Culture-first hiring reshapes roofing

By Jesse Sanchez. 

How flexibility, clear expectations and modern recruiting are redefining what it takes to build teams that last. 

As roofing contractors compete for talent in a tighter labor market, leaders are finding that pay and perks only go so far if the day-to-day experience does not hold together. In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, host Karen Edwards discussed what that reality looks like with Erica Teasley, owner of Stonescape Steel Roofing and Exteriors, and Kristin Case, co-owner of Hi-Peak Staffing. The discussion traced how company culture influences hiring decisions, employee longevity and even the way customers experience a brand. 

Erica said a positive culture is not optional for a business that wants to grow without burning out its team. “You know, to be quite honest with you, I will have to admit that your company culture truly can define the success of your company on whether or not you are going to thrive or if you're going to die,” she shared. After nearly 10 years of business, Erica described refining her approach to building and maintaining her company’s culture to protect that foundation. “I would say that, today, I have a kind of a role where I'm slow to hire and quick to fire,” she said, noting that interviews can mask whether someone will actually thrive in the role. 

Instead of forcing people into rigid positions, she emphasized structured opportunity and clear incentives. “Not putting people in boxes but simply starting them out at a reasonable level within my company and then giving them a growth path to where they can excel, and the sky is the limit for them [can help them thrive],” she explained. She also added that everyone has a base salary and a performance-based component. “Everyone in my company, from the lowest person to the highest person is all on a, you know, they have a salary, a base salary, but they also have a commission structure.” 

Kristin said that mindset matters because hiring conditions have changed. “Roofing is small and there's a whole workforce leaving the roofing industry,” she said. With more companies willing to train employees, she focuses on what happens after the hire, including tenure and leadership support. Kristin said those questions are central to how she evaluates employers on behalf of candidates, explaining that hiring no longer ends at filling an open position. When speaking with roofing contractors, she said she often presses them to look inward at their own retention patterns. “I’ll ask them, ‘How’s the tenure?’” Kristin explained. “Do you have a lot of people who stick around, or are people jumping ship every six months?” 

Erica connected retention to flexibility that respects life outside the office.  She added, “If I can alleviate as much headache and stress of the outside world off of my team, they seem to perform better and give me better production in my company.” 

 Kristin added that social media is increasingly becoming a part of recruiting and culture visibility. “There's a huge growth on TikTok for roofing,” she explained. Together, their perspectives underscore how empathy, adaptability and visibility are becoming practical tools for building teams that stay engaged, perform consistently and see a long-term future in roofing. 

Listen to the podcast to learn more about Stonescape Steel Roofing and Exteriors, Hi-Peak Staffing and National Women in Roofing!