Panel of the Pros OVERVIEW
By: Bobbi Sullivan
Panel of the Pros: Onboarding and Training Panel Members: Mike and Vesna Kolakovic, Scott and Pam Hobbs, Bob and Danielle Beauregard The panel did two sessions during Reunion. We specifically invited couples to be on the panel because Onboarding and Training require very specific skill sets. The following are three of the questions the panel answered. What is your interviewing process? Mike and Vesna believe the entire team is responsible for making hiring decisions. For technicians Mike starts the process by sitting down with the potential candidate for approximately two to two-and-a-half hours. His objective is to get to know the candidate on a personal level and finds that those that have played team sports seem to fit the best. If the technicians make it through the first interview, they are invited to ride along with their three best technicians for one week. At the end of the week the technicians sit down with Mike and his manager, Dominic, to answer the following questions: • Where are they on plumbing skills? And does it match what they said in the original interview? • Are they a team player? • Will they fit the company culture? • Are they likable? Mike says, “If the technicians don’t like them, their customers won’t either.” For CSR/Dispatcher positions Vesna likes to interview approximately 10 candidates. She and her manager, Lori, choose the three best candidates based on the following: • Are they a cultural fit? • Are they loyal and honest? • Are they a team player?
Who is responsible for onboarding and training new technicians? Scott and Pam Hobbs do a thorough Company Orientation, which consists of the following: • Office Administration – Pam reviews job description, employment agreement, new hire paperwork, and company policies. New hires sign off on all that is reviewed. • Introductions – Tour of facilities and employee introductions • Company Standards – Ipads, Overview of Invoices, Plumbing Check-Ups, Advantage Plans, 14 Steps, Payroll, Personal Grooming, Technical Skills for Technicians, Sales and Communications Skills. • Lunch with Management • Time spent with Dispatcher – Scheduling and Communication • Time with Assistant Office Manager – Payroll • Time with Warehouse Manager – Purchase orders, Equipment, Ordering Parts, Truck Maintenance • Time with Operations Manager – 14 Steps, Sales and Communication How do you improve individual and team development? Bob and Danielle Beauregard see this as everyone’s responsibility and strive for a family-like atmosphere in their shop. Bob oversees all the technical development with new technicians and Daniele oversees the CSR/ Dispatcher development. Team development is accomplished through the following: • Weekly technician meetings and monthly “all team” meetings. • Contests for technicians and office personnel • Team Activities – they try to do a team activity each quarter, such as bowling, cook-outs and holiday parties. The panel was very well received, and we had a lot of audience participation. Each of the panel members invited franchisees to reach out to them if they wanted more information on the subject. • Review Employee Manual and Safety Manual • Q&A – Bonding time with new employee
• Do they have a fun, likable personality? • Do they have good communication skills? • Are they comfortable with technology?
The three best candidates move to phase two, which is an interview with Mike and Domenic. They are looking for someone that has “thick skin” and can handle working with the technicians. They give them insight into a day in the life of a technician. The final decision is made by the four of them.
12 PIPELINE® | EDITION 2 2017
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