Home Pro Heroes 7/15/2024

Trivia Question❓

What term describes the practice of encouraging satisfied customers to share their positive experiences with others?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

Key #3 – Career Advancement Opportunities by Chris Crew

In a previous email, I highlighted the importance of implementing the 4 Keys to Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent™: Compensation and Benefits, Company Culture, Career Advancement Opportunities, and Skills Development.

Last time we discussed Company Culture.  In this email I'd like to take some of the complexities out of Key #3, creating Career Advancement Opportunities and what opportunity truly means and looks like within your organization.

Let's start with a question: If I joined your team today as a technician, how many different positions could I pursue without moving into management?

If the options are limited to just one or two roles, I might feel like I’m in a dead-end job. While your company may excel in various areas, consider the career lifespan of your average technician. People thrive when they have something to look forward to at work. So, what does the next opportunity look like for them?

The ebbs and flows in call volume and other challenges can sometimes obscure the bigger picture of career goals. As a manager or owner, it’s crucial to identify where your team members want to go and what they aim to achieve. What level would be considered successful for them?

Not everyone aspires to move into management, which can create gaps in perceived opportunities. Take a moment to consider how you can create different opportunities in the field and within your office, without requiring a move into management.

Today, I’d like to outline some positions that could exist within a call center. For instance, a CSR (Customer Service Representative) takes calls. Within the CSR role, there can be various levels based on performance.

Performance dictates who gets the opportunity to answer the phone first, and I will explain this in future communications. Additionally, there may be roles like outbound CSR, dispatcher, sales lead coordinator, installation coordinator, and eventually, call center supervisor.

All these positions require different skill sets but exist within the call center. Team members might want to explore other areas of the business as well. Let’s use the field as an example. If your company combines sales and service, not separating salespeople and installers, you can create field opportunities starting with an apprentice.

From an apprentice, one could graduate to a level one technician, then to level two, level three, and potentially a field-based supervisor. Remember, this supervisor role is management in training without the commitment to move into management.

This structured progression benefits your business as you build, grow, and scale.

At Blue Collar Success Group, we offer our members a process called the Call Priority Matrix™ and a Technician Legend™. These tools help quantify the value of an inbound service call based on factors like age and job type.

The Technician Legend determines which technicians handle which calls. For instance, a level one technician would handle less critical jobs, reserving more significant opportunities for level three technicians. This system helps create clear career paths in the field.

We also use Scorecards, a tool that measures performance-based metrics. These scorecards help technicians understand what is required to advance from level one to level two, making career progression transparent and achievable.

If you want to learn more about the tools I've mentioned or how Blue Collar Success Group can assist you, please hit the button below.

Key #4 – Skills Development by Chris Crew

As we finish our four-part series, the 4 Keys to Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent™ (Compensation and Benefits, Company Culture, Career Advancement Opportunities, and Skills Development), I'll be focusing on our fourth and final key, Skills Development, and what that truly means and looks like within your organization.

Skills development is a critical aspect of our business that often gets overlooked.  This is especially true in our industry, where promoting team members without proper training can set them up for failure.

Let’s take a closer look at a common scenario: Who typically becomes the call center manager? Usually, it’s the highest booking CSR. In the field, who becomes the service manager? The highest performing technician. And in sales, it’s the top-producing salesperson who often gets promoted. While this approach can work at times, it rarely leads to long-term success. Why? Because top performers in their field do not always possess the management skills needed for their new positions.

A focus on skills development presents a golden opportunity for us to identify who is best suited for which positions and to ensure they are adequately prepared for their new roles. For instance, if I’m a service tech aiming to become a service manager, what does it take to succeed in that role? A visual organizational chart can be a powerful tool to help team members understand the path to their career growth.

Developing the necessary skills and habits is key to setting our team members up for success. Promoting someone without providing the necessary training is a disservice to both the individual and the organization. Take the example of a field supervisor moving up to a service manager role. During the training period, focus on what is required for them to succeed in the new role.

For example, if a service tech is being considered for a service manager position, they need to understand numbers and direct costs. Service managers must drive top-line sales while managing direct costs. Without this knowledge, they are likely to struggle. Start with the basics, such as explaining direct costs – field labor, materials, equipment, job permits, subcontractors, and rental equipment. Understanding how these costs impact overhead and the importance of managing them as a percentage of revenue is crucial.

