"First fast, hire slow" -Travis Johnson
Josh Luthman Office: 937-552-2340 Direct: 937-552-2343 1100 Wayne St Suite 1337 Troy, OH 45373 On Mon, Apr 24, 2017 at 11:23 AM, Chuck McCown <[email protected]> wrote: > At my peak, I had almost exactly 100 employees with half of them > installers. We had new guys ride along with the more seasoned veterans for > two weeks. If their trainer gave us a thumbs up, they got a truck and were > turned loose. If the trainer said thumbs down, we gave them two more weeks > and then they were let go if they did not turn it around. You cannot let > it drag on. Cut them lose and move on. I never had regrets after firing > anyone other than “should have done that about 3 years ago”. > > *From:* Ben Royer > *Sent:* Monday, April 24, 2017 9:17 AM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] installer hire / training process. > > It’s interesting reading responses, definitely two different cultures. I > was raised in the midst of both really, luckily I stuck to the former, not > the current, and therefor to me hustle makes sense. It’s about having a > sense of pride for yourself and your work. I can definitely see the > division amongst my team though, as I have young and old, from all > different backgrounds. I have a team of 6 installers, with an 7th that is > my senior employee that I’ve recently transitioned to ‘Lead Tech’. He’s a > bit of a facilitator, someone I can rely on to train new hires, audit > installs, fix major issues, etc. I’ve dealt with most issues mentioned, > I’ve got the guys that fly through jobs, can do 7 a day, but the quality > lacks. Then I’ve got the guys that might take 4 or 5 hours, but their > installs are impeccable. The main reason I started the ‘Lead Tech’ role, > was to find a happy medium to all the different methods, so that at the end > of the day, the customer is satisfied for many years to come. I think > that’s my major takeaway, is regardless of how long it takes, aside from > obvious economics, as long as the job is a quality job and the customer is > satisfied, it’s a job well done. > > As far as training new hires. We have always done that through osmosis. > We spend the first few days in the classroom, giving a basic orientation of > who we are, and what are system is like. I give some RF training, so they > understand it’s not magic, it’s not a laser, there is science behind the > actual physical structure of RF. Then I pair them up with a senior tech, > now the Lead Tech, and send them on their way. They spend the first 30-60 > days of their 90 days with that tech, learning efficient ways to install, > and slowly taking on tasks as the Lead tech assigns. Eventually, working > into a role of doing the whole job while the Lead follows. During this > time frame we have break out sessions as needed. Early on I do a break out > session on tower safety, and we do follow up meetings with them and the > Lead tech to see how they are progressing, and I tweak their training as > needed to address concerns or short comings. Usually, by 40 days or so, > they are ready to do jobs, but no later than 60 days, and then we turn them > lose to try it on their own. You will always have call ins for help, > expect that, and they will be slow on their own at first, but I find the > key is empowering them to make decisions. Most of my slower guys are slow > because they second, or triple, guess their work, instead of just making a > decision and moving on. I had one guy that was told to test 5 different > tours by dispatch to ‘find a signal’, he thought that meant test all of > them, even though he found a signal on the first one he tested, so I had to > explain the goal is to get a signal, period, it’s inefficient to test all > towers, Dispatch was just telling you that you have 5 options. > > If you have an employee that is just too slow and not catching on, it’s > time to let them go, I’ve had to do that also. Some people just are not > cut out for this type of work, as it is a unique job of physical labor, > mixed with a level of intelligence when it comes to the technical side of > things. Military guys are GREAT installer hires, some of my best employees > are former military. Everything can be trained, but hiring someone that > has the will power and determination to work hard, and is respectful, is a > huge advantage to that process. I didn’t really see where you discussed > the exact findings that was causing your employee to be slow, but I’m sure > once you start to identify them, focusing some attention on those areas > will quickly teach you on if they can adapt, or need to be let go. > > Thank you, > Ben Royer, Operations Manager > Royell Communications, Inc. > 217-965-3699 <(217)%20965-3699> www.royell.net > > *From:* Chuck McCown > *Sent:* Monday, April 24, 2017 9:31 AM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] installer hire / training process. > > Not saying to rush for the sake of rushing, saying to go fast. Do things > perfectly in the least amount of time possible. That means hustle. Why > would you chose to slowly drag your ass between the truck and the house? > There is absolutely no justification for not jogging back and forth. Not > saying to sprint or full on run. Just jog, show some hustle. Economy of > movements. That includes tool and supply organization. > > At the end of the day it is now many perfect installs you do a day. If > you get more than the other guy and you drag your ass, I would not can you, > probably give you a raise. > > But if you were dragging your ass, leaving the shop late, BSing instead of > working I would tell you to ‘hustle” one time... > > *From:* Josh Reynolds > *Sent:* Monday, April 24, 2017 8:24 AM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] installer hire / training process. > > To tell the truth, I'd be telling you to fuck off as well. > > Having an employee run is a liability for several reasons. Rushing leads > to forgotten things and shoddy work, and tying installs to pay with cause > you to end up with the install quality that DirecTV subcontractors do, as > they get paid per room/job as well. It's absolutely shit work that looks > bad and often has problems you will have to roll a truck for. > > Slow and smooth, measured work, thought out in advance with no wasted > efficiency. THAT will be fast and quality work. > > "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast." > > In the end, it's your business. I'm just some guy. > > - Josh > > On Apr 24, 2017 8:57 AM, "Chuck McCown" <[email protected]> wrote: > > Well then you would not be working for me. Or UPS or FedEX or Les Schwab > or Tunex or ...... > > Treating someone like crap is a far different thing than treating them > like an adult. You own their work output when they are on the clock and > they need to work efficiently. > > It is not unreasonable at all to expect some hustle. I don’t pay anyone > to take their time. > > *From:* Timothy Steele > *Sent:* Monday, April 24, 2017 7:53 AM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] installer hire / training process. > > > If you treat your employees like crap like that there going to start > looking for a new boss I know if I was walking to the house and you told me > to run I would quit on the spot if that's what you want then go for it > > On Mon, Apr 24, 2017, 9:43 AM Chuck McCown <[email protected]> wrote: > >> You cannot expect a younger person to run for any reason until they >> decide that it might benefit them, and even them real hustle will be rare. >> >> I would put them on piece rate or daily rate and tell them they have to >> do at least 3 per day to keep their job. Once they are doing 3, then up it >> to 4 or keep them on piece rate. >> >> Have you actually said “RUN!” when they were walking from truck to >> house? Have them watch the first half of full metal jacket and give them a >> bit of drill sergeant treatment. >> >> I believe in “management by telling” you actually have to tell them, in >> simple and clear terms exactly what you want. >> >> >> >> *From:* Brandon Yuchasz >> *Sent:* Sunday, April 23, 2017 5:37 PM >> *To:* [email protected] >> *Subject:* [AFMUG] installer hire / training process. >> >> I was going to type a long PC type post about this (which I did anyway >> sorry) . But instead I am going to just ask how you guys go about trying to >> teach / train a new installer to work faster? >> >> >> >> We have a guy right now that was hired to be an installer with other >> duties as assigned. He is good at the other duties and has a good >> understanding of networking, computers and even RF. The problem is that he >> is very slow on installs and the primary job he was hired to do. >> >> >> >> I spent quite a bit of time with him last week trying to figure out where >> the speed issues were coming from. So I took him on site surveys ahead of >> time with me and we laid out the entire installs during the survey. Install >> here, wire down here, across here in through wall here and terminate. You >> could see the tower from these sites so hanging and tuning the radio was a >> breeze. >> >> >> >> I sent him out on two installs the day after that. First one I considered >> a hard install. The second one easy. They took him over 10 hours not >> counting drive time. >> >> >> >> I spent the next morning doing site checks