Building Materials Talent Recruitment: How to Hire Well and Be Hired by the Best

02:36 - Companies and recruits need to find the right fit
 

08:05 - The importance of checking references
 

10:17 - The human factor in hiring practices
 

12:38 - The right way to job hunt
 

18:13 - Resume patterns and job hopping
 

22:12 - Candidates need to ask the right questions about the company
 

26:53 - Having open, honest conversations

Mark Barnard has been a valued member of the Lumber and Building Materials industry for over 37 years. His experience ranges from all levels of sales and management to CEO, with a reputation for leading through innovation. In 2004 he committed to filling a need in the Lumber and Building Materials community for a Best-in-Class, honest and hardworking recruiting firm specializing in the building materials sector and supply chain, but diverse in the executive search of jobs and top talent targeted.

Beth begins by telling Mark that she is really interested in hearing about both the potential employee side of being recruited and the company side of finding people who will be a good fit and stay a long time. Mark’s answer is that both are actually on the same plane. He says the goal is really about matching stories. Do past successes and future goals align between the candidate and the company?

"And so if you can merge those two stories, the two match, you’ve got a pretty good connection point to start the conversation, right? Because that’s where the magic happens.” - Mark Barnard

“I feel like a lot of companies skip, or even gloss over, the reference check process. Would you agree with that?” Beth asks the question and Mark’s answer is a definite yes, followed by  a warning that they are missing vital information by not really digging into that piece. Mark explains that reference checking should not just be about talking to the people on the candidate’s list, but talking to a third party with “no skin in the game.” He says that in the building products industry the typical six degrees of separation is probably more like three degrees, so it should be easy to find someone who knows someone. 

"That’s where the value of those references come in, to vet that candidate. Those reference checks become critical.” - Mark Barnard

Beth asks what percentage of companies actually contact references. The answer is less than 50%. His company also coaches candidates to contact their references ahead of time to give them a heads up so they are ready to take the call.

Beth wants to know some tips for conducting an interview to find a more true picture of the candidate, if they are a good fit for the culture of the company and not just someone who matches with the needed skill set. 

People show up to their interviews like they are auditioning for a play. They’re 100% together, never overslept, never missed a deadline. It’s the best day of their lives.” - Beth PopNikolov

Mark talks about getting a conversation started that lets candidates tell their story. He talks about moving past questions that are basic such as what they did for XYZ company. He wants to really talk about their past, some challenges, some examples of successes, and what impact they made in that company. 

Beth asks Mark about best practices for communication from the company to the candidate. Mark is non-apologetic about the belief in getting back to the candidate as soon as possible whether it is good or bad news.  They talk about the importance of remembering that looking for a job is one of the most important and stressful times in someone’s life. 

What we don’t put up with or allow is ghosting anybody.”- Mark Barnard

Beth gets into the fact that humanness and culture need to start in the interview process. She notes that the building industry prides itself on being relationally based, but not demonstrating that in the interview process is a miss. 

Mark talks about the candidate being introspective about what they are looking for. He gives examples of work/life balance, the salary needed to live the lifestyle desired, and remote versus in-office work. 

So really for most candidates spend time on what can I really be passionate about? What do I care about? What am I looking for?- Mark Barnard

Beth and Mark talk about someone who is looking to change jobs. Again, Mark emphasizes the candidate being thoughtful about why they want the change? He says often that going to the hiring manager first to see if your goals can be accomplished at your current company rather than going through the whole recruiting process only to stay put in the end. 

The correct answer to that question according to Beth and Mark is that it is just as important for the candidate to interview the company. The candidate should be asking detailed questions, not just surface questions like, “hey, tell me about your company culture.” He gives some really helpful types of questions to ask. He also relates a story about what could have been a miss between a company and client, but that because of open communication, turned into a long-time, valuable employee. 

Have more questions for Mark Barnard about recruiting in the building materials industry? You can visit their website at snapdragonsassociates.com or call at 603-323-0940. 

SBMM is co-hosted by Venveo’s Founder, Zach Williams and Venveo’s CEO, Beth PopNikolov.