Speaker Snapshot: Jan Spence

“As a former business owner who grew my company through grit, teamwork, and strategic leadership, I bring firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities faced by trades professionals,” says Jan Spence, CSP. “Over the past 20-plus years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking to audiences across a wide range of industries — including construction, contracting, and skilled trades — empowering teams to strengthen communication, boost morale, and tackle tough workforce challenges.” 

At SPARK, Jan shares a step-by-step system that participants can use to source, screen, profile, interview, compensate, and retain rockstar employees. 

“Hiring and retaining the right people is critical in today’s labor market,” she says. “This session equips attendees with tools to source and attract great talent, a streamlined hiring process, and tips that they may think are no longer relevant but help them make the right hire with the Recruit the Best™ Hiring System. This helps contractors build stronger crews, reduce turnover, and create a more productive culture.” 

IEC members know that hiring a new employee is a daunting, yet critical task, especially in today’s uncertain business environment. Jan says a bad hire can cost anywhere from $8,000 to more than $200,000 per employee, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg when you factor in errors that happen on the job, lost time spent training, and a potentially damaged brand.  

“While many leaders in the electrical field have processes in place for nearly every facet of their operation, they often rely on intuition and gut when it comes to hiring staff,” Jan states. “With my approach, I can help them find the candidate who not only looks good on paper, but also performs well and has the necessary skills and knowledge.”  

One powerful strategy from Jan: hire for attitude, not just skill. She shares the CAMPS model for hiring which looks at five different aspects of a potential team member — character, attitude, motivation, personality traits, and skill. She’s found that most people hire for skill and past job-related experience, but don’t investigate the other four critical pieces of the puzzle to find someone who wants to work and will stay with the company for personal and professional growth. 

“A team member who’s coachable and positive can be trained — while one with a bad attitude, no matter how skilled, can drag the whole team down,” Jan cautions. “If finding and retaining good people is a challenge for your organization, this is a “don’t miss” session! The right people — and how you handle the wrong ones — can make or break your business. SPARK attendees walk away with a clear approach to hiring and managing teams that are dependable, productive, and drama-free.” 

Jan is an international speaker, author, and consultant and earned her Certified Speaking Professional designation (less than 400 hold this designation worldwide). With contagious charisma and a zest for life which make her an excellent motivator and leader, this TEDx speaker uses her vast knowledge in sales, communications, finances, and employee engagement to help numerous clients. She is a high energy speaker who uses lots of audience participation. She was inducted into the 2021 Virtual Speakers Hall of Fame. 

Jan and her husband, Mitch, launched the second FiltaFry franchise in the U.S. in 2003. As CEO, Jan built such a successful operation that they were awarded the 2005 Franchisee of the Year by the International Franchise Association. Meeting their four-year plan, they sold the business in 2007 at 300% ROI. Since then, Jan has circled the globe as a trainer, consultant, and speaker for franchisees, organizations, and companies. 

“I have practiced what I preach and bring real-world experience, not just theory, to encourage other business leaders to thrive when building their teams,” she offers. “This customized SPARK talk is the right balance of humor, audience participation, actionable tools, and inspiration.”