Making Roofing Sexy

By Lauren White, RCS Editor. 

Advice and tips from the experts themselves on how to make the roofing industry appealing to the next generations of roofers. 

Even though it was an early start to the day, the Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) panel at the 2022 International Roofing Expo, “Casting the Net for Your Future Workforce” had a full house. Many in the roofing industry are struggling to find and retain talent, and four industry professionals shared how they’re navigating, what’s working and how they’re making roofing sexy!

Panelists included Charles Antis, CEO and owner of Antis Roofing and Waterproofing; Christee Holbrook, president and owner of Graham Roofing; John Peck, co-founder and visionary of PB Roofing; Josey Parks, former contractor and founder of Cognitive Contractor.

Not only did the panelists share with attendees some of their tips and tricks, but they also offered to help each other when they shared some of their own pain points. Keep reading to discover how these professionals are recruiting and retaining talent, starting as early as elementary school!

Engaging with local schools and the community 

There is a wealth of talent, skill and possibility in the younger generations who are still in school. The key to reaching them is to start talking about the trades early on, which hasn’t always been a focus in schools.  Now with the introduction and implementation of career and technical education (CTE) in many schools, students are being exposed to the trades more than before. The panel stressed the importance of getting involved with schools, job fairs and any organizations or events that are geared towards students. Josey stated, “The future generation doesn’t grow up saying ‘I want to be a roofer.’ It’s not that sexy.  We gotta bring sexy back!” 

So how are professionals getting involved with schools and their communities?

Engaging with the community 

PB Roofing started a monthly community give-back program, PB Purpose, to engage with their community. They have volunteered their time, donated items and provided acts of service to first responders, school systems and shelters in their community. In doing this, it establishes them in the community, shows they care and creates a relationship should any of these organizations need something in the future.

Not underestimating the power of intercity schools 

Josey partnered with his brother to develop curriculum for O.D. Wyatt High School in Fort Worth, Texas where 92% of the students are below the poverty line. He states, “When you get involved in the community, you’re going to find needs.”  His company has hosted backpack drives and sponsored dances for the high school. Josey shared, “It’s very inexpensive at the end of the day, and it makes a huge difference for them [the students].” Once you start getting involved your network will grow and you’ll find other companies who care and want to give back, providing you with endless opportunities.

Starting them young 

Christee and her company are passionate about getting the trades in front of kids at a young age. They participate in job fairs at schools and are also heavily involved with, and a partner with Family Organizations Recruiting Great Employees (FORGE).  FORGE is a group of community-minded small businesses who are working with educators to recruit skilled employees. They hosted a career expo for eighth graders and over 1,000 students attended!  It was a hands-on career expo for construction where “kids can come in and actually do something. The kids just light up,” Christee shared. 

She also sees the value in introducing kids to the trades as early as possible.  For this reason, they are working on a coloring book to get education about trades started earlier. Additionally, they worked with a local library and their Mother Goose program where a volunteer reads books to kids once a week. Christee and her company asked Mother Goose to read a construction book and had hard hats for all the kids so it was an immersive experience.

Seeking out academies and programs 

Charles and his company ran the GAF Roofing Academy every quarter in 2021. This program is for 18- to 26-year olds and is dedicated to investing in finding talent. Upon completion, Charles was able to give his endorsement to the eight students who finished the program – and a recommendation goes a long way when applying to jobs.”

Internships and event participation 

Internships are a great way for people to get exposed to the industry and gain some experience. However, it’s important to provide interns with meaningful work, introduce them to people and show them all sides of your company. John shared, “You have to demonstrate why this is a great industry to be a part of.” Not only do they get a glimpse of the industry, but you get a glimpse of their work ethic to see if they might be a good long-term fit.

Here are some ways the panelists have utilized interns and event participation to their advantage:  

• Alumni networks – Tap into alumni networks from employees who have attended university and have an alumni network 
• Career fairs – Link in with universities and program to get engrained with their career fair 
• Utilize interns – Interns see things from a totally different perspective 
• Think outside the box – Josey recommended, “Get someone with a tech background to play with your data and get in your business and start finding solutions.” 
• Mentoring – Mentorship leads to internship 
• Corporate social responsibility – Do things that are good: donating roofs, taking care of your staff and community

Skills training 

It’s not uncommon for some applicants to lack skills necessary to work in the industry, but providing skills training not only differentiates your company, but also makes you more appealing to applicants. People want to work for companies that want to invest in them and their future.

