A great team is built by finding the right people for that team. This takes time and effort; not mass hiring events; not by finding that one efficiency metric; not by a one-size-fits-all onboarding process. There’s no easy, guaranteed way to find the right people. Easy routes and shortcuts might have the intention of finding the right people, but the search is not intentional.
Having your actions be intentional—following through with your intentions—is the key part of finding the right people to build a great team.
A Great Team
We all want people we can count on, that we get along with, that can do the work. Every serious candidate we get tells us that’s who they are: punctual, reliable, works hard, easy-going, wants to learn. Being intentional in building a great team requires figuring out the specific characteristics you need for your company’s goals and growth. We all need people that can show up and do the work, what’s the extra thing?
Figuring this out requires knowing how your company is different from your competitors.
- How are you unique in your market?
- Why do people use your product or service?
- How does your team support that?
- Why does your team work at your company?
Our Team
Everything we do goes back to our Vision, Driving Force, and Core Values.
We are growing young leaders who run the best small business—and inspiring others to do the same.
We do this by GROWING LEADERS who deliver BEST WORK.
We can count on our behaviors and actions to be in line with our Core Values.
Strong And Steady
We find a flow in what we take on. We are known for our hard-work ethic, problem-solving skills, and positive attitude.
Our Team is used to the work constantly changing. Some weeks, there might be jobs that are started and ended in a few days. Some days might require a bit of site juggling to get things done. Other weeks, we could have a few multi-phase projects going on. Our Craftsmen are lean and are willing to go where they are needed to keep the flow.
Joel, one of our Team Leaders, takes long-haul projects. He’s on-site every day, liaising between our Project Leaders, the Site Super, his team, and other trades to keep the machines moving and on schedule. Large, long-haul projects have too many variables to plan for—key things keep the flow. Communication, cleaning as we go, and keeping things simple with only the essentials you need on-site keep things moving and get jobs done.
Neat, Clean, + Organized
A sense of order is not just for good looks. We believe it supports the flow, drives creativity, and helps deliver BEST WORK.
People regularly comment that our shop is one of the cleanest they’ve ever been to.
Because we take the time to put things away, we save time looking for them. We take the time to clean things, so we save time fixing them later. When working, we take only what we need to use to keep the machines moving and get the floor done. This helps keep the focus on what needs to be done to get the installation completed.
On our job sites, Ben and Robert find a spot that’s out of their way—yet, centrally located—to unload and stage what they need. Things stay there until they are needed and are returned when they aren’t. At the end of the day, it’s clear what needs to stay on-site and what can come back to the shop.
More Than One
We set aside the pursuit of me, to first serve the mission and the team.
Our jobs require teamwork, coordination, and grit to get done. We need people who aren’t looking for personal glory and are willing to step up to the plate when it matters. We need people who are willing to work the second shift, or Saturday, or out of town, to keep the machines moving. People who are ready to switch gears and projects based on where the needs of the day are key to getting our work done. So are the people who come in every day and move from step one, to two, to three, while delegating out the work to make sure the team is moving through the installation as one.
Isiah, one of our Craftsmen, can always figure out how to make a second shift work. Jared, one of our Team Leads, thrives in making order out of chaos. His team will get packed weeks that take them all over the region and they’ll work together with our Project Leaders and Nick to get it all done. Our Project Leaders, Operations, and Team Leaders figure out how to keep the machines moving when there are shipping delays affecting our products.
Always Growing
We grow by leaning just beyond our security and comfort. It is our duty to expand upon what we have been given.
As individuals, we don’t expect each team member to have all of the answers to every problem they encounter on a job (or in their personal lives). We do expect them to want to figure it out and make it better. This isn’t an easy job, there are a lot of variables that can change the rhythm. In order to be good at it, you have to want to learn. You have to be ok with being in that uncomfortable space where you aren’t good at a thing. Learning requires being willing to fail, and to keep trying until you don’t fail.
Some of our team is “green.” We hire young; we get people that are ready for a vocation. They’ve had a few jobs that weren’t quite right. College wasn’t the best fit. They tried a different route and it wasn’t gonna work. But they are hungry. They want to learn. They put in the time to learn how to do it right. They put in the effort to get it done right. Our team doesn’t go for the okay install—they go for the best. They get to install the best because they put in the work to learn how to do the best.
Thoughtful Communicators
We are intentional in how we speak and listen. We communicate what is kind, necessary, and true.
Communication is the most important skill a person can have. Our words have power. They can affect the moods of the people around us, the perceptions others have of us, and if we—both as individuals and as a company—are trustworthy. A person who is genuinely pessimistic, who declares there is no solution to the problems no matter what, sucks to be around. Someone who has to be right all the time and won’t admit fault or mistake is difficult to work with. People who can accept ownership when there is an issue are easy to work with, as a co-worker and as a client. People who use their words to inspire are a joy to be around.
Our Project Leaders, Jacob and Ben, are skilled communicators. They follow through on their promises to our clients and our team. They know how important it is to return a call. When meeting with clients, they spend the time that’s needed to make sure we’re providing a flooring solution that meets the clients’ needs.
The Right People
Working here isn’t easy. There’s a multi-step interview process that includes going out into the field a few times to see if you want to do the work. Not just the work of installing polished concrete and epoxy floors, the work of becoming a YOUNG LEADER who delivers BEST WORK.
We know the right people for our team want to do that work. That’s why they’re a great team, they’re working together on a common goal. With every meeting, every completed project, every day, we get closer to getting there. We’re looking for people that want to work on that goal while they work on some of the coolest projects in the region.
