listening and usually have strong people skills. Many are college educated, carrying a degree in business or communications — both perfect degrees for a sales career. What’s great about bartenders is they respond well to customers’ needs, don’t mind working more than just a nine-to-five shift and understand a sense of urgency.

• Customer service representatives:The hospitality industry has this one on lockdown. Hotel front desk receptionists are my favorite. Some of the best customer service training systems were developed by the hospitality industry. They typically are very presentable, well dressed, smile constantly, remember customers’ names and follow up to ensure the person’s expectations were exceeded.

• Administrators: This is where it’s good to go geek. Best Buy, computer repair shops and retail phone outlets are breeding grounds for the perfect administrator. They love gadgets and can double as your in-house IT staff. Administrators need to multitask; computers make that possible. Look for someone who can keep all your projects and their details in order. They can also double as an inside salesperson, upselling during the job process.

• Supervisors:Now it’s time to hire from within the roofing industry. Lead repair technicians from other companies make great supervisors. Hiring from within here can lead to a lack of respect among other employees. Repair techs are experts in tracking down leaks. They know what installation errors lead to quality defects. And, repair techs are used to working on the roof, not riding in a truck all day merely pointing out errors. Look for someone who wants to put on the tool belt and teach others the right way of doing things. They also have experience in dealing with customers. Teach them a bit of salesmanship and it will pay for itself in three months.

• Crew members:It’s best to stay out of this one altogether. Good crews are like well-oiled machines. If all the parts don’t go together perfectly the timing will be off, there will be a lack of production and resources will be wasted. Set the parameters and let the crews find their own team members. Recruit from within. Oftentimes, best friends will work on opposite crews. Putting them together will make a super crew.

What to Look For

Hire for talent, not skill. Talent can mean many things. What’s important is that they have the capacity to do the job right. Training someone how to do a job is easy. Teaching them how to be a good person is impossible.

• Conduct multiple interviews: Have your office manager weed out the candidates first. Then call the good ones back for a second interview with your sales manager. It’s important that they fit into your sales culture. After the candidate passes those interviews it’s time for the boss to have a look.

• Ask questions that make you go hmmm: The first few interviews should be about experience, skills, past positions and education. The last interview is more about digging deep to discover the inner personality that will show itself later. There are certain questions that make a candidate think. There might not be any right or wrong answers — the questions just show you how they think. This can provide valuable insight into the candidate. Go to www.RoofingContractor.com for a list of sample questions to use in the interview process.

• Search for all-stars:Specifically look for past accomplishments. Look for association memberships, sports team positions, history playing a musical instrument, community club memberships and church affiliations. Now dig deeper. Did they just participate or are they in a leadership position within their association? Leaders will be leaders in everything they do. Look for presidents, chairmen and captains.

• Make the sale:Once you have decided on the candidate it’s time to sell your culture, goals and beliefs to them. Get buy-in and make them excited about the work they are about to partake in. Make them feel a part of your family. Listen to their ideas before they are brainwashed into your way of doing things. Reward openness and reflection. Outsiders can have a unique perspective that could help your organization.

Training

Every new hire, regardless of position, should go through a new employee orientation. This three- or four-hour class should be conducted by the person who handles your HR functions and should include information on all the basics of your company. Examples include: safety, company history, employee manual highlights, non-compete clause and non-disclosure agreement.

After the new employee orientation, design a custom training program for each recruit based on their prior knowledge and the position they are being trained for. Here are some training examples for a salesperson:

1. Website training:Use your website and existing brochures as a basic training starter. Explain each system step by step. Be specific about the why behind the reason your company chooses to use each system, component and manufacturer. The majority of this training is done without oversight. Test at the end to ensure the recruit is clear and has completed the self-taught training.

2. Shadow training:There is no better way to teach someone how to perform duties than by having them shadow your best employee. Salesmen should not run a lead on their own until they have had at least three months of shadowing.

3. Dale Carnegie training: Often thought of as the original sales trainer, Dale Carnegie’s book is one of the best all-time sellers behind the Bible. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is the source for all the great sales and customer service trainers since the book was released in 1936. The 12-week course can be completed at night and is well worth the investment.

4. Career path: Once training is completed, set their list of duties. At that time grant them the authority to make tough decisions without approval and give them the responsibility to make good ones.

This month’s homework is to list the key positions in your company and start looking for backups. Create an employee manual, if you don’t already have one, and have each person in your company sign it. Look at each employee and create a list of training steps to ensure they are trained properly. If you come across someone who isn’t up the task, ask yourself these two questions before terminating them: (1) Is their lack of performance a result of poor training? (2) If they quit today, would I rehire them?

 If you would like copies of a non-compete clause, non-disclosure agreement, 90-day probation period agreement and/or employee manual, please e-mail me at ken@kellyroofing.com.