This Is How to Find Employees for Your Pest Control Business
There are nearly 30,000 pest control businesses in the country.
With that much competition, there are things you're going to need to do to stand apart from the crowd. One of those things will be hiring the best possible employees to help you run your business.
When it comes to finding employees for your pest control business, it's all about knowing what to look for and setting aside the time to do it. No matter how busy you are, it's worth taking your time to thoroughly screen candidates to ensure they're qualified to do the work.
Pest control requires numerous unique skills that not every worker possesses. In this post, we're going to help you cut through the noise and give you a quick guide for getting the best employees.
Running a company isn't easy, but with quality workers backing you up, things become a lot less daunting. Keep reading and learn how to staff your pest control business with the best and brightest candidates.
- Figure out what positions need filling
- Creating your job posting
- Spreading the word
- Screening candidates
- Conducting interviews
- Choosing the best people for the job
- Attracting great candidates
Figure Out What Positions Need Filling
Before you start searching for candidates, take stock of what positions need filling and what the ideal candidate looks like. To eliminate any possibility of redundancy, you want to have a clear idea of what you want from an employee before making the job posting.
Whether you're looking for a pest control technician or an office attendant, there will be specific expertise and personality traits that set good candidates apart. Figure out what those are and get ready to make your job posting.
Creating Your Job Posting
Creating a job posting is all about letting the applicants know what you offer and what you expect in return. Simply write the posting based on what traits, education, and experience you want your applicants to have. Make sure to include a thorough description of what the job will entail, as well as the starting hourly wage or annual salary.
The other thing you should cover in your job posting is a description of the company culture. Your core values should attract like-minded people so that your candidates are all a cultural fit. The last thing you want is to have a pool of candidates that rub against what you're trying to achieve culture-wise.
It's good practice to let your existing employees know that you've got an opening and when the posting is going up. If they've got any family or friends they can refer to the posting, giving them a heads up will ensure that those people have ample time to apply.
Spreading the Word
Once you're done writing the posting and informing employees of your intent to hire a new employee, post it on your company website. From there, you can link to it on your social media accounts to market your pest control business and the fact that you're hiring
Most small businesses will also use a few different job boards to advertise open positions. Sites like Monster, ZipRecruiter, and CareerBuilder all offer their own unique methods for advertising jobs and screening candidates. Another option is to hire a recruitment firm that specializes in the pest control industry.
Screening Candidates
The screening process is pretty simple at the beginning. Go through all of the applications that you've received and start by removing all of the candidates that really don't fit what you're looking for, whether they're completely unqualified or just not a fit for this position.
So long as you've written a thorough job description, this shouldn't be too many people. The next thing is to shift your focus and look for the best applicants. Some resumes and cover letters are bound to stick out right away, so set those aside for further consideration.
Once you've chosen the top candidates, narrow them down to a select few to contact for an interview. This is probably going to be the most difficult part of the screening process. It might help to have the job description with you as you review the applications.
Conducting Interviews
Contact your top candidates and schedule interviews. Make sure you're giving them enough time to fit the interview into their schedule and prepare for your questions. The more prepared they are, the better glimpse you'll get into whether or not they're a good fit.
Your interview strategy is up to you. It may be in your best interest to hold two rounds of interviews so that you can slowly knock candidates out of the competition. Whatever the case, come up with a list of questions that help you get a sense of their pest control knowledge and cultural fit.
Choosing the Best People for the Job
With one or two rounds of interviews in the books, you should have a pretty good idea of who you want. Look for candidates that have the right mix of experience with pest control equipment and chemicals, but also a professional attitude in line with your company values.
If you were satisfied with their interview answers and they seem friendly and respectful, extend an offer of employment. There's no sense in delaying your decision when you've found a good candidate, so let them know as soon as you've made your choice. There's high demand for skilled employees, so if you don't pull the trigger, one of your competitors might.
Attracting Great Candidates
Part of running a successful pest control business has to do with employee retention. You want to attract and keep quality employees at your business so that there's enough continuity for your business to keep growing.
One way to attract good candidates is to offer competitive wages. If you pay more than the next pest control company, you'll attract better talent and keep your current employees content.
Research the average wages for pest control workers and increase yours by as much as you're comfortable with. You can also offer performance-based incentives so that your employees go above and beyond.
Running Your Pest Control Business to Perfection
Now that you have a better idea of how to staff your pest control business, you can start to attract amazing candidates. Your business will only go as far as your employees take it, so use these tips to find talented, customer-oriented people to bring your pest control service to new heights.
Another way to develop your business is by automating your customer relationships. At BidClips, we're the #1 sales management software for pest control and other home services.
To learn more about what our software can do for you, get your demo today.
