Hiring the Right People

In this episode of The Thornton Edge, Tony Thornton tackles one of the biggest challenges facing growing fence companies: Hiring the right people. Finding someone to fill a position is easy—finding someone who fits your culture, shares your standards, and can help move your company forward is where the real work begins.

Tony breaks down what business owners should look for when building their team, why the wrong hire can cost far more than a paycheck, and how intentional hiring can create stronger crews, better leadership, greater accountability, and a healthier company culture.

If you’re ready to stop simply filling seats and start building a team that can grow with your business, this episode is for you.

Hire smarter. Build stronger. Lead better.

Transcript

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Season one, episode two, finding the right employees. We have to stop hiring for a pulse and a warm body. We have to start hiring for the future. Hello everyone, and welcome to the Thornton Edge. I'm Tony Thornton, and for the next few minutes or so, we're going to talk about one idea that can help you build a stronger, more profitable fence business. With more than 50 years in the fence industry, I've seen major hiring problems within our industry. These hiring challenges have remained remarkably consistent. It is hard to find the right employees. That's what we hear. That's what I've always heard. It doesn't matter if you're a small contractor with one crew or a large company with multiple locations. Nearly every fence contractor I talk to says the same thing. Tony, if I could just find good people, my business would explode. The reality is labor shortages aren't unique to the fence industry. Construction as a whole has been dealing with this challenge for many, many years. And here's what I've learned after more than 50 years in the business. The best companies don't simply find good employees. They create an environment where good employees want to stay. As I often tell contractors, hiring is important, but retention is where great companies are built. So let's talk about it. The challenge is years ago, hiring was relatively simple. Some would walk into the office looking for work, they'd fill out an application, maybe you'd ask them a few questions, the next morning they'd be on a fence crew. Those days are long gone. Long gone. Today's workforce has choices. They're looking for more than a paycheck. They're looking for stability, for an opportunity, they're looking for respect, they're looking for training, they're looking for growth within the company, and they're looking for a strong culture to work with. One of the biggest mistakes I see contractors making is hiring out of desperation. A crew member quits, work is piling up, the phone is ringing, so the owner hires the first person who walks through the door. Sometimes they work out, most times they don't. The wrong employee can cost far more than an empty position. Poor workmanship, safety issues, customer complaints, damaged equipment, low morale by the other team members, turnover is evident, and the cost of a bad hire can be enormous. So what's the real issue? Here's something that may surprise you. The labor problem isn't about hiring problem. Sometimes it's a leadership problem. Ask yourself, look in the mirror. Would you want to work for your company? Do employees know what is expected of them? Do they receive the proper training? Do they have the right equipment to do the job? Do they feel appreciated? Are they told thank you? Do they see opportunities to grow? People don't usually leave companies. They leave confusion and chaos. They leave poor communication, lack of leadership. They leave because of no future. The companies that consistently attract good employees have something very common. They have systems, they have workflows, they have clear job descriptions, titles, and KPIs. They have a structured onboarding process, and they have defined career paths. They have performance expectations, they have a pat on the back and a recognition policy, and they have accountability written all over their company. Employees want to know that their efforts matter. So what is your solution? What can fence contractors do? I recommend focusing on the following four things. First, hire for attitude and character. You can teach someone to build a fence. It's much harder to teach honesty, work ethic, and integrity. Second, create a structured onboarding process. Don't simply hand somebody a shovel and say point it at the job site, go get it done. Introduce them to your company, introduce them to your values, your safety expectations, your quality standards, and third, invest in the training. The best employees want to improve. Training tells your team that they're valuable. It also improves productivity, reduces costly mistakes, and fourth, it builds a culture people are proud to be part of. You gotta celebrate those successes and those wins. You've got to recognize those accomplishments. You gotta communicate openly and treat people with respect. Culture isn't built during company picnics. It's built every single day through proper leadership. Building a career is not just a job. One of the most successful contractors I worked with changed one simple thing. He stopped advertising for laborers. He started advertising for careers. His message wasn't we need fence installers. It was we're building a team of professionals with opportunities to grow. The difference was remarkable. People want to belong to something. They want to know where they're headed. Can an installer become a lead crew member? Can a lead man become a foreman or a superintendent? Can a foreman become an operations manager? Can a salesperson become a sales manager? Show people a future and they will help you build your business. The best companies don't just fill positions, they develop leaders. So here's this week's challenge. I want to leave you with this. Take a look at your business and ask yourself these questions. Do we have written job descriptions? Do we have an onboarding process? Do we provide regular training? Do employees know what success looks like? Would I recommend my company as a place to work? And perhaps the biggest question of all, if my best employee left tomorrow, would I know why? If the answer is no, there's an opportunity for improvement. I'd like to leave you with this final thought. The fence industry has always been about building things that last. Strong fencing, strong relationships, strong reputations. The same principle applies to your team. Don't build a workforce that constantly is changing. Build a culture that people want to join and don't want to leave. Remember, employees are not your biggest expense. The wrong employees are your biggest expense. The right employees are the one of the greatest investments you'll ever make. Hey guys, thank you for spending these few minutes with me. And if you have any extras in a free consultation scorecard on your business, visit Fence Consulting Group.com and click on Free Scorecard. Also check out the Fence Masters Peer to Peer Group and become a member. We'd love to have you participate. Remember, people don't build great companies by accident. Great leaders build great people, and great people build great businesses. I'm Tony Thornton, and thanks for being here at the Thornton Edge. See you next time. Keep on fencing.