Any Questions You Would Add To This Application?

Sonny Lykos

Mike, as part of my employment record, I used to give the applicant a two page questionnaire. It listed several trades or categories, like trim work, framing, window replacement, painting, etc. They were to rate what they considered to be their professional experience from #1 none, up to #4 as professional.

But I also asked them what they did NOT want or like to do, and on the other hand, what they wanted to learn more about. So if I hired a guy and he disliked drywall repairs, I never sent him on them, but if he wanted to learn more about finishing drywall, I’d periodically send him on a job with one of my “pros.” who would teach him how to hang and finish it.

I always told each employee that they did not work for me, but they really worked for themselves. By that I told them that the more they learned, the more valuable they would become to themselves, and as such, to me and other potential employers. So to a great degree, their hourly wage and raises was also dependent upon their “value” to our company at any given time.

Consequently, I always ended up with a great crew, and who worked good together.

Mike Finley

Awesome stuff Sonny, I wish you still had a copy of those questionaires, I like the sound of them. I'm going to adopt what you are saying.

Sonny Lykos

Mike, I might still have a copy. I may have save one after selling the business to my boys. I'll look today and if I find it, I'll scan it in (2 pages) and post it here.

BTW, what they checked of as far as expereince, was also used as a legally approved way to terminate someone who did not validate in the field, what he checked off on the form. As we know, it's getting harder to legally teminate someone with out getting sued.

Sonny Lykos

Mike, also consider what I said in an article I had in RSI Magazine. You'll note that while that was 20 years ago, nothing has changed.

Attached Files

RSI Article.pdf (88.9 KB, 40 views)

theworx

Great article!!!

Mike Finley

Sonny, thanks. If you can find it I sure would love a copy of it. Great article amazing you could have written it yesterday and it is still relevant!

That's a great point about the documentation aspect in a firing. Never considered the use of that document for that, but you make a great point.