How to start employing staff:
Top tips for Electrical Contractors

Making mistakes when employing staff can be stressful and cost you a lot of time and money.

Taking a well-thought-out approach to your employment practices will lead your business to enhanced productivity and performance, positive employment relationships, and high employee morale.

MEA Employer Advice hotline’s Jordon Carlisle has provided his top tips for employing staff in the electrical contracting industry.

Tip #1: Understand the award you pay your staff under

The biggest employment mistake electrical contractors make is misinterpreting the award and inadvertently paying their staff incorrectly.

There are obligations that you have as an employer, and there is no ‘free pass’ just because it’s your first employee.

MEA has seen cases where, at the end of an apprenticeship, an employer ends up owing an employee over $20,000. Yep, that’s four zeros. Owing pay adds up quickly if you aren’t correctly paying leave, allowances, and overtime.

To avoid incorrectly paying your staff, get credible advice. Don’t make decisions based on what happened to you as an apprentice and be wary of advice from electrician_dave_85 on an online forum or social media.

Read more from MEA

• How MEA is advocating with government for electrical contractors
• Stay safe when working in ceilings
• Changes to award terms on casual conversion

Tip #2: Issue your staff with a contract

A contract simply acts as a communication device between the employer and the employee. It helps to clarify the expectations of the employee and how they will be compensated for the work they do.

It can save a dispute that may arise due to a misinterpretation on what the employee is entitled to. They don’t need to be complicated or full of legal jargon to be useful documents.

If you need help, talk to the MEA Employer Advice line. They provide help at no cost drafting contracts, provide access to employment templates, processes, and representations at the Fair Work Commission.

Tip #3: Take action on poor performance early

Managing workers and setting performance expectations is a skillset that electrical contractors must develop to run a sustainable business.

The sooner you take action to address performance expectations, the better. Leaving performance improvements to resolve themselves can interfere with your business reaching its full potential and can result in:

• Poor productivity,
• A deteriorating relationship between employer and employee,
• Impacting team morale,
• Losing jobs and clients, and
• Tarnishing your brand image.

It is your job as an employer to set expectations and redirect employees with feedback and counselling.

Look for opportunities where you can provide feedback and specific examples of where performance needs improvement.

It’s no use making a casual comment at smoko or broad statements in toolbox talks. The employee must understand the importance of the feedback and that it applies specifically to them.

If performance doesn’t improve, you may need to consider disciplinary processes, up to dismissal. However, it is essential to follow a formal performance management process – you don’t want to end up with an unfair dismissal claim where you haven’t prepared a defence.

If you are unsure how to approach poor performance, seek expert advice on how to deal with the situation.

Tip #4: Consider your recruitment practices

Giving someone’s mate a job might sound like a good idea, but it isn’t necessarily a recipe for success.

Hiring the wrong employee can be costly, time-consuming, and damaging to your brand.

Business owners need to have a pragmatic approach to recruiting new staff. This involves:

• Defining the job before hiring – Consider the duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and the work environment.
• Asking the right questions in a job interview – Ask questions that will address the job requirements and demonstrate a candidate’s knowledge and skills.
• Be transparent with candidates – Explain to candidates your vision for the company, what you anticipate the worker will be doing in their role, and why you need specific skills.

It comes down to managing expectations. If you can be clear about the role requirements, it will help you attract the right candidates, and it will help you pick the perfect employee.

Employing staff can be tricky, but a well-thought-out approach will benefit your business and your employer, employee relationships.

Master Electricians have unlimited, direct access to the MEA Employer Advice hotline. The team can help you with issues relating to interpreting awards and legislation, Fair Work Act advice, employment contracts, workplace policies, the dismissal process, and much more. Phone 1300 889 198 and speak to the experts.