on them with the customers >> permission. Both customers were happy with him and his install and not a >> single thing on the install was done incorrectly I took another installer >> with me and asked him to run the time frame in his head. He came up to 3 >> hours for each install. So had I but we are both experienced. >> >> >> >> So I talked really briefly with the new guy about getting faster and then >> took him to an install I had surveyed myself. Ran him through the entire >> install. Radio here, wire down here….. in and terminate. Install router. I >> left the more experienced guy with him to answer questions but told him to >> not physically help and explained to the new guy that if he had questions >> to ask because the other guy is there to help him figure out a faster >> process and would be talking with me after the install about ways to speed >> up the process so we can help him. I should mention the experienced guy is >> a supervisor so no hard feelings should be had here. I left him at 9:00 >> >> >> >> I was thinking that maybe I was being unrealistic in my time frames on >> installs since normally I have a helper on my installs and we knock out >> three to four a day. I felt like I got my installs done in 3 hours max when >> I was alone but never really timed them. So when I left the new guy I drove >> a half hour to what I considered a hard install and did it alone. Was done >> at 12:30 and driving back to check on the new guy. When I got there he was >> just about done with the install but the truck was spread around the >> driveway ( not throwing stones I have been known to do this). So he was >> going past hour 4 at this point with paperwork and packing the truck he was >> going to be at 5 for sure. I stepped in did the paperwork and quietly >> asked the other guy to pack up the truck some. This was done for selfish >> reasons ( its Friday and I have a family) and also because we had a >> between 1 and 3 to hit for the final install of the day. >> >> >> >> Grabbed subway. Scoffed it down. I bought and we headed to the last job. >> >> >> >> I had the supervisor guy in my truck and we have worked together a lot >> 100s of installs together. So on the way to the install which he had never >> seen I prep him on it. Big ladder ( 32”) up on the gable on the back of the >> house. Take the little giant around to the deck so I can access the roof. >> And it’s a tripod install. So when we pull into the drive I point to the >> back of the house “that’s the back” he says okay and I go to ring the >> doorbell and say hello. He has the new guy with him so he told him to help >> with the ladder and then instructed him to start an rj45 on a wire. When I >> walked out the ladder was up and the supervisor was at the top screwing >> down the tripod. I grabbed the mast, mounted the antenna and put the >> wireless unit on it to tune and scurried up the small ladder and up the >> roof. Ill make this short. We hung the gear and tuned and marked the tripod >> and I went down and he had just finished the RJ45. In his defense he had >> put one on a 3 foot scrap piece that he had confused with the rest of the >> wire in the box( I don’t know) so this was his second end. Anyway we just >> ran the job and he stayed out of the way. This was a hard roof, tall and >> not LOS and we were done in the truck heading home in just under two hours. >> But that was two guys and we ran. >> >> >> >> Ok so this is getting long sorry about that but I just am at a loss with >> this guy. I did realize on that last job I run on job sites. I always run >> to the truck back from the truck and I think ahead. This guy defiantly does >> not run and nothing is done with any sense of urgency. He is certainly >> smart and I hate to let him go because he has other values but I don’t know >> what I can do to help him. He was hired to take the load off of me and I >> realize at the beginning new guys are work but its been over two months now >> he just recently took on jobs alone and he is not taking the load off. He >> is adding to it. >> >> >> >> Thoughts? >> >> >> >> Is to wrong to say, your slow I don’t know why but I am going to fire you >> if you don’t get fast. I wish I could tell you how to get fast but Its lots >> of little things. Start with running everywhere you go and see if that >> helps? >> >> >> >> Seriously…. I do want to know from those of you that have hired lots of >> guys what are your thoughts? Should I not be running one man crews with the >> expectation of two installs in an 8 hour day with an hour of drive time in >> there? >> >> >> >> Thanks, >> >> Brandon >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > >
