Building Maintenance 101

The purpose of this blog is really to start institutionalizing the standards that govern maintenance industry(or should I say the lack their of). All to often I have seen managers, technicians and other various parties involved in the maintenance process go about things the wrong way but, its not their fault because the simply didn't know better. Over the years of being heavily involved in this field with my various roles ranging from technician to manager, I have created a simple process that will allow all parties involved with building maintenance to co-habitat  more effectively and efficiently. I have had the great fortune and opportunity to be the building engineer for a premier community with over 50+ homes ranging in value from $3-$8 million and am excited to share my experience as well as learn from yours.

Where to begin! There are so many areas of this field that I can not begin cover them (nor do I want to) in one article. So I will begin, at the beginning! Lets start with the hiring process. Its not just people that make an operation successful but, the RIGHT people. Get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off.

One of the issues over the years that I have noticed is that a lot of individuals in the maintenance field tend to be overconfident...just a little..I think mainly because they are so used to being able to assess, diagnose and repair a lot of issues throughout their day that they pretty much feel adept to most situations. This can lead to a handful of bad situations, we wont cover them all yet, I think one of the largest and certainly most important is the ability to screen and interview candidates successfully.

One of the greatest joys I have had over the years has been the ability to assemble an A-Team of contractors, subcontractors and employees. I know that if my team can not perform a specified task that we have the ability to outsource it to a specialized tradesmen that not only meets or exceeds our working standards but who also fits our criteria as an employee. i.e. if they run into one of our homeowners they will look presentable and be willing to help etc. There is nothing wrong with knowing your limitations and most people interview very poorly. There are more people than you think that would be willing to help you out, and on top of it all, you are exemplifying a few things:
1. You want the best for your company
2. You are a team player and want to work with others in your company
3. Building up confidence in other co-workers by relying on their experience
4. Increasing interdepartmental communication

Those are just a few of the numerous benefits to name a few.

After all the maintenance creed has been "jack of all trades, master of none" I am always leery of the individual who is willing to tackle it all. While it is possible it is likely not probable to be GREAT at everything. I personally think it takes character and confidence in yourself to admit that you would not be the best person for the job at the very least it is humbling. So dont be afraid to ask for help, think of your position as a maintenance professional, if it were not for people asking for your help, you wouldnt have a job!!

So ask your General manager to sit in with you, the front desk manager etc.. Can you outsource the job posting to a recruiting firm ? I am certain you would not have to look far to find someone who could greatly increase your success in hiring the RIGHT candidate for your position.

In the event you decide to preform the tasks yourself, here is a link to some great interview questions.

http://bhuvans.wordpress.com/2006/08/19/50-common-interview-qa/