Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast

How to Hire a GM or Operator for Your Home Service Business

Mar 5, 2026
Guest
Brendan Aronson
Brendan Aronson, founder of The Military Veteran who places veterans into operator roles, shares hiring strategies for scaling home service companies. He covers when to hire a GM, building a deep hiring pipeline, spotting performance under pressure, red flags like wholesale Day 1 change, and why veterans often thrive in senior operator roles.
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ADVICE

Uncover Candidate Motivations Quickly

  • Do probe candidate motivations early to see if money, location, equity, or family needs drive decisions.
  • Brendan gives the example of a CEO who negotiated ski days to fit personal priorities during recruitment.
ADVICE

Test How Candidates Perform Under Pressure

  • Do combine behavioral interviews with reference questions about real stressful events to judge pressure performance.
  • Brendan recommends asking references "what was a really stressful time" and how the candidate reacted as the best proxy.
INSIGHT

Most Senior Hires Join Healthy Acquisitions

  • Turnarounds are atypical placements; most hires join healthy assets after PE deals with overlap periods.
  • Brendan says clients usually buy decent assets and plan three months to a year overlap rather than immediate rescue missions.
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