What are your hiring techniques?

[Mikey P]

I'm sure we've been through this before but what the hell, with the economy taking a dump the hiring pool is quite different these days so lets do it again..

-where have you had the most luck finding good people?

-what tricks do you use to make sure they are not #5's, druggies, thieves or so good they'll be running off with your client list in a year and a half?

-do you want young, available and no commitments or older, married with payments?

-experienced or not?

-creamy white or a little spice?

-just high school or some college too?



my buddy and lurker Demein Lucero recently did some hiring, his crazy innovative technique will be discussed at M10F

 

[Desk Jockey]

-creamy white or a little spice?

Well, I hear them Mexican's are really good cleaners.

 

[The Great Oz]

where have you had the most luck finding good people? Craigslist

what tricks do you use to make sure they are not #5's, druggies, thieves - Mention background checks in the ad and emphasize it again in the phone interview or so good they'll be running off with your client list in a year and a half? Guys that make good money with us are less likely to want all that goes with running their own show, but if they decide to go on their own we wish them luck. Some of our best friends in the business used to work for us.

do you want young, available and no commitments or older, married with payments? Older guys tend to have less drama, but age doesn't really matter as long as they have the physical ability to do the work.

experienced or not? No experience. Nothing worse than training a guy that keeps saying how "we" did it at brand X. Training is way easier than untraining.

creamy white or a little spice? Not even a consideration.

just high school or some college too? High school is fine. College attendance and smart very often don't go together.


I'm looking forward to meeting Demien. Seems like a sharp guy with a good grasp of what it takes to be successful.

 

[ruff]

Being in San Francisco with the crazy rental cost etc has been quite a challenge for me.
Intending to dive in again sometime this Jan or Feb.

Tried quite a few approaches. Got some good advise from Bryan. Thank you. None of the ones I hired stuck long term so far though.

Kind of gets one in touch with their hidden religious part

I'll be happy to learn. Joe Applebe also had some good ideas.

 

[bob vawter]

i find it best to give the drug test first.......
get that outta the way..........

 

[Steve Toburen]

... where have you had the most luck finding good people?

My single best idea was to quit hiring people who were looking for work. With some exceptions most people who need a job are unemployed for a very good reason! (Think about people you know who are "chronically unemployed" and yet blame the economy/ the government/ the system, etc.)

So instead of waiting till I needed an employee (which is a big mistake) we were "always hiring". (I always wanted a list of pre-screened and pre-approved applicants just waiting for our call.) Now to keep that list full I was always "recruiting" every where I went.

Steve

PS Mike, you might also want to consider part time employees for at least some of your work.

 

[bob vawter]

i actually stalked the basket boys down at the piggly wiggly.....

 

[Shane Deubell]

The newspaper has a pretty good deal here, 2 print ads in job finder and 30 days online for $250.

$100 For referrals

We did what steve said this year, ran ads throughout the year even when we didnt need someone. Stockpiled a hundred resumes or something and am trying to spend 1x week going through them to score.
Job history is first thing i look at, multiple jobs in a short period of time is a bad sign.

We use a company for background checks and another for drug tests.

 

[Mark Saiger]

Are you dating one of my daughters?

You don't have a job?

Ok....I suppose to make their mom happy I have to hire you....(said with tongue in cheek and my wife's foot close to my rear).

And you better be able to keep up with me or my daughters is going to be dating someone else soon!

 

[Shane Deubell]

Also we hooked up with a temp agency, a good one. We use them as a back up and did find 1 long term replacement.

Kinda have attacked it from a couple angles, like marcating.

 

[Mikey P]

Are you coming down Bryan?

 

[rhyde]

I ran into a good patch of 20 somethings going to school (EMT, paramedics, ) ultimately to be fireman ....but they are white.

Sooo....The Poor guys will be with us for decades before they can actually get a fire department job. Meanwhile they have
to go drug tests, driving and criminal background checks to volunteer and maintain their certifications.

It really is a win, win.

 

[The Great Oz]

Are you coming down Bryan?

Signed up and everything. Didn't see where to pay though, so maybe I didn't scroll down far enough.

 

[Out of Character - 0]

Speaking of.... I didn't pay either. Link?

 

[Steve Toburen]

We did what steve said this year, ran ads throughout the year even when we didnt need someone. Stockpiled a hundred resumes or something and am trying to spend 1x week going through them to score...

I find the key after you have screened and approved them is to stay in touch. Send 'em a quick email every week or so updating 'em on your company and remiding them you are still keeping their place in the line.

Steve

PS These "maids in waiting" can also be good candidates for part time workers while they keep their regular job. Win-win for both of you since both you and they find out if they can hack the work before quitting the job they have now. I really like the part time employee concept for a lot of hiring situations now.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Greatly improved the staff this year, way less headaches this fall.

Now that we a "system" down i have to stick to it, which is the hard part.

 

[Brian H]

Here's a letter we sent to our customers several years ago. It was such a good idea that Steve Toburen used it in his SFS manual. We mailed it out back then but I would email it out now for postage cost and for quicker response:


WE’VE GOT A PROBLEM!


