Electrically Linked is a series of published LinkedIn articles from our founder, Josh Levin. Interested in more content from Josh? Follow him on LinkedIn or subscribe to the Empowered People Podcast.
So, I don’t know if you heard, but we were recently featured in Inc. Magazine’s Top 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies issue.
To be included in the Top 5000 was pretty awesome, to be included in the Top 500 was unbelievable, but to have a 3 page write up in the actual magazine blew all of our expectations out of the water. Honestly couldn’t believe It.
About a week after the list was published they featured our story on their social media accounts which received some pretty cool feedback. But like almost everything online it also brought some “Sideline Quarterback” critiques of our priorities and tactics. In the article, the author highlighted one of our foundational principles at Empowered Electric: we hire based on Attitude & Effort, not Skill & Experience.
The actual line from the article – “Most businesses are looking for highly skilled people who will work for low pay. [We] look for anyone with motivation.” – was enough to spark some debate and negative feedback.
One user said, “If someone was working in my house I would want a skilled and experienced electrician.”
Yeah dude, of course, so would I.
But what we are always trying to communicate to our people, and the industry all around, is that skill and experience are not enough to become a great electrician. In fact, skill and experience isn’t enough to become a great anything in the working world.
In life and at work, you might not always be the most skilled or experienced but what you lack in skill you can always make up for in effort. Effort is the key to almost everything.
I can’t believe I have to write this, but caring (read: giving a crap) is required to be good at business. In an industry that says things like, “It looks good from my house,” we want to be known as the company that cares the most. The company that is filled with men and women who want to work here, not have to be here.
Looking at their phone or their watch every 15 minutes – that isn’t productive for us or helpful to you.
It first takes Attitude and Effort to be a great electrician. When you have those two ingredients, only then can you couple it with skill and experience.
Think about it, the last thing we want our customers thinking is that we’re lazy or frustrating to work with – we work hard until we get it right.
Imagine an electrician who has worked for 15+ years – he rolls out bed, heads to work and proceeds to think about anything but work: where he’ll party that night, how many days ‘til Friday, and whether or not he’ll ever receive a raise. While he might have tons of “experience” he is on auto pilot and will learn nothing.
That guy could be extremely skilled, but if his attitude sucks, and if he’s just flat out lazy, then he’s not going to be a good electrician.
He might be a skilled electrician. But with how we roll, that’s just not enough.
This might fly in the face of what you’ve believed or practiced. If you have been banking on the fact that as long as you show up and put in your time you should in 5 or 10 or 15 years be where you want, I’m sorry to say I think your in for a rude awakening. Attitude & Effort is required and the lucky thing is . . . you are 100% in control. #StartNow
