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We must resist the subconscious urge to hire people in which we see ourselves — the full gamut of self from physical appearance to hard skills — and instead, map talent acquisition strategies to our deficiencies. This begins with an objective evaluation of your teams’ strengths and weaknesses, and from their hiring to resources that fill the empty spaces on your mantle.

In this column, Laura Spaulding, CEO of Spaulding Decon, shares three of the toughest hoarding cleanup jobs she has worked on in her 15-plus years specializing in crime scene and hoarding cleaning. “The tougher the challenge, the bigger the reward, and I have faced some tough ones,” Spaulding writes.

“I recommend everyone who looks to have a future in the restoration take the ASD course and experience the flood house, especially if you are a hands-on learner. Not only will you learn new drying techniques, and make yourself and your business more efficient. You will also meet an array of extraordinary people with different talents and experiences,” Dustin Resendiz writes.

“As an industry, we must perform at a higher level than ever before with less qualified people than we’ve ever had. That is the restoration industry’s staffing challenge,” Jeremy Reets writes. “Companies that bring on new staff and quickly get them to a high level of competency will be the ones to dominate their market. So, how do you increase the competency of your staff quickly and dominate your market? Hands-on training is part of the solution!”

Jeffery Gross shares an overview of hoarding cleanup best practices based on his experience with First Onsite Property Restoration. “The process of cleanup includes several steps: Bulk removal of trash, then cleaning and disinfecting of all surfaces and remaining contents. Then comes extermination and usually some refurbishment like painting or replacement of damaged fixtures,” Gross writes.

Ours is an industry where entrepreneurs cling to traditional ways of doing business. It’s an in-person service, after all. We work with our hands, we serve clients face-to-face. Who cares how tech savvy we are? Everyone cares, and if you don’t see that reflected in your customers’ priorities now, you will soon.

“If the Jon from five years ago has anything further to add, perhaps this idea still has merit: ‘Your office is your second home. Arguably, you spend more time in your workspace with your work peeps than with your actual family, so making it an enjoyable and functional environment should be a priority,’” Jon Isaacson writes.

Remember, good is the enemy of great. You might pay little attention to accountability standards and still find a way to grow a good company. But especially at a time when customers and employees have more choices than ever, and margins continue to grow thinner, becoming a truly great company in the long term requires 100% accountability throughout your entire organization, Scott Severe writes.

Les Cunningham shares 13 reflections and predictions for restoration business owners to consider as they plan for 2022, from working with TPAs, to increasing labor and material prices, to COVID-19 effects.

By being proactive and educating property owners about the risks of dishonest engineering and insurer fraud, you can help defend your clients from unethical claims professionals, Jack Hanks and Doug Quinn write. This will help ensure fair insurance markets where policyholders suffering a loss have the best chance for an honest claim and a smoother process of rebuilding their property. When this happens, the consumer, the restoration professional and the insurer win.