We value each and every one of our team members here at K2 Electric, and this month we are celebrating the women in our company for all they do not only internally, but how they impact the entire construction industry. Linda Spiller, Scheduling & A/R has done so much for the K2 team…. Linda gave us some background on how she got into the industry, what her day-to-day looks like, and advice for other women in construction.

Q: Tell us how you got into construction.

Linda Spiller: My dad got an electrical engineering degree in the Navy and worked in the commercial/industrial field his entire life. On the side he built spec homes with his younger brother who was a GC.  As a kid I enjoyed helping with all of it but was most fascinated by the electrical side of things. I never really thought about it as an employment field until I ended up working for a neighbor in a small electrical contracting office. I enjoyed learning more about it in a commercial/industrial setting. Since it was a small office, I would help with material pickup and delivery when needed. This got me out of the office and out to see vendors and customers. I have worked in different types of offices, including the corporate world but always made my way back construction offices. It is where I am happiest.

Q: Share one way you try to help pave a way for other Women in Construction.

Linda Spiller:  Encouragement is always a strong motivator for me. I try to encourage those who want to be in the field to take steps necessary to get them where they need to be. As a kid I would sometimes hear things, like why do you like to build houses and fences with the boys? My reply was simple, “because it is fun.” It did not discourage me that I was the only girl working with a group of boys. I was determined to learn new things and I love the outdoors. Also, I try to encourage those who are considering qualified personnel to give everyone an equal chance. All persons, regardless of rather they are male, or female should be considered for a position if they are equally qualified.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about your job?

Linda Spiller: One thing I like the most about my job is knowing that I can make a difference. It is my job to help many people throughout the day and I enjoy it. I help field employees, team members, managers, vendors, and customers. It is a good feeling at the end of the day knowing that I made someone else’s day easier by doing something either directly for them or behind the scenes. I also get to hear about advancements and new products in the trade through conversations with those I am helping.

Q: Walk us through a typical day for you.

Linda Spiller: Planning is a big part of my day. I plan, daily, weekly, and monthly tasks and meetings so that nothing gets missed. I start each day checking email and check it at least two more times throughout the day. I get emails at three different email addresses for work. I immediately answer or take steps to complete the short order stuff and priorities. I flag for follow up the items that are not going to get done right away. Because I preplan there are certain activities that need to get done on different days of the week such as collections, pulling prelims or requesting AP waivers. Scheduling is a very busy activity that takes place off and on most every day. I schedule service calls that come in and I schedule small projects, some of which have different manpower needs each day. New customers and new jobs are entered on the master job list, in the accounting software and in the appropriate folders. Billing is another busy part of my day. Service calls are billed within 2 days and small projects are generally billed once per month. Along with billing, I assist with other project paperwork such as close out documents when needed, certificates of insurance, badging if needed and any other project specific paperwork. I attend several regularly scheduled meetings throughout the week and complete other task such as checking timecards for payroll and notarizing waivers or other documents. I also help with the new hire on boarding when we get a new team member to the service/small projects division. Of course, none of the things I mentioned would work smoothly if it were not for good communication. I am in constant communication with my team, customers and vendors when needed. We communicate via email, phone, text and in teams.

Q: What’s one piece of advice for other women looking to get in this field?

Education and hands-on experience are of the upmost importance. Construction is a vast field even within a specific trade such as the electrical trade. There are many different jobs ranging from things like the field labor, administration, engineering, management, logistics, safety, and teaching. Learn a little, explore a little and never give up your pursuit. Rather you want to work more in the physical side of things or in an office capacity, it is important to stay educated in the field and to grow as an employee and a person.

David Blake started his role as HR Manager in the beginning of 2020.   During his exploratory conversations about joining K2 Electric with Jared Kredit and Matt Kuiper, they shared about the company culture and how they had several long-tenured employees.  This was a big selling point for him.

When he joined the team as the Human Resources Manager, he was excited to meet everyone and hear their thoughts on what is behind K2 Electric’s company culture and why K2 Electric is such a great place to work.  Well, COVID-19 happened and hindered him from having those opportunities.

After he got settled into K2 Electric and got used to life working from home, he still wanted to know what makes K2 Electric “tick”.  He needed to get some real feedback from the people who know K2 Electric best…the employees!  In the Fall of 2020, David rolled out our first Annual Employee Survey.

He recently sat down with Jared and Matt again to really dive into the results of the employee survey.  After the meeting he came away impressed with the overwhelmingly positive responses.  The survey was very insightful into finding out what makes K2 Electric “tick”. With over 90% participation the following strengths of K2 are accurate and sincere:

• K2’s Family culture
• Teamwork
• Safety is a top priority
• Employees feel they have opportunities for growth and development
• Employees feel valued and appreciated

The survey also reiterated that our Core Values of Safety is Essential, Perform to be Preferred, Genuine Relationships, and Advancing the Team are the driving force behind everything we do at K2 Electric and the reason for our great company culture.

While the survey confirmed that K2 Electric is doing many things well, it also showed that the company has a great opportunity to turn some weaknesses into strengths.  This coming year David is excited to further develop additional education and training opportunities for our employees, find ways to streamline communication, and make sure K2 Electric continues to offer first-class benefits.

He looks forward to seeing what everyone has to say in 2021’s survey.