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Why Most Business Owners Can’t Find Good Employees (And How I Do)

πŸ“… March 13, 2026 ⏱️ 1:05:23 🎀 Jered Williams, Eddie Barkerstead

Chapters

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  • 0:00
    New Hiring Process Introduction
    Jared introduces their new hiring process aimed at finding good employees despite common industry complaints about labor shortages.
  • 2:18
    The Need for a New Approach
    Jared and Eddie discuss the challenges of their old hiring methods, where resumes didn't match interview performance, leading to wasted time.
  • 3:38
    The Open House Event
    Candidates are invited to an in-person open house to learn about the company, allowing the team to observe their interaction and personality.
  • 4:34
    Filtering for Instructions & Character
    The multi-step application and event process acts as a filter to identify candidates who can follow instructions and whose character aligns with the company culture.
  • 6:19
    Phone & In-Person Interviews
    Successful open house attendees move to a phone interview to assess their motivation, followed by an in-person interview that includes a personality test.
  • 7:15
    Core Values: Be An Asset
    Eddie explains their two core values: 'be an asset' and 'don't be an A-hole', emphasizing proactivity, contribution, and positive workplace behavior.
  • 8:28
    Apprenticeship Program
    The discussion shifts to the potential for apprenticeships, particularly for drain cleaning, as a way to train new employees with the company's specific methods and values.
  • 9:29
    Overcoming Resistance to New Methods
    The hosts acknowledge the challenge of teaching new methods to experienced technicians and how the hiring process addresses this upfront.

Speakers

J
Jered Williams
Host
E
Eddie Barkerstead
Host

Key Takeaways

✦

Implement a multi-stage hiring event, starting with online applications, followed by an in-person open house, then phone and final interviews, to efficiently filter candidates and save time.

✦

Automate communication with applicants, such as sending text messages and emails for application updates and RSVP requests, to streamline the hiring process.

✦

Design job ads and landing pages that explicitly address common pain points of skilled tradespeople (e.g., compensation, feeling undervalued) to attract quality candidates.

✦

Use the open house event to observe candidates' soft skills, such as appearance, social interaction, and willingness to follow instructions, which are often overlooked in traditional resume reviews.

✦

Clearly communicate your company's vision, mission, and core values early in the hiring process, ideally during the open house, to attract candidates who align with your culture.

✦

Consider implementing a personality test before final interviews to assess fit for specific roles and proactively address potential behavioral issues.

✦

Develop an apprenticeship program, particularly for entry-level tasks like drain cleaning, to cultivate talent in-house, teaching them your specific processes and core values from the start.

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