By Marvin Joles III and Cam Roberts
It’s a struggle. Finding talent. It’s a topic we often discuss in our Blacktop Banter Success Group and one that is possibly easily solvable if you are willing to look through a different lens and willing to take the steps (work) to make it happen. I am going to turn it over to my friend and Blacktop Banter Contributor, Cam Roberts of Laser Line Painting, to explain how he has made this happen.
Cam:
You’re probably familiar with the idea of a “Pipeline” in your business. People often refer to a “Sales Pipeline” when we’re discussing potential job opportunities – potential jobs that we haven’t sold yet.
There is a different pipeline in your asphalt business that is often ignored – your Talent Pipeline.
What is a Talent Pipeline?
Your talent pipeline is a network of potential candidates to work for you. In the same way that you have potential sales, you also have potential employees who might want to work with you. As your asphalt business grows (or even enters into the busy season), there will be moments when you need to scale up your workforce to meet demand. Those potential candidates are in a “pipeline” of talent.
Some of the people in the pipeline you may know very well. You know who they are, they have applied for previous positions, you have talked with them before, you have resumes on file, and maybe you’ve even interviewed them in the past. However, your marketing strategy – and specifically the story you tell of who you are, what you do, and why you do it – will inherently draw people to follow your story. If you tell a good story and share the journey, there will be a pool of talent in a pipeline that you don’t even know about who would love to work with you.
Why Keep Your Talent Pipeline Full
Could you imagine if the NFL only kept the exact number of players it needed for every game? The moment someone got injured, you’d be in terrible shape. Your punter might have to play quarterback because you didn’t have a backup!
The best-qualified candidates in your market are likely not looking for work. They have jobs already and are probably paid very well. However, the time may come when they want to make a change, especially if your company looks attractive. When that time comes, you want to be the first company they think of, making your hiring decisions a lot easier.
Two things will inevitably happen If you wait to hire someone when you absolutely need them:
1. You will rush to fill the position, resulting in not getting your best possible candidate because you didn’t have anyone in the pipeline. This limits your company’s culture, efficiency, and potential.
2. You will struggle to fire employees who don’t fit in due to attitude or performance because you feel like “I don’t have anyone else to replace them.”
How to Keep Your Talent Pipeline Full
1. Put your hiring messages in your marketing, even when you’re not hiring. You want the best talent in your market to know that you will always make room for the best-qualified candidates. Shoot a selfie video and post it to your social media describing the kind of people you are always looking for! This tells people who you are and will attract qualified talent.
2. Keep track of your potential candidates. Keep resumes on file (your local laws may require this anyways) and keep track of potential candidates you come across. You want a “database” of people to call on when you need to hire. This is why sports teams hire recruiters, scouts, and draft experts.
3. Ask for referrals. Your vendors, subcontractors, clients, and even your current employees need you to succeed. When you need people, ask them if they know anyone who would be a good fit in your company, so that the company can continue to grow.
Start your Talent Pipeline now and be ready for when you need qualified talent in your company!
As always, if you have any insight or criticisms about this article or anything in it, please feel free to email me at marvin@blacktopbanter.com or of course, you can reach out to us at Blacktop Banter on any form of social media.
Marvin Joles III, Owner of Wis-Coat Asphalt Maintenance and host of Blacktop Banter podcast. You can listen to and watch Blacktop Banter podcasts by visitinghttps://blacktopbanter.com
Cam Roberts is the owner of Laser Line Painting and the Stripe It Like Its Hot podcast based out of Prince George in British Columbia. He can be reached at cam@stripeitpodcast.
