The toughest aspect of running a water damage restoration business is finding hard working staff you can trust to represent your company. Small business owners consistently report that their biggest headache isn’t paying the bills or staying organized behind the scenes—it is hiring the right people for the job.
Too often, flood damage companies rely on old and unreliable ways for find the support staff. They browse the newspaper or post an ad on Craigslist, and the people they find are never exactly what they are looking for. In order to adjust for the variability of business common to the water damage industry, it is crucial for every business to have a strong, full-time staff as well as an on-call team who only work when things are busy.
At More Floods, we want to help you find the right support staff for you small business. Continue reading to learn how you can make finding your next employee a simple and painless process.
1. Job Boards and Internet Sites
Working in the water damage restoration industry requires a special kind of employee. They need to be OK with working emergency hours and doing hard and often gross work. On top of that, the water damage business has incredibly busy and slower seasons, so you need to find someone who is OK with unreliable hours.
You must also have a written hiring process from application, testing, interviewing and verifying information. It is also extremely important to make sure they are a good fit with the rest of your team.
2. Keep Your Expectations High
Generally speaking, you should expect quality employees to understand what it takes to make a good first impression. Keep your expectations high for the first, second, and following interactions with a potential employee. Require cover letters and consistent communication during the pre-interview process.
3. Perfect Your Interview Process
We never rely on one interview to determine the potential of an applicant. Require multiple interviews, beginning with an in-person interview to fill out the application and schedule subsequent interviews for questioning and evaluation. We love the DiSC™ and Strengths Finders™ assessment which allows employers to gauge whether or not an applicant is a good fit for the position. We also suggest asking tough questions. Hiring the wring person is much worse than not hiring anyone.
4. Do Your Homework
After the initial interview, don’t neglect to follow up on applicant references. Call previous employers and personal references and keep an eye out for any red flags along the way. In the world of social media, we can do a little extra digging. Scope out the personal Facebook or twitter profile for strength or weaknesses in an individual.
5. Transition On-Call Staff into Full-time Positions
In the past, we have seen the benefit of hiring a brand new employee on as an on-call or temporary employee before considering them for a full-time position. When you work with someone for a trail or on call basis, you are able to get a better feel for their work ethic and skill level before you commit to a long-term, full-time position.
At More Floods, we provide tools and resources to members that ensure their hiring efforts pay off. To learn more about becoming a More Floods member and the services we provide, click here or call 866.667.3356.