Building teams in a tight labour market?

So you can’t get good builders!

A common problem when labour is tight. Builders ask for more money, or leave to join a team that pays more. Building companies start competing with each other for staff from an ever decreasing pool. Your best team member leaves and starts up in business. Margins are squeezed and unfortunately, some building companies go out of business.

But  is it possible to overcome a tight labour market - if you are prepared to respond in a well thought out way. However challenging the current climate, it is only by taking decisive action that you will overcome. What’s more, doing you will not only get through this current time but be better prepared for future challenges.  

So, here are the five things you can do. 

Be Totally Committed 

Building and retaining a great team of builders doesn’t happen overnight - it takes effort, patience and decisive action by you - the business owner. More importantly it is founded on your strong conviction that developing a highly skilled team is not only a priority but inevitable. It will happen! There is no other option. There is no Plan B. 

But as in any worthwhile venture there will be setbacks. You won’t get it right the first time. You will make mistakes - some will be painful. There will be people you will need to let go and your growing team will make mistakes. But if you persevere in your vision you will get there. It’s not luck - it’s hard work - 95% give up. Moreover, persevere and you will grow personally!

Develop Your Plan 

As in any high quality build a well thought out plan ensures better outcomes. Similarly in recruiting, training and building a team. The better the plan - the better the team. 

Develop a clear picture of the kind of people you want in your ideal team, and the roles they will be filling. Then detail the steps you will take to advertise, interview, recruit and train. Thirdly outline your processes to ensure your team delivers what you expect. Finally, include a career track that shows how motivated employees can grow with the company. 

Now, while your plan should be comprehensive, it need not be exhaustive. The important thing is to have your overall plan clear in your mind so that you don’t find yourself in a tight spot with no direction. Without a doubt, your plan will change as your situation changes and the market moves. But you will always have a plan - based on the best information you have at that time. You will never be at a loss as to what to do. 

Create Multiple Doors

Many builders rely on only one method of adding staff. For example word of mouth, online adverts, facebook posts or any other single method. While it works everything is great. However, in the real world nothing is static - things are always changing and what works today may suddenly stop working tomorrow. So, if you have only one door into the company and that door is blocked, then panic may ensue! I’m sure you have met at least one building business owner desperate for builders. 

So ensure that you offer multiple ways for potential team members to join your company. In other words, cast your net wide. 

For example, you might consider: speaking at the local high school; offering apprenticeships to school leavers; advertising in the travel, hospitality and tourism sector; offering adult apprenticeships to people needing a new career, a sales opportunity, or a general office administration role; advertising to mature builders looking to reduce their time on the tools and do pricing or project management; talking to current staff about friends and family who may be interested in a building career; posting team stories on facebook and your website etc.  

The more doors you develop, the more you will discover. 

Further, avoid making the mistake of only looking for those people you need right now. Rather, look for good people continuously, so that when you find them you can either add them to your team or to a waiting list. 

Stay the Course

It’s always right to quit something that isn’t working - but a big mistake to quit something that could work with a little improvement. For example, a kitchen company advertised in a local paper and got no response. Zero! Nadah! The obvious thing would’ve been to quit local paper advertising. Right? Wrong! Two weeks later they inserted exactly the same advert but with an offer and generated eleven phone calls. Exactly the same ad - just a little modification. The key learning - Keep going. Test. Modify. Retest. Only quit something after you have tried several modifications. 

It's the same when building a team. Get the best advice you can when developing your team building plan, writing adverts and position descriptions etc. Run your adverts in low cost media first - check responses, make small changes and test again. But most importantly keep testing. Don’t quit! 

Also, don’t spend up huge on recruitment adverts that you have not tested in a low cost environment! Some advertising never works. So testing in low cost media is essential . 

Grow Your Skill

Don’t worry if you think you have low natural ability to grow and lead a team - maybe you’ve never done it before. It is true: you can’t create any more natural ability. But you can learn new skills. Talent just determines how fast you learn those skills. Sure the very few with the most natural ability are likely to rise to the very top of their field, but those with relatively less talent, who learn the skills, also achieve much.

So, don’t panic if recruitment is something you don’t feel you have a natural ability to do well - just practice the steps and grow your skill instead. It will get you a great team.

P.S. Whenever you’re ready….here are 3 ways I can help you grow your building business:

1. Grab a copy of my free book

It’s a road map of a successful 15 minute sales call that’s guaranteed to increase your conversion rate. http://thesuccessfulbuilder.com/book-15-min-sales-call/

2. Join My New  Group

I’m starting a new group called “OnRamp” to kick start sales and marketing in your business. If this sounds like you, message me with the words, “OnRamp”, and I’ll get you all the information.

3.  Join Loft Members

If you’d like help to get off the tools, make more money and get your life back...just  message me at graeme@thesuccessfulbuilder.com and put “LOFT MEMBERS” in the subject...tell me a little about your business and I’ll get you all the details.