Onboard Quickly

BY JESSICA VAUGHAN

Many contractors shed workers in the past few months because they weren't considered essential and had to shut down, because markets softened and customers didn’t want them in their homes, or in preparation for the economic uncertainty ahead.

For some contractors, it's now time to hire again.

SInce customers can't go on vacation or throw big parties, they spend a lot of time in their houses. Suddenly home improvement takes on new urgency and feasibility. Some needed repairs, put off for months, are now on the books. Taken all together, it's time to hire.

In the brave New World of COVID, hiring is a little bit different. Here's how to make sure you have the top-notch crew you want and need while keeping everybody safe in the process.

"Phone screening" is key.

You don't want to hire anyone if you haven't looked in their eyes. Today, hiring comes with risk of exposure, so you want to make sure they’re worth it. Most job postings are getting more and more applicants as temporary layoffs become permanent, so the "phone screen" is your friend.

Start screening with questions about COVID.

If you're hiring for production crews, ask about their appetite for risk. They're considered essential in most areas and even if we're headed for more lockdowns, they'll still be going out into people’s homes. Don't hire anyone without asking how they feel about potential risk. If they hesitate at all, pass them by.

Ask about their adaptability and willingness to take on any role.

We don't know what kind of restrictions or safety requirements will happen next. We don't know if we'll have to shelter in place again in the future, give people fewer hours, or more jobs. We need to hire people who thrive in chaos instead of getting broken by it.

Make in-person interviews a success.

With every interview, you're widening your circle of exposure drastically, so if you're sure from your phone screenings this person is worth talking more to, spend some time thinking how to hold the interview safely. Set up a station outside, keep six feet away, and keep masks on. It's harder to read someone when you can't see their whole face, so ask more questions than normal. Hiring is always going to be a gut decision. You want to feed your gut as much information as possible. Unless someone does something to disqualify themselves pretty quickly, take time to really dig into their experience, personality, and fit.

After you hire them, ask about COVID again.

Have they been exposed? Have they had symptoms? Have they traveled to a hotspot recently? You don't want to bring someone onto your team whose partner is quarantining at home or has test results outstanding. It's not a reason not to hire someone, but it might be a reason to adjust their start date.

Be patient.

Yes, you have more people to choose from, but they're also more desperate. You don't want people who will take anything. You still need a good fit with your company and someone who wants to get into contracting, never someone who's desperate for anything. At the very least, you want someone smart enough to pretend they’re very excited about the job in the interview. You're going to have a lot more disappointing interviews to wade through to find the gems, but they are out there.

Take onboarding seriously.

It may be tempting after you hire and get their I-9 documents to think your work is done and your problem is solved. You have another body on the team and everything is good. But because everyone is so spread out, and they may not see or meet a large portion of your staff, making sure they land well is more important than ever. A trial period is also critical. It’s not just throwing them on a team and in three months, telling them, “Welcome aboard.” When are you giving them feedback? How will you get feedback from the guys they're working closely with? You should fire quickly if they're not working out.

How do you teach someone about your culture?

How did they get the download on safety? How often do you evaluate them? What's your mission and how do you pass it on to them? Make sure you have this process in place before you hire so any new hires are ready to stay safe and contribute quickly.

Hiring in the age of COVID has a few quirks.

Use these tips to ensure you add the best candidates to your high performance team and ensure everyone stays safe during these trying times.