P R O F E S S I O N A L PA I N T I N G C O N T R A C T O RPPC

PRODUCTIVITYTop 10 new tools for painters

OPPORTUNITIES Why it pays to give back

to your community

STAFFING3 tips for dealing with

the labor shortage

LEADERSHIP4 secrets for passing

on your business

PAINTER TO PAINTERWhat I’ve learned

SUMMER 2015V25 N2

BETTER BRANDING THROUGH

PAINT COLOR

PPC summer 2015 39

Business matters

3 Tips for Dealing with the Labor Shortage

I see it all over the country as I help contractors make good hiring decisions. There

is a shortage of tradespeople. The economic downturn and

length of unemployment for crafts-men has led them to find other occupations, leaving a gaping hole in the talent pool.

No doubt you have felt the pain if you have tried hiring skilled work-ers over the past couple years. Here are a few strategies to consider for adding staff when demand is high and supply is low.

Tap your networkSome of your best employ-

ees will come through referrals from people you know. The people around you want to help; you just need to show them how. Make it easy for them to identify ideal candidates for you. Provide them with a clear description of the kinds of employees you are looking for.

My clients do this with descrip-tive job advertisements. The goal is to include enough traits and at-tributes to make someone say “this is me,” or “I know someone who would love this.”

Describe ideal candidates, what they love, how they work, your work environment, who you serve, what you believe in.

Then let the world know. Share with your employees, your col-

leagues, other contractors, your vendors, your clients. Don’t be concerned sharing with people you know. You have nothing to be em-barrassed about – you are growing and you know exactly the kind of person you want on your team! In fact, by being this descriptive, your job advertisement doubles as a business advertisement: These are the kind of quality people we will have working in your home or office.

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BY ART SNARZYK

40 PPC summer 2015

Converts from other trades

The same qualities and at-tributes that make a good painter translate well from other trades: technical work you can be proud of, working with your hands, the satisfaction of seeing results rather quickly, and a certain degree of autonomy.

Look into some of the more ex-hausting trades or those that are hard on one’s body and set out feel-ers by writing a job advertisement that gets them curious about the painting industry. Our work can be tough, but not as strenuous as some others’ work. A recent client had luck converting seasoned floor layers by “giving their backs and knees a break.”

Look outside the �eldI challenge you to open your

mind about what makes a great painter. Of course, when you need people, you need them now. In that case, do what you must to meet business demands. With some additional forward thinking and planning, you can set up your business with great tradespeople to capitalize on future growth.

You already know that with a little patience, you can get the right per-son up to speed in a short time. It is true that businesses “hire skill and fire attitude.” If you start with the attitude, you already know you can train the skill.

Great people work in all in-dustries. There are many people working jobs that do not have

some of the perks that a painting career has.

Think of the restaurant server that showed some hustle and wowed you with service. Think of the weekend bagger at the grocery store who stacked your food conscientiously while still giving you a smile. They have the attributes that you would love to have on your team, and inter-facing with your clients.

Of course, they will need to learn some technical skills, but you or ex-isting staff can do that. These folks might be wishing for a more predict-able schedule, a steady career, or a trade that gives them pride.

Bottom lineBe clear, keep your eyes open,

and you will see the opportunities for growing your team in a tough market. PPC

“I challenge you to open your mind about

what makes a great painter.With some forward thinking and planning, you can set up your business with great tradespeople to capitalize on future growth.”

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ART SNARZYK is the owner of InnerView Advisors, known as the

“Turnover Terminator” for helping businesses attract, hire, and man-

age high-performing employees. You can

reach him at art@inner viewadvisors.com.