NEWS FLASH! Hiring front line technicians has NEVER been more challenging! The good, old “just put a Help Wanted ad in the newspaper and desperate job seekers will call begging for a job” Hiring Model is dead and buried!😲
Instead, just follow the Marine’s old recruiting slogan, “We’re looking for a few good men!” (And women!)👍
Yep, just like the Marines you must MARKET your company (and the great career opportunity you are offering) to prospective recruits. (This a whole different topic that merits its very own blog post!)
RESOURCE: You’ll get 100’s of new hiring ideas and systems in our 3-hour, online SFS: Hiring the Very Best! LIVE seminar.💲💲💲 To learn more and/or easily register online click HERE.
But now? You must get the word out that you are hiring! So, widen your hiring search by building an ‘army of recruiters’! Here’s one great tip…
Reward your past and current customers when they send you ‘recruiting leads’!
This is (if I do say so myself!💖) a brilliant idea on so many levels! Think about it:
A) Who knows better than your clients who they want inside their home?
B) Every time you reach out to customers asking them to recruit its also a subtle marketing reminder for your services (you’ll get booking requests) and…
C) It impresses prospects that you are 1) a successful, growing company and that 2) you’ll only hire the ‘Very Best People’ to work in your customer’s homes!👍 Here’s how to set up these ‘Customer Recruiting Officers’ (CRO’s) who will ‘throw your hiring net wide’!
1. Email all your past clients. Mention that (thanks to your delighted customer’s referrals) your company is expanding! So, you’re looking for great job candidates that want to build a fulfilling (and profitable) career with a local, stable and fun-to-work-for company. (That would be YOU!)
2. Clearly explain who you are looking for. Set the bar high here! After all, you’re talking to your customers! They’ll be super impressed that you will only settle for top quality employees.
3. Recognize your customer’s efforts. Offer a modest ($20.00?) gift card for each job candidate referral a customer sends. Do you have commercial clients? Then buy a few gift cards from a coffee shop, restaurant, or retail store that you already work for! (Your commercial account will be grateful for the cash flow AND the free marketing!)
4. Explain what you need from your ‘CRO’. The easiest way? Develop a simple website contact that your ‘Customer Recruiting Officer’ fills out for each lead. (Don’t over complicate this.) I’d just ask for the job candidate’s name, cell phone, email, where the candidate is working now, the best time to contact them and your CRO’s relationship to the candidate. (Include a space for your customer to comment on their candidate.)
5. Sweeten the pot! Finish up by mentioning if you hire their suggested candidate, you’ll pay your customer a ‘recruiting bonus’! You set the amount and terms but some of my students are giving customers $250.00 CASH for a suggested new hire that successfully passes their 90-day evaluation! (Or you can give a trade credit good on future work.)
NOTE: Who of you wouldn’t be DELIGHTED to pay 250 bucks for a quality employee right now? Agreed?
6. ALWAYS follow up right away! Immediately call the job lead (the Very Best People don’t stay on the shelf very long!) and use the referring person’s name in your introduction, “Hi, is this Charlie? This is Steve Toburen and your friend Susan Smith suggested I give you a call. Is this a good time…”
NOTE: When you send Susan Smith her gift card be sure to sincerely thank her and add that you called Charlie.
BONUS TIP: Always mention on the phone that you have immediate job positions open. The best time to bring up your hiring needs? During every Quality Check Call as your client is marveling over the great job your employees did in their home!
Now… don’t you have a ‘CRO’ email to draft and send? (Let me know how this idea works for you!)
Steve