I’ll never forget the day I had to fire my first direct report. I felt like I had failed her, and I could see the humiliation and dejection in her eyes. Yuck! Making a bad hire not only ends up feeling bad, it costs a lot in time, morale, productivity, and so much more.
I especially appreciate the reminder to always conduct reference checks. We can all hire smarter with these tips!
Marcianne Kuethen is a Senior Writer at Amtec, where she has written over 700 blog posts in the past 18 years. Her family has led the company across three generations, from her father who founded Amtec in 1959 to her son Barrett who serves as President and CEO today. Outside of writing, she makes art, music, and gardens.
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U.S. construction wage data compiled from BLS OEWS, with median pay by trade, geographic variation, and 2026 wage growth trends.