Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2018 - 30

Skill Set

Career Calling
Learn what it takes to
attract talented employees
and gainful employers

By CHELSIE BUTLER

AS REMODELING BUSINESSES ARE ENCOUNTERING BUSIER WORKLOADS,it
is more important than ever for them to engage a skilled staff to produce successful projects on time and on schedule.To obtain employees with dedicated
technical knowledge and management skills, companies must attract them
with opportunities. In turn, those potential employees need to have what it
takes to earn those opportunities.
KBB spoke to Shawn McCadden, a remodeling industry speaker and consultant, who hosted the session,"Career Advancement for Carpenters - Two
Sides of the Same Coin,"at the Remodeling Show in Nashville last October.
"Employees are not only measured by their work but also how they represent themselves," said McCadden. "For a company to invest in them, they
have to make an investment in themselves first."

The following are his tips for advancing one's career and identifying dedicated businesses. He also discusses what a business can do to
attract these tradespeople who are imperative to their success.
How can skilled laborers advance their careers?
McCadden: It would be great to find a company that will provide the

training you need, but you can't assume you will get it all from one
place. Seek out opportunities of your own: subscribe to trade magazines, self-educate yourselves online, ask someone from your company
to mentor you, volunteer for a cause like Habitat for Humanity.
Think beyond just craft skills, as management skills are also missing
from our industry. Companies are also looking for people who know
financials and have people skills - who can talk to customers and staff
through real conversations.
Learn to get along with your fellow workers; stick to your job and
conversations that revolve around that.Think about what you are posting
to social media; that can come back to haunt you, as it never goes away.

How can potential employees identify applicable businesses?
McCadden: Make sure the company is invested in its employees; choose

one that can grow people from within and trains its staff to advance.Take
financial considerations into account - does the company have an annual
budget it can share? Or are they just guessing? If you ask how they can
track their progress against their goals, trust me they will like you.
Find out if the business has a formal estimating system and method.
Does it share this system with the field staff? A carpenter needs to know
that information to work toward a specific goal. Does the business do job
costing on a consistent business?

How can companies attract skilled employees?
McCadden: A company should have an organization chart it can share,

along with job descriptions. Potential employees want to know how
they can move forward, and a growth plan to show a company's
future staffing needs based on the business plan will answer that
important question.
Through the job descriptions, provide the expected outcome if the
employee is doing his or her job correctly. A company needs to provide
performance objectives; not just skills. It also helps to identify what kind
of system a business uses. Is there a production manager telling carpenters
what to do? Or is the lead carpenter responsible for that him/herself,
which affords the company to pay that person more?
Employees are attracted to businesses that offer advancement and
want their staff to grow. As a company, you should define career paths in
writing and include educational requirements so an employee can hold
you accountable.
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Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2018

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