MAKING THE CUT: WHAT IT TAKES TO JOIN OUR BUILD TEAM

A WINNING TEAM

As a child, did you ever play in an intense game of dodgeball? Red rubber balls were flying everywhere. Your head was swiveling back and forth so fast your neck seemed like jello. Your body was bobbing and weaving at five times the normal speed. All of this was happening while you were simultaneously seeking to peg some victim with one of your inescapable laser shots while trying to avoid getting blasted yourself.

Chaos.    

Do you remember how team captains selected their teams prior to the game? Two opposing team leaders assembled their band of dodgeballers evaluating each prospect with one question in mind. Who will give our team the best opportunity to experience victory, or more preferably total domination?  

The same selection process happens in business. Dodgeball is no longer the game, but the desire to win still shapes the hiring process. Not every business defines winning the same. For Daniel Builders, winning means establishing a great culture, providing a service that benefits others, and being profitable.  

Daniel Builders recognizes the right people are needed to win on these levels: people who play their role with excellence and elevate the odds of collective victory.

Sam Parkinson was hired to increase Daniel Builders’ odds of winning, and he has proved to be a valuable contributor to the team. Sam started at Daniel Builders as a carpenter. A few years later, he moved into a project manager role. Now, he oversees other project managers as Build Director. Throughout his tenure at the company, Sam modeled what it means to be a great team player. In the process, he became somewhat of a poster child demonstrating the characteristics that Daniel Builders seeks in employees: humility, hunger, competence, and relational smarts.

A team of people with these qualities seems destined to win big.  

HUMILITY

Contrary to popular belief, meekness is not weakness. Real humility is not easy to find, but when you have it on a team, there is cohesiveness. A team that’s not bound by pride is free to flourish. How exactly do carpenters and project managers perform better when they are humble? Pride and arrogance are often the reasons why members of a team are unwilling to acknowledge and address personal shortcomings. Instead, team members who operate like this often attempt to “fake it” with hopes they “make it.” Faking rarely has a good outcome. Everyone loses when someone fakes their skill level out of pride. This is especially true for carpenters who are tasked with building structures that last. Faking good craftsmanship is not just a problem, it’s a danger. That’s why Daniel Builders looks for humble people to build their team.  

In the podcast, Sam articulates that the Build team has a standard of excellence that leaves no room arrogance. Even when someone has a high degree of competence, their arrogance will stop them from growing further in their professional development. A gifted, yet arrogant, person often doesn’t possess the patience necessary to teach others on the team. This injects frustration and toxicity into a team. 

Sam describes the team’s approach as “all hands-on deck.” Whether someone is a carpenter, Project Manager, or director, having humility means doing whatever the job requires, in tasks both large and small. Skill matters, but so does the willingness to lend a hand wherever it’s needed.

Starting with humility is the best approach, but humility should never be confused with passivity.

HUNGER TO GROW

Sam looks for people who are committed to getting better. He encourages his team to think about what it would look like to improve by 1% each week. The question is small enough to act on: What could you do a little better this week than you did last week?

Growth doesn’t always mean taking on the biggest possible challenge all at once. Sam believes steady improvement gives people room to practice what they’ve learned and build confidence over time. Carpentry is a craft with room to keep growing, even after years of practice. As carpenters learn, the more they come to understand the complexity of the work, which helps them pinpoint skills they still want to develop. A carpenter might sharpen their technique, while a Project Manager might work on how they lead a conversation or plan the next phase of a project. Those steps add up.

The desire to grow also matters because remodeling always presents new challenges, no matter how long someone has worked in construction. Sam has team members with more than 20 years of experience who still run into things they haven’t seen before. When that happens, the people who thrive are the ones willing to keep learning.

COMPETENCE

A remodel rarely goes exactly as planned. Once work begins, our team often uncovers framing, plumbing, or construction methods that weren’t visible during the initial walk through. Some homes have gone through several construction phases throughout the years, with each renovation adding another layer to understand.

That’s why Sam looks for people who can assess what they find and work toward solutions. Experience and technical skills are essential, but the skill of problem-solving is, too. Sam doesn’t expect anyone to have all the answers initially. He values PMs who ask good questions, talk with the right people, and stay with a problem until they understand how to move forward.

Another skill essential for our team is communication. Communication is as important to a client’s experience as the decisions made on the job site. Sam looks for people who can explain what’s happening, listen well, and have a direct, honest conversation when an unexpected issue or decision needs attention.

Soft skills are valuable but incomplete without technical proficiency. Once the steps to solve the problem are identified, Sam needs people who can carry out the plan. The Build Team contains many mentors who lead by example, creating a culture where questions are welcome and people can thrive while putting their hands to work!

RELATIONAL SMARTS

The build team doesn’t just work on a home. They work in it, often alongside the people who live there for months at a time. That requires emotional intelligence.

Communication is more than expressing knowledge verbally. Sam values people who listen and notice what a client may not say outright. Someone might be worried about the schedule or uneasy about a change without knowing how to bring it up. A Project Manager who picks up on that can make room for the conversation and help the client understand what comes next.

Sam says clients are sometimes surprised when they first meet our carpenters. They often arrive with an idea of what a construction crew will be like and then meet pleasant people who care about them! Over the course of a project, our team gets to know kids’ names, family pets, and what matters to the people they’re building for.

Those relationships are one of Sam’s favorite parts of the job. His team enjoys construction and problem-solving, but they also enjoy connection. After seeing someone nearly every day through the ups and downs of a remodel, finishing the project can feel bittersweet. Clients are ready to enjoy their home, but sad to see the team leave!

THE CULTURE BEHIND THE WORK

At Daniel Builders, our desire is to build trust in every interaction. That guides how we serve clients, interact with trade contractors, and treat one another. It shows up in how we respond when a teammate needs help, how we handle a difficult day, and how we take responsibility for our work.

For Sam, one of the best parts of being Build Director is leading the people on his team. He cares about their growth as craftsmen and about their experience at work. He knows that the stress someone carries home can affect their family and the rest of their life. Helping a team member work through a challenge or find more satisfaction in their role matters to him.

That makes a difference across the team. People can ask questions, share what they’ve learned, and step in for one another when a project gets complicated. They bring that empathy and care to the clients who welcome them into their homes each day.

The finished work is something we’re proud of.

We’re also proud of the people behind it.

Considering a major home remodel or addition? Talk with a Daniel Builders Project Guide about your home and meet the team that can help bring your plans to life. Call 864.506.5546 or visit danielbuilders.com/get-started.