HR for Trades by Sarah Sherry
Plumbing · HVAC · Electrical · Lehigh Valley, PA

Still doing every job yourself?

Build a crew you can actually hand work to, and keep them. I'm the HR department you don't have, and someone to think it through with, for independent shops that want to grow without selling out.

Talk it through with me See how it works
The callback every owner knows

They rode along for weeks. You still had to go back out.

A new hire shadows you on job after job. Sharp, good with customers. Then you send them out alone, and you end up back at that house fixing something you were sure they knew.

And you're left asking: "How does he not know how to do that?"

Watching shows a new hire the motions. It doesn't tell them what "right" looks like, why it matters, or how to check their own work before calling it done. That part has to be taught on purpose, and nobody teaches tradespeople how to teach.

That's fixable. It's what I do.

What I help with

Three people problems that keep you on every job

Keep the people you hire

Most new hires who leave make up their minds in the first few months. Usually it isn't the pay. Nobody showed them the ropes, or the job wasn't what they expected.

  • Hire for people who fit service work and customers
  • Tell them what the job really is on day one
  • A clear path from helper to tech, with the pay attached

Hold them to a standard

Show up on time. Phone away. Truck stocked. Respectful in a customer's home. You either let it slide or you blow up, and neither one fixes it.

  • What "good" looks like on your jobs, written down
  • Quick feedback on the spot, without crushing anyone
  • What to say when it has to be a hard conversation

Get them productive fast

Being great at the work doesn't make you a natural teacher. And every hour you spend training is an hour you're not billing.

  • A 30/60/90-day plan for every new hire
  • Tell, show, let them do it, check it together
  • Which calls they can run alone, and when

The result: a business that still runs when you take a week off. You work less.

Who it's for

Wherever your shop is right now

Just you+ a helper or two

You're a great tradesman who never had a boss teach you how to be one. I'm the person you think it through with: how to teach, how to give feedback, how to keep the helper you've got, and when it's time to hire the next one.

5 to 25people

Too big for you to do it all, too small for an HR person. I set up the basics that make hiring, onboarding and accountability work without you in the middle of everything.

Bigger shops25+

Leads and supervisors who need to run crews, plans for who steps up next, and the people side of growing. I did this for fifteen years at a Fortune 200 company. It works at your size too.

How it works

Simple, and built around your schedule

  1. A free call

    30 minutes · no charge

    You tell me what's going on with your crew. I tell you honestly whether I can help. Early morning or evening works.

  2. One working session

    Half a day · from $1,200

    We work through it together at your shop, a local coffee shop, or over video: your expectations, your onboarding plan, your feedback routine. You leave with it written down for your business.

  3. Backup when you need it

    Monthly · optional

    A regular check-in, plus someone to reach out to when a crew member is slacking or you're not sure what to say. You don't have to figure it out alone.

For the person running the office
If you're the one watching them do it all themselves, send them this page.

A lot of shops are run by two people: one in the truck and one keeping everything else together. You probably see the long days and the turnover more clearly than anyone. Reach out yourself if that's easier. I'm glad to talk with you both.

About me

Sarah Sherry

I spent fifteen years in HR and leadership development at a Fortune 200 company. I ran succession planning, built a coaching program for up-and-coming managers, and helped new leaders get their footing. Before that I was the HR person at a builder with about 80 to 100 people.

Big companies have whole departments for the people side of the business. Independent shops have the owner, usually at 9 at night. I started HR for Trades to bring that same help to the people who keep our houses running, so they can grow on their own terms.

  • Experience15 years, HR and leadership development, Fortune 200 company
  • Small businessHR generalist at a home builder, about 80–100 people
  • CoachingExperienced, certified coach. Built a coaching program for up-and-coming managers
  • SpecialtiesOnboarding, feedback, coaching new leaders, planning who steps up next
  • Based inNew Tripoli, PA. Serving the Lehigh Valley
Contact

Let's talk about your crew

Send me a quick note about your shop and what's going on. I'll get back to you within one business day to set up a free call.

sarah@hrfortrades.com

Early mornings and evenings work for a call, since I know you're on jobs all day.