Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
    • 10th Anniversary Roundtables
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • Solar tariffs
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractors Corner
      • Trends in Solar
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Policy
    • Monthly Snapshots
  • Markets
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Community Solar
    • Utility
  • Products
    • 2020 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Inverters
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
    • Racking and Mounting
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Leadership
      • 2020 Winners
      • 2019 Winners
      • 2018 Winners
    • Podcasts
    • Product Databases
      • Solar Inverter Models
      • Solar Panel Models
      • Solar Racking Models
      • Battery Storage Models
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Inverter Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Solar Panel Manufacturing Locations
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
    • Solar Classrooms
      • Inverters
      • Solar panels
      • Roof-mount systems
      • Ground-mount systems
      • Residential energy storage systems
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers

6 Tips For Building A Successful Workforce

By Kathie Zipp | August 11, 2014

Share

A company is only as good as its employees. Here are six tips from our Top Contractors on how to hire smartly and keep your team up to speed.

1. Hire Employees Who Align With Your Company Values
Every company has different values. Determine yours then find people who fit, even if it takes time. For example, Las Vegas-based Sol-Up wanted a team who worked well together, supported each other and cared about the success of the company.

“With a lean management team, it’s extremely important we have cooperative and ambitious employees,” says Mari King, the company’s office manager. “We hire people who are willing to fit into any role, to learn and to be flexible. We give our employees a lot of freedom and flexibility in their schedule, so if someone isn’t a team player it will quickly become apparent.”

King says her company also values trust and making sure employees know they’re appreciated.

“We pay out a month ahead of time (crazy, I know), give commission for sales and are flexible with time off,” she says. “Trust is empowerment and empowered employees take pride in their work.”

2. Consider Hiring Vets
Hiring veterans and displaced workers has been important to Caleb Arthur, CEO of Missouri Sun Solar.

“We find that many veterans and displaced workers are hungry to learn a new craft and get back to work,” he says. “We love their work ethic and the skills from other trades they often bring to the table. Veterans have provided an invaluable service to our country, and we want to support them in any way possible.”

3. Create The Right Company Culture
Portland, Oregon’s Elemental Energy embraces a progressive, “work hard, play hard” culture. The company promotes solar while still having fun.

“We install solar on our work trucks, cornhole boards, music festival charging stations, Mario Kart N64 video game stations — really on anything we can,” says John Grieser, the owner. “We’ve managed to weave our work into our play by putting in the hours, working diligently and making sure that we take the time off we need to come to work with fresh ideas and strong energy everyday. It’s our job to make sure employees are engaged in their work. When you’re engaged and passionate, it doesn’t feel like work. It’s fun.”

solar training

Photo courtesy of Southard Solar

4. Hire Grads And Interns
Grieser also says that the solar industry is young, progressive and dynamic, so college graduates fit in perfectly because they mirror those attributes. He also loves their enthusiasm.

“Hosting interns and mentoring them is important because it helps keep the fire alive — not just for them, but also for myself,” he says. “Excitement is contagious, and it works both ways. We guest lecture at all local colleges to recruit young, educated, talented and passionate individuals.”

5. Take Time To Train
Due to the past limited market for solar in Michigan, Helios Solar says there are few trained solar installers and system engineers. But it is able to retain top talent by offering opportunities for solar equipment education and training.

Douglas Southard, president of Southard Solar & Construction in Missouri, says his company also keeps strong ties to the local training programs and tradesman associations.

“Training programs produce top new talent that we are able to draw from,” he says. “Much of our network efforts lead us to various placement directors and, in turn, provides us with new candidates.”

6. You Need To Network
Whether it’s looking for a new salesperson on LinkedIn, generating credibility through blogs, or connecting with its large Twitter and Facebook following, Pasadena California’s Run on Sun knows the value of networking on social media. But the company’s CEO and founder Jim Jenal says having a physical presence is important too.

“I regularly attend major industry events, like Intersolar and Solar Power International, as a way to meet people I might otherwise only know through social media,” Jenal says. “It is a great way to take those relationships to the next level.” SPW

 

Want more? Try these articles.

Papers Please: A Look At The World Of Solar Credentials

Chicken And Egg: Gaining Experience For Solar Certification

 

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

Related Articles Read More >

Source Renewables turning New York landfill into 10-MW community solar project
Origis Energy developing new large-scale solar + storage project for Facebook
New NHL team, the Seattle Kraken, will install 1.2 MW of solar on zero-carbon arena
White Pine Renewables takes top spot with largest floating solar system in the US

Exclusive SPW Content

Videos Podcasts Webinars Whitepapers

SPW Digital Editions

Solar Power World Digital EditionBrowse the current issue and archived issues of Solar Power World in an easy-to-use, high-quality format. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading solar construction magazine today.

Solar Policy Snapshot

Solar policy differs across state lines and regions. Click to see our monthly roundup of recent legislation and research throughout the country.

Read More >

Popular Posts See More >

Solar investment tax credit extended at 26% for two additional years
SolarJuice American to take over consumer contracts of bankrupt residential solar installer Petersen-Dean
What the Biden administration could mean for solar and storage
Think before trashing: The second-hand solar market is booming
Solar Power World
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Solar Articles
  • Top Products
  • Leadership
  • WTWH Media
  • About/Contact Us
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Windpower Engineering & Development

Copyright © 2021 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
    • 10th Anniversary Roundtables
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • Solar tariffs
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractors Corner
      • Trends in Solar
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Policy
    • Monthly Snapshots
  • Markets
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Community Solar
    • Utility
  • Products
    • 2020 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Inverters
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
    • Racking and Mounting
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Leadership
      • 2020 Winners
      • 2019 Winners
      • 2018 Winners
    • Podcasts
    • Product Databases
      • Solar Inverter Models
      • Solar Panel Models
      • Solar Racking Models
      • Battery Storage Models
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Inverter Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Solar Panel Manufacturing Locations
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
    • Solar Classrooms
      • Inverters
      • Solar panels
      • Roof-mount systems
      • Ground-mount systems
      • Residential energy storage systems
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers