Under the leadership of COO Jenna Jackson, Acadian House Design + Renovation has mastered the art of building a skilled workforce that not only fills the present needs but also paves the way for future growth. With a diverse background in healthcare and now home renovation, Jenna brings a unique perspective to hiring and employee growth.
During the most recent monthly webinar with CompanyCam’s John Talman, Jenna shared three actionable strategies on recruiting, hiring, and, just as importantly, retaining top talent in the trades.
Building the RIGHT Culture is Huge
A standout aspect of Acadian House’s strategy is its focus on cultivating a solid company culture that attracts and retains talent.
Jenna emphasizes the importance of a workplace where employees feel valued and seen. Regular team-building activities, transparent communication, and acknowledging achievements make staff feel part of a community. These elements help attract skilled workers and retain them for the long haul.
However, the employee must also bring a self-starting work ethic to fit into their created culture.
“I need you to be self-driven because there’s only so much I can do to get you there,” Jenna explained. “If it’s financial, we can get you there. If it’s personal growth, we can get you there.
“We do a lot of team-building. I know it sounds so cheesy, but we do. We go bowling. We might have a cocktail hour. We have a fantastic Christmas party. Keeping them engaged and feeling very much like a family is what our employees want.”
Jenna says she doesn’t mean to sound harsh, but she also won’t take too much time to decide if an employee isn’t right for their culture and would be best elsewhere.
“I hire slow and fire fast when you see that they’re not aligning with you and your company,” she said. “I can either lead you or manage you. When I can’t lead you, I will manage [you]. And when I can’t manage you, I’m done.”
The Right Type and Timing of Training
Jenna highlighted the implementation of a structured, three-month training curriculum for new hires, which is critical to their integration and success at Acadian House.
This program is designed to provide comprehensive onboarding, from company policies to job-specific skills, ensuring every employee has the tools and knowledge necessary to excel in their roles.
“Employees have a curriculum and rules to follow to work for Acadian House,” Jenna said. “Everybody goes through the same thing because, for instance, I need my project manager to know what my designers do. So that’s why I take all those curriculums, and I really kind of molded into it into one.”
By investing in thorough training, the company prepares its employees for success, fostering a workforce that is competent and confident in its capabilities. Plus, Jenna shaped the curriculum, so the entire team knows what the larger organization is doing and how it’s getting done.
How do you recruit the right people?
Rather than waiting for talent to come to them, Jenna and her team take a proactive approach to recruitment.
They utilize various platforms, such as LinkedIn and industry-specific job boards, to actively seek out potential candidates. This proactive stance extends to crafting detailed job descriptions and conducting rigorous interview processes to ensure they attract and choose skilled candidates who fit the company’s culture well.
Even before much of the initial interview process occurs, Jenna says they’ve found that personality profile assessments, like DiSC, help them learn more about how the candidate prefers to work and what they’re looking for in their professional life.
“We do [the DiSC assessment] with every single person that fills out the application that makes it to the Zoom [interview] process,” Jenna said. “Before we even Zoom, I send this to them. It tells you, will they run over anybody to get it done? Do they make everybody laugh? Are they sociable? Are they super organized? Are they go-getters?”
By adopting these strategies, Acadian House has filled positions and created a thriving environment where employees are motivated and invested in the company’s success.
These approaches serve as a blueprint for any trades business looking to enhance its workforce development and retention strategies.
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