How To Create a Cohesive Concrete Floor Installation Team

A better concrete floor coating installation team can lead to better production, higher quality installations, and more profit. Here's how to start building your own.

Creating a Cohesive Resinous Concrete Floor Coating Installation Team
Valence Protective Coatings

One of the most important things in the resinous flooring industry is creating a team of installers that is able to get the job done no matter what. We all know that no two jobs are ever the same and the challenges that coating installers face every day can be daunting. We can chat about building an amazing company culture in a different article, but how do we build an amazing installation team? One that is dedicated to getting the job done right the first time. A team that takes pride in their work. A team that enjoys their job (one of the most important things, yet often overlooked).

Did you notice I used the word “team” and not “crew”? Building your company to run as one smooth machine, you start with everyone being on one team, not individual crews. This simple change in wording can affect how people view their position in a company no matter what their role might be.

The Two-Man Dance

Hiring? Look for people who align with:
• your company's core values,
• your company's mission, and
• your company's vision statement.

One of the things that I am known for in the residential floor coating industry is what I call “The Two-Man Dance”. As funny as that may sound, the entire premise is built on how two people can get a garage floor coating installed in the most efficient way. The “dance” that my teammate and I created had been built over years of working together as we knew each other's strengths and weaknesses. Over that time we changed and built our installation methods to best suit us both. It was like I already knew what my teammate would do next so I immediately moved to the following steps in the sequence. This immediately lead to better production, higher quality installations, and more profit for the company as our installation hours went down. As a good business owner should do, he rewarded our hard work and dedication to the company's well-being. This was the first step in creating a positive work culture that we wanted to work for. 

As a business leader, the first thing to building a team is to look inward and work on building yourself. Winners win and leaders lead. As a field supervisor on large-scale commercial projects, it was always important for everyone on my team to see that I was always the first on-site, last to leave, and was not afraid to do any of the work that needed to be done. I always took the time to understand the scope of the project, timelines, and daily tasks and I relayed them to my team. As we started each day, everyone knew their roles and responsibilities, the daily goals, and the outcome if we exceeded those expectations. Communication with your team is absolutely paramount at all stages and being open and honest builds loyalty as a leader. 

New Hires

One of the first things to look for when trying to build a team at any level in your company is to not just hire anyone who is willing to work, but rather hire people who align with your company's core values, mission, and vision statement. That is much easier said than done these days, but when you can get one or two key personnel who align with your team goals, you have effectively changed your entire team culture. As the field supervisor, I was always involved in the hiring process because the new employee would report directly to me so I needed to understand if they would be a good fit. There are many studies and information online about good questions to ask a new hire, but remember you are hiring on your company values and missions, not solely on their experience. 

A Few Favorite Interview Questions

  • How do you handle losing as a team? I ask this to see if they will mention how "they felt" or how the "team felt". This lets them tell you how much they value a team mentality after a loss.
  • When a teammate has failed you, how did you feel? What did you do to pick up the slack? I listen for creative ways in which they picked up the slack and see if it can relate to the position we are hiring for. If they can, a follow-up question should be asked related to floor coatings.  
  • What are your personal core values? Do they align with the company's core values? It will also tell me if they have done any research on our company or if they are just repeating what they read online. 
  • Do you describe yourself as a leader or follower? This will tell me what they plan to do in the next 1-5 years. If they say leader, they want to advance. If they say follower, they will be content in any position. Both can be a good fit depending on the position you are hiring for, but I ALWAYS want someone to say "leader." 
  • Give me an example of how you led a team at your previous employer? This gives you an idea of the team size they are used to managing or if they are new to leadership and how much training they might need. 
  • Tell me about a failure you've had within a workplace and how you handled it? I listen for emotion and a sense of pride if they accomplished the task after a failure. This lets me know if they will tolerate a failure or not give up till the mission is completed. 
  • Do you describe yourself as a detailed person? This is a very critical question in our industry. If they do not answer with "yes", it is a good indication that they do not fit into my company's core values, vision, and mission statement for providing the customer with the best support and a floor to go above and beyond their expectations. 

I am a strong believer in all new employees going through in-house training before stepping on a jobsite. This will give you a good bench line of qualifications they excel at or need to work on. As a leader, you should feel it is important to send the new team members to some product manufacturer training so they can see and meet other people, their products, and have an outside source give you open and honest feedback on their participation and work performed. One key component with in-house training is making sure they are training and working with your other installers who they will be on-site with. This is the first step to creating a bond, a cohesive strength between the team, and starting to build roles around each other. Your very own “The Two-Man Dance” will start to evolve as you place your installers into roles they are best for.

One of the things that get lost when having multiple installers who are all capable to do the job is “roles and responsibilities.” You are only as good as your weakest link but what most companies underestimate is the weakest link is still a very pivotal person on your installation team. When put in the correct position, there is no weak link anymore. Training and discovering how your crew works together will determine people's strengths and weaknesses. As you add more people to your team, do not be afraid to adjust roles to best suit everyone.

It is also a leader's job to make sure to provide the new hire or weakest link on the team extra training and bring them up to speed with the other team members. If a person is not a good fit in one position but has the company's core values in mind, it is a leader's responsibility to find a job that fits better for them within the company. 

When you hire people who fit your core values and company mission you will notice that every installer will get along better, check their ego and work harder to complete the mission. There are many key factors that go into being a cohesive installation team but do not be afraid to move people around. In any industry, continual training is a must. As a business owner or leader, it is our job to give our installers the tools, resources, and training necessary to exceed their goals. Simply by working on these things, you will automatically build a cohesive installation team that can get any job done on time and exceeds your customer's expectations.

Building a strong team and company can be hard, but when you change how you go about hiring and training you will build a team that cannot be broken. Resinous floor coatings can be tricky to install, and your installers are the backbone of the company. Always make sure they are well taken care of and let them know you have their back at all times. When you are a strong leader, your team will follow. Set the example and watch your teams and company grow.

About the author

Peter Johnson has been at the forefront of the polyurea and polyaspartic floor coatings industry for over 17 years. As the head trainer and product development of the garage floor division at Valence Protective Coatings, he is responsible for training, coaching, and guiding their customers to grow quickly in the decorative concrete industry.

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