So many people want Hagopian value that we can’t serve them all! Oh, we have the trucks and equipment, but we need more quality people.

AND WE’LL PAY YOU $100.00 TO HELP US FIND THEM!*

Here’s all you have to do. Tell you’re friends and family about the exciting career opportunities available at Hagopian Cleaning Services and if we hire them

[h=1] WE’LL PAY YOU $100.00!*[/h]
Why are we doing this? It is simple, we need to hire quality people. We could put an ad in the paper, but we would rather have referrals from our customers. You know, the kind of people you would want in your home.

This is a full time career position working Monday through Friday with every other Saturday. Plus the voluntary overtime is almost endless! We are a drug free workplace, so a pre-employment drug test is mandatory. A pleasant personality and good work ethic are a must.

We offer an industry leading compensation and benefits package, including choice of medical and dental plans and a 401 K retirement savings plan. We are one of the largest cleaning companies in the nation so employees have many opportunities for advancement.

*If you know of a quality-orientated person who desires an interesting career with a winning team, give them my name and have them call me at (248) 399-2323 and after their first month of employment, we will give you $100.00!

Sincerely,



Brian Hanna
Location Cleaning Division Manager

 

[Desk Jockey]

That's very nice!

You have to watch Steve, he'll rip you off and call it his own. J/K

He always gives you credit when he shares it.............with the world/SFS partners.

 

[Art Kelley]

I met about a dozen of the Hagopian employees when I took a tile and grout class at the local Interlink a couple years ago . Pretty impressive group of veteran cleaners; polite, hard-working. Hagopian has set the standard for a quality carpet cleaning co in this market for as long as I' can remember, and Brian (and Ken) have helped them retain that position.
The first time I ever demoed a machine (which I soon bought) just about on this day in 1975, one of the workers on the jobsite told me that Hagopian was the premier company doing this work. First time ever heard the name.

 

[Mikey P]

All blond haired and blue eyed aryans?

 

[Steve Toburen]

Here's a letter we sent to our customers several years ago. It was such a good idea that Steve Toburen used it in his SFS manual.

I only "steal" from the finest, Brian. And you guys are among the best of our over 3,000 SFS graduates. (Right up there with Connoisseur.)

Steve

PS Richard is still my "go-to-guy" for Exactimate questions!

 

[Brian H]

Thanks for the kind words Art and Steve.

The number one thing I look for when hiring for any position is are they a nice person!! If they are, in most cases we can teach everything else. I have found out from experience that you can't teach someone to be nice.

 

[Mikey P]

Well Tooboring, you'd been proud of me yesterday..

I grabbed some breakfast at a Noah's Deli and the young man running the counter caught my attention with his small talk skills and demeanor. He handled the cute girl in front of me and my ugly ass like a pro. Clean cut and the look of total trustworthiness. He'd be the Scotchgard king.

It wasn't till I was about done with my food that the little Steve showed up on my shoulder telling me to give him a card and to tell him to call me if he ever needed a job.

It took a while for his manager to get out of the way so I could hand the card to him. Which amazingly enough he took with a big smile, and a big "thank YOU and I"ll be calling".




that was easy..

and now my daughter wants me to hire her to answer the phone and run the office.. oh boy.

 

[Desk Jockey]

and now my daughter wants me to hire her to answer the phone and run the office.. oh boy.

Train her well and that could be a great thing there.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Well Tooboring, you'd been proud of me yesterday..

I grabbed some breakfast at a Noah's Deli and the young man running the counter caught my attention with his small talk skills and demeanor. He handled the cute girl in front of me and my ugly ass like a pro. Clean cut and the look of total trustworthiness. He'd be the Scotchgard king.

It wasn't till I was about done with my food that the little Steve showed up on my shoulder telling me to give him a card and to tell him to call me if he ever needed a job.

It took a while for his manager to get out of the way so I could hand the card to him. Which amazingly enough he took with a big smile, and a big "thank YOU and I"ll be calling".




that was easy..

and now my daughter wants me to hire her to answer the phone and run the office.. oh boy.

Good stuff mike!
Alot cheaper then running newspaper ads...

I did do it once this year at the airport, walked up to one of the airplane cleaners and asked him if he wanted a $5 hour raise?
YEP, so far he is one of our best carpet cleaners. Then we hired his manager too!

 

[Steve Toburen]

It took a while for his manager to get out of the way so I could hand the card to him. Which amazingly enough he took with a big smile, and a big "thank YOU and I"ll be calling".

Good for you, Mike. It sounds harsh but most people that come looking for a job are unemployed for a very good (but very well hidden) reason. We need to search the winners out.

Steve

PS So Mikey, now that you are (grudgingly) growing and (dare I say it?) becoming a manager you are going to need to focus on how to KEEP these guys long term. Big Bill Yeadon recently defined the three reasons employees quit. (Oddly enough, none of them are about needing more money.)

 

[Mikey P]

Thanks SteveO..

I had to swipe that for our Main Page.


maybe someday we can get some original material from you

and maybe someday you could host MF..