Ryan Englin on Systems Simplified: Unlocking Retention Through Systems with the Core Fit Hiring Method

I sat down with Adi Klevit on Systems Simplified to talk about why hiring in the trades keeps failing and what a complete system looks like when you stop treating recruiting like an HR task.

Adi works with businesses on processes and procedures, so the conversation naturally went to the system behind hiring, not just the tactics. That's the part most contractors miss. They fix one piece. They post an ad, fill a seat, and wonder why the person is gone in three weeks. I built the Core Fit Hiring System because I watched that cycle destroy companies for years.

We started with what it means to become the employer of choice. I walked Adi through the CHOICE framework. Clear purpose, vision, and values. High trust leadership. Opportunities to grow. Industry-leading growth and reputation. Competitive pay and stability. An engaged workforce. You need all six. And you need them running all the time, not just when you're hiring. I asked the audience a question I ask every owner: if I quizzed you right now on your core values, no peeking, do you know them? If you don't, your team doesn't either. And if nobody knows them, nobody lives them.

Then we got into recruiting as marketing. This is foundational to everything I teach. I gave the example of a company running ads that say "available 24/7, on call, the customer is always right." That ad attracts customers. It repels candidates. A candidate reads that and thinks: I never see my family, I never sleep, and I do whatever the customer says even when I know better. Now flip it. Talk about how you invest in your people, how you train them, how you only hire A-players. A-players hear that and want in. And here's the kicker. The homeowner hears that same message and wants that technician in their house. One message, two audiences. Most companies already have a marketing budget for customer acquisition. Pivot some of it toward candidate acquisition and you get both.

Adi asked about interviews, and I made a point I make everywhere. "Hire slow" does not mean sit on applications. If a candidate's application sits in your inbox longer than 15 minutes, it's too long. People looking for work are stressed. The first company to call back wins. Period. But once you have them in front of you, spend real time with them. Two hours, not fifteen minutes. Get into behaviors. Get into alignment. Ask yourself: does this person think the way we think? Are they excited about where we're headed? Will they be a good member of this team? We do all this work in the dating world before we say "I do." Then when it comes to hiring, we look at someone and say, "You showed up on time. You're hired." That doesn't work.

We talked about onboarding, and I told Adi what I tell every client: onboarding begins at application. The tone you set when someone applies is the foundation of the relationship. Once someone accepts your offer, they enter one of the most stressful transitions a human being goes through. They have to quit their current job. They have to tell coworkers. They have to tell their spouse benefits are resetting. If you are not supporting them through that window, you lose them before day one.

On the job, onboarding comes down to three things. Teach them to think like you think. Teach them to do like you do. Teach them to win like you win. That's the 2412 Launch in action. It's simple. It's not easy. But it works every single time.

I also talked about the Growth Accelerator Program. This is where you sit down with an employee and ask, "What are your personal goals over the next three years?" Not career goals. Personal goals. Maybe they want to buy a house. Maybe they want to get out of debt. Maybe they want to learn something that has nothing to do with their job. You build a system of tools, training, and mentors to help them get there. When you invest in the human being, not just the worker, loyalty follows. No one else is doing this for them.

Adi asked how documented processes affect retention and engagement. I told her that most tradespeople are tactical and logical. They want to know what done looks like. Without processes, you're asking them to be creative problem solvers all day long. That's not their wiring. It burns them out. With processes, they show up with confidence, they know exactly what to do, and they know when they're finished. That's how you get productivity and profitability.

I shared how my dad inspired all of this. He was an owner-operator who worked 12-hour days, nights, weekends. I watched him grind and told myself I'd never do that. I went corporate for over a decade, then started a marketing company to help people like him. A couple years in, my clients stopped needing leads. They needed people. That was the turning point. It took another few years of solving one problem after another before the full Core Fit Hiring System came together. Every time I fixed one piece, the next gap showed itself. That's why a complete system matters.

If you liked this conversation, I go deeper on every one of these topics on Titans of the Trades. Subscribe and hear from the contractors who are actually living this out.