“A few years ago, we did some talent mapping,” James says. “We focussed more on ourselves than anybody else and we made sure we had a strong team of ‘A’ players.” “Our focus is living our core values,” he adds. “We value trust and transparency, we support our team and community, we are confident in taking a calculated risk, we’re approachable, and we’re big picture thinkers. In our meetings we talk about those values continuously, and we talk about how each person is performing those values.” Johnston Builders’ careful cultivation of their team has resulted in low staff turnover. They have people in the company that started over 20 years ago, and many that have been there 10-plus years. “That makes the company feel like a family,” says James. “We’re making sure everyone’s here for the right thing and fits the culture of the company. James says he’s learned to appreciate that Johnston Builders’ employees are their biggest asset. “You’re never going to have a client happier than your staff manager, project manager or site superintendent that’s working on their job,” he says. “If that person is disgruntled or if there’s a lot of turnover, the client won’t feel good about it.” James has the metrics to back up his comments. Most notably, they recently received their Net Promoter scores from last year. Those scores measure customer loyalty and satisfaction as expressed as a number from -100 to 100. When the company first started, their score was a little under 50 – which was good, but the company recognized they had room for improvement, and they put in the work to create a happier employee environment. Last year, as a result, they got their JULY 2024
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