In addition to skilling up team members, teaching them how to perform their jobs better is vital. This is where the Blue Collar Selling System® comes in. It allows you to send team members to training sessions where we reinforce the necessary skills for top performance. Whether it’s an apprentice moving up to a technician role or any other transition, investing in training is essential.  Remember, training should be viewed as an investment, not a cost. If you’re not seeing a return on investment, it’s time to reassess either the training program or the individual selected for training. It’s important to communicate to your team members why you’re investing in their development.

At the Blue Collar Success Group®, we provide a pre-training checklist to help managers maximize their investment in training. We also have a post-training checklist to ensure that the learning is effectively implemented. Training and skilling-up should not be seen as a one-time task but as an ongoing part of our organizational culture. Embracing this mindset will help us retain and attract top talent.

So, to wrap up this series of the 4 Keys to Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent, the goal is to focus on benefits, culture, opportunity, and continuous skill development. By committing to setting our team members up for success, we, in turn, drive the success of our businesses. 

Hope you got some value out of this series!  To learn more about the kind of training that will ensure both skill development for all aspects of your team and a better bottom line for your company, contact us at 838-2MY-BCSG.

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A new overtime rule goes into effect today (as of this writing on July 1, 2024). The salary threshold for who qualifies for overtime pay just got a big fat increase, meaning more of your employees now qualify for more pay.

How big of an increase? Near 65 percent above the current threshold by January 1, 2025. 

Are your eyebrows raised yet? Read on…

Effective July 1, 2024, the Department of Labor has implemented a significant change to overtime rules for salaried workers. This update means potentially more employees in your small business could now be eligible for overtime pay.

Feeling overwhelmed? Don't worry. I can help you navigate this change. But the changes go into effect immediately, so don’t bookmark this one for future reading.

If you want the official rule, here it is.

But here's a (much shorter) breakdown so you know the basics:

The Big Change
Previously, salaried workers making above a certain threshold were exempt from overtime pay. Now, that threshold has increased, meaning more employees qualify for overtime. 

The Salary Shift
Before the update, salaried workers earning more than $35,568 annually (684 per week) were generally exempt from overtime. Now, that threshold has jumped to $43,888 per year (844 per week). This means employees making under this new limit may qualify for overtime if they work more than 40 hours a week.

Job Duties Still Matter
The same rules for overtime exemption still apply. So not all salaried workers under the new threshold automatically get overtime. It also depends on their job duties.

Exempt Duties: Employees with primarily managerial, executive, or certain professional duties are generally exempt from overtime pay, even if their salary falls below the new threshold.

Non-Exempt Duties: If an employee spends a significant portion of their time performing tasks typically done by hourly workers (such as data entry, assembling products, or making sales calls), they're likely considered non-exempt. These employees may now qualify for overtime pay if their salary is under the new threshold.

What Didn’t Change
The new rule doesn't change the overtime pay rate itself, which is still time-and-a-half (1.5 times the employee's regular rate) for any hours worked over 40 in a workweek. But with more employees potentially eligible, keeping track of overtime becomes even more important.

More Changes to Come
This is just the first phase. On January 1, 2025, the Department of Labor will implement a second, even higher threshold based on a different calculation method. This new threshold will be around $58,656 annually (1,128 per week).

Another important thing to know is that these salary thresholds won't stay static. The Department of Labor has set up a system for automatic adjustments every three years based on current wage data. This means the minimum salary for overtime exemption will continue to increase in the future.

Legal Challenges on the Horizon
It's important to note that this new overtime rule is facing lawsuits from business groups who argue it will be too burdensome for employers. The outcome of these lawsuits could potentially delay or modify the changes. We'll keep you updated on any developments.

This is just a glimpse into the new overtime landscape, with more changes sure to come. There are additional details and nuances to consider in order to stay in compliance. But, as always, we'll help you stay informed and compliant, so you can focus on what matters most – running your successful small business.

Questions? You can find some answers from the DOL here. My team can also help make sure your payroll procedures are up-to-date so you can confidently navigate these changes. Reach out to set up a time here:
410-721-6000

💡 Answer to Trivia Question:

Word-of-mouth marketing or referrals.

See You Wednesday!

The Home Pro Heros Team