Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JUNE 2018 62 T here are some rules you need to live by to successfully recruit employees in your service organization. After having used each rule to recruit I have learned there is no "magic bullet"; but when used consistently, you will have tremendous success. RELENTLESSLY INVEST A MINIMUM OF 5 TO 10 HOURS WEEKLY IN YOUR RECRUITING EFFORTS. Recruiting is one of the largest pain-points in managing a residential service business. We all dread the words from one of your employees, "Boss! Got a minute?". You hold your breath and pray it's just a last- minute time off request. NOPE! They just gave notice. If you've been working with a professional recruiter, it takes them about 30 days to get a technician in for an interview and less time for lower skilled employees. What are you going to do now? It's going to take at least 90 days, if you're lucky, to onboard a technician. I have used LinkedIn, Indeed, Zip Recruiter, Facebook, gone to supply houses, offered recruiting bonuses and now I'm even thinking of hiring a designated recruiter. No method is superior to another, just different. Recruitment should be thought of as another sales channel in your growing business. RELENTLESSLY HIRE MILLENNIALS They're not a fad and they're not going anywhere. Yes, they can seem less resiliant than previous generations, but you need to understand them. My colleague, Brannon Harris is way ahead of the curve on understanding millennials and has helped me understand how they are different in their thinking and needs. In keeping with their unique ideas about how the corporate world works, try to avoid the following: • Write vague job offers • Have an unclear career path • Refuse flexible work schedules • Entice with money • Fail to provide post-interview feedback • Have an excessively rigorous hiring process • Disqualify those without the necessary skills • Keep them away from social media Do just the opposite! I know it's hard but if you don't, you will lose out on an entire generation of qualified employees. RELENTLESSLY TEST YOUR PROSPECTS How many times have you talked to or emailed a prospect, scheduled them for an interview, but then they no showed? You can't help but wonder— what happened, what went wrong? Pre-employment tests are an objective, standardized way of gathering data on candidates during the hiring process. All pre-employment tests have one thing in common: they are an efficient and reliable means of gaining insights into the capabilities and traits of prospective employees. Depending on the type of test being used, pre-employment assessments can provide relevant information on a job applicant's ability to perform in the workplace. By requiring applicants to take the tests early on, companies can weed out a lot of the "resume spammers" who send out their resumes with minimal thought or effort. The applicants who end up completing the tests are, at the very least, serious enough about the position to put in the time to take the tests. Aptitude tests measure critical thinking, problem solving, and the ability to learn, digest and apply new information. Cognitive aptitude tests seek to assess an applicant's general intelligence or brainpower. Personality tests seek to answer these questions: Will the candidate be comfortable in this role? Does the candidate have the behavioral traits that are linked to success in this position? Skills tests measure job-related competencies; broad ones like verbal, math, and communication skills, or narrow ones like typing, computer and mechanical skills. These are skills that candidates have picked up through their education and career histories. These skills do not necessarily reflect basic aptitude, but reflect acquired knowledge– what the applicant already knows how to do based on previous experience. No prospect will meet with my staff or me if these tests aren't completed. We pay for a yearly license with My Criteria Corp (www.criteriacorp.com) and I can test as many applicants as I want. These tests can see if the applicant is answering questions inconsistently and will notify and give questions to clarify the inconsistencies. Remember, don't ever stop recruiting - ever. Tom Kissane—Chief Business Officer Field Engineer Trainer, Tiger Mechanical Services S E R V I C E D E P A R T M E N T RO RELENTLESS RECRUITING : Rules to live by for successful recruiting of employees in your service organization

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