Build a Culture and Hiring Process That Attracts and Keeps A-Players

If your last hire did not stick, do not repeat the same rushed process. Use four moves you can run this week: write a true culture story before the job post, screen for coachability, onboard with a 30/60/90 plan, and keep the culture true with recognition and a visible next step.

1. Write the culture story before the job post

Culture is not a list of words such as family or driven. It is what a new person can expect on an ordinary Tuesday when a job runs late, a customer is upset, or someone needs help.

Text three people on your crew: What makes working here different? Write down their answers as they say them. Use only the details your business does consistently.

A weak opening says: “Now hiring. Competitive pay.”

A stronger opening might say: “Join a crew that communicates when a job gets difficult, helps each other finish work properly, and gives new technicians clear support during their first month.”

Then add one honest first-month expectation. For example: “You will ride with an experienced technician and learn what good customer communication looks like on every call.”

A Roofing Road Trips episode on culture and hiring notes that employees want more than a paycheck: purpose, communication, opportunity, and a place where they feel valued. Do not promise all of that. Show how your shop actually treats people.

2. Screen fast for coachability, not resume checkboxes

Reply to each applicant the same day, even if the first reply is a short text asking when they can talk. Use a ten-minute phone screen before asking anyone to drive to the shop.

Separate true must-haves from skills you can teach. A required license, driving record, or safety requirement may be non-negotiable. Every preferred tool, brand, or job type does not need to block the first conversation.

Ask this question exactly:

Tell me about a time you got corrected on a job. What did you do next?

Listen for ownership, curiosity, and a practical next action. You are not looking for a polished speech. You are listening for whether the person can hear feedback, ask a useful question, and adjust.

Next, use a small working interview that is safe for the person and the job. Give the candidate a simple task that fits the role. Correct one part, then watch what happens. Do they get defensive, ignore the correction, ask for clarity, or apply it?

The Masters of Home Service episode frames the problem as hiring people who do not show up or do not stick around. Its description covers spotting coachable candidates and rewriting job posts to attract the right people. Coachability does not replace a skills check; it shows whether someone can keep learning after the first week.

3. Onboard on a real 30/60/90 plan

Do not hand over a truck and hope the person figures out your standards. A 30/60/90 plan is a one-page working plan, not an HR form. Put the check-ins on the calendar before the first day.

Days 1-30: Pair the new technician with an experienced person. Use a checklist for what good looks like on the first ten jobs: customer communication, preparation, safe work, cleanup, and when to ask for help. Hold a short weekly conversation: What is clear? What is confusing? What support do you need?

Days 31-60: Assign standard jobs they can handle solo. Set a call-if-stuck rule so asking for help is part of good work. Add one new skill, then check whether they know both how to do it and when to ask a question.

Days 61-90: Give independence on standard jobs that match demonstrated skill. Ask: “Where do you want to be in a year, and what do you need to get there?” Write down the answer and name the next skill or responsibility they can work toward.

On Roofing Road Trips, Karen Edwards talks with Terri Davidson about HR strategies and company policies in the roofing industry. Your version can stay simple: the new person should know what good work looks like, who helps them learn it, and when you will talk next.

4. Keep the culture true after the hire

The culture story in your job post becomes a retention test after the first paycheck. If you promised communication, communicate. If you promised training, make time for it.

Start with specific recognition. In front of the crew, call out preparation, customer communication, safe work, helping another technician, or learning a new skill. “Good job” is easy to forget. “You caught the issue before it became a callback and explained it clearly to the customer” tells the whole crew what good looks like.

Give good employees a visible next step. It might be training on a new job type, leading part of a job, owning a shop process, or preparing for more responsibility. The next step does not need a complicated ladder; it needs to be real.

Have stay conversations before someone else starts recruiting your best people. Ask: What would make you stay here? Record the answers, fix what you can, explain what you cannot, and follow up.

Lacey Coleman, CEO of Coastal Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning, describes fostering a collaborative work culture where her team can grow and build a successful career. Make growth and collaboration visible in the workweek, not just in the job post.

The short version

1. Before the post: Ask three crew members what makes the shop different. Use their real words and include one honest first-month expectation.
2. During screening: Reply the same day. Ask how the candidate handled correction, then watch how they use feedback in a small working interview.
3. After hiring: Run a written 30/60/90 with ride-alongs, check-ins, solo-work rules, and a conversation about the next year.
4. To retain good people: Recognize specific work and give each person a visible next step.

Find more practical owner-level answers in Field Notes.