PB Roofing developed a curriculum for a four-year program that takes employees from “the helper level to the foreman level.” They even hired a school teacher to do the training instead of a professional trainer since school teachers “can break down a topic and find engaging ways to introduce new topics,” John shared. Employees are promoted as they progress through the curriculum, further incentivizing their learning and skills development. They also make safety training easily accessible. Safety is always a number-one concern for contractors and PB Roofing provides in-house and on-the-job safety training. They also have online learning components so employees can access training whenever.

Christee recommends getting involved with local nonprofit organizations and your local community college. She works closely with the Mississippi Construction Education Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting careers, recruiting individuals and training a quality workforce for the construction industry in Mississippi. And at the community college, contractors can sometimes get reimbursed for providing on-site training. You and your company also get great exposure to the students in the program. “There are many ways to get reimbursed or find free training through insurance companies too, you just have to look for it,” Christee said.

Charles utilizes the NRCA ProCertification training program for his crews. This national certification program helps team members earn their professional roofing credentials as established and administered by the NRCA. Additionally, it gives employees a sense of honor and pride to demonstrate their skill and knowledge. Charles rewards graduates with branded jackets displaying the program logos.

Technology, recruiting and engaging 

Younger generations have grown up with technology, starting with Millennials who are now 26-41. In order to engage with and maintain talent, it’s important for your company to embrace technology. Josey commented, “If people come in and the tech is old school and archaic, they’re not going to want to stay.” While tech is an area where Christee and Charles struggle, they said they start with the young people – ask what works, what could be automated, what processes could be streamlined. “Keep pursuing new technologies in your business and keep the ones that work,” Josey recommended.

Recruitment strategies are helpful, but it’s extremely important to consider what your company culture is and how appealing it is to those looking in from the outside. And according to Josey, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast!” For those in the younger generations, the company culture decides where a person is going to apply and/or accept a job offer. Josey shared, “You’re not just posting a job, you’re selling an opportunity. Have your sales person write a job description and create ads for open positions.” This gives a fresh take on the traditional job description.  John challenged attendees to think about, “How are you going to be an employer of choice?” 

Another way to create and establish culture is by giving back to the community. "Use your actions to compel them and let them understand there’s great opportunity in roofing,” John shared.  Engaging with the community, as we discussed earlier, has a much broader reach than those you’re helping directly. “They see what you do, they feel good about what you do and then feel good about your company,” Charles shared.

Getting started  

While this can seem overwhelming, Christee’s advice is to, “Just jump in. Go somewhere.  Do something. Get involved.” She never imagined her passion would be mentoring, but she’s found what works for her, which will be different for each person.

Give back  

Josey commented that giving back is always a great way to get started. When employees can say, “The company I’m making money for gives back,” it instills a sense of pride. And when people serve together, it “builds a deeper and stronger connection between your company and people,” Josey shared.

Get involved  

When employees get involved, they’re happier, Charles has noticed. Antis Roofing wins jobs because the company matters in the community. Establish company culture through giving back. He recommends handing employees a gift card that can only be redeemed at a nonprofit and then have them report back to understand why they chose the nonprofit they did. He’s seen that when this happens, the people in the company who aren’t as understood by others all of a sudden have a connection and grow closer. 

Maintain company culture even while working remotely  

We live in a digital world that has only become more digital, especially since Coronavirus pandemic. The main takeaway from the group was that little one-on-one interactions go a long way. Here are some other ways the panel has combatted remote work while maintaining their company culture: 

• Use other communication methods besides email 
• Travel to other employees’ locations to make them feel like part of the company 
• Celebrate national donut day or coffee day, or any other day for that matter!  Send all your employees a way to have breakfast or coffee on you. 
• Bring teams to industry events 
• Host virtual happy hours to get to know each other better

Learn more about RT3 in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit rt3thinktank.com.