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I’ve been having a lot of conversations with clients about how to structure pay for non-billable office staff – especially project managers and operations managers in trades and manufacturing businesses. A common question that keeps coming up is: Should these staff be paid by the hour? I’ve seen a pattern, especially with team members who’ve moved off the tools and into the office. Some of them come in with a bit of a clock watching mindset – they’re used to being paid hourly and working to rigid schedules. But once they’re in a leadership or coordination role, things need to shift. In my view, these roles should be based around fixed hours, say 8:30 to 5:00, but with a clear understanding that there needs to be some give and take. Maybe they’ll stay back late to finish a project, drive back from an interstate site, or set up jobs for … Read more
Today I want to talk about something I see way too often in tradie businesses what I call The Great Xero Addiction. Here’s the pattern: A small trade business grows to the point where they put on an admin person. The biggest pain point for the business owner at that stage is often the accounting system (usually Xero or QuickBooks) so that becomes the admin’s primary focus. Makes sense, right? But as the business grows, the admin role grows too. They start picking up the phone, managing a job management system like ServiceM8 or Simpro, scheduling the team, and handling materials. Yet despite all that, many admins stay heavily focused on Xero. It becomes their comfort zone and the thing they default to even if it’s not the most valuable use of their time. That’s where the problem lies. In a growing business, answering the phone can be the difference … Read more
In his latest video, business coach Hugh Bowman tackles a controversial question: Is it OK to poach employees? His answer? Absolutely! Hugh explains that the ideal employee is already working for someone else – most likely at a nearby business. After all, if someone is unemployed or has been made redundant, there may be valid reasons to question their suitability. As a business owner, the goal is to recruit the best people possible to strengthen the team and drive success. He draws a comparison to sports, highlighting that no athlete spends years training only to step onto the field expecting to lose, or even to settle for a draw. The best business owners follow the same principle: they hire top talent, deliver the best work, secure the most profitable jobs, and ultimately run the easiest, most successful businesses. For those looking to learn more about effective recruitment strategies, Hugh invites … Read more
Hugh Bowman from ActionCOACH Geelong shares a powerful recruiting principle that should guide every business owner when hiring: You get the people you deserve! It may sound harsh, but it’s the truth. Struggling to attract top talent? It might be time to take a closer look at leadership and workplace culture. • Poor leadership drives away the best employees. • A toxic work environment repels great talent. • A team full of underperformers makes it difficult to attract high performers. • Low-quality work fails to interest top-tier candidates. Recruiting the right people isn’t just about filling a position—it’s about creating a workplace that attracts and retains the best. If hiring the right team feels like a constant challenge, Hugh Bowman can help turn things around. Contact Hugh today:
This is my final recruiting tip I’ve got for small business owners that like to do their recruiting themselves. A lot of it is geared around getting buy in from the person, candidate applying, and saving your time through the interview process.
I’ve got another tip, another recruiting tip for you, following on from the last one. This tip I find really helps you understand the candidate… better than you would otherwise.
What I’m just realising is that several businesses I’m working with are recruiting. No surprise really, they’re growing and changing their business, they need new staff, but I’ve been going through recruiting systems with three separate businesses and I cover the same sorts of things.
Recently I’ve done a lot of videos about recruiting for small businesses who want to do it themselves. This is a little tip to, I guess, set expectations with your new employee about how you’re going to review them and what you’re going to do in the next three months.