Ecmweb 8380 Aaronhagan Service Secrets Pr 6
Ecmweb 8380 Aaronhagan Service Secrets Pr 6
Ecmweb 8380 Aaronhagan Service Secrets Pr 6
Ecmweb 8380 Aaronhagan Service Secrets Pr 6
Ecmweb 8380 Aaronhagan Service Secrets Pr 6

Service Secrets: Common Sense Recruiting

Aug. 19, 2016
Let’s review some tips on how to find the best employees.  
Aaron Hagan

Recruiting — it is by far the No. 1 topic I’m questioned on. Every electrical contractor struggles with finding licensed, qualified electricians. Each time I’m asked about recruiting, I answer without hesitation, “There is no secret recipe or silver bullet when it comes to recruiting/hiring.” But here’s the good news: If you dedicate yourself to the right recruiting/hiring system, you can find success.

So close your door, and turn off your phone. It’s time to avoid distractions as we review the best common sense tips to recruiting the talented personnel you need to grow your company.

Who am I looking for?

No one will argue that there’s a shortage of electricians in the United States. In our area of electrical service, we are in need of skilled, licensed electricians to put in our trucks now. We need these electricians to start generating revenue today — not two to four years down the road.  Unfortunately, most of us can’t afford to train greenhorns or wait for someone to complete an apprenticeship. We need help today.

In addition, there are certain other non-negotiable factors that we consider before hiring a licensed electrician.

I’ve stated in previous articles that our No. 1 core value at my company is safety — not just the safety of my electricians, but the safety of my clients and their homes. With that in mind, I can’t just hire any journeyman electrician who walks through my door. If I’m truly committed to my client’s safety, then certain other unwavering requirements must be met.

Any potential hire must pass a drug test before starting work. I can’t begin to tell you the number of potential employees I wanted to hire because they were licensed, well spoken, and likable, but I didn’t because they couldn’t pass a pre-hire drug test. The other pre-hire requirement for us is a clear federal background check. In other words, we don’t hire anyone with a prior felony conviction. I’m a big believer in second chances, but I also can’t take that risk when it comes to the safety of my clients.

Here’s an example of how this requirement might stifle the hiring process.

I was going through the hiring process with a gentleman a few years ago. I really liked this guy. He sailed through the interview and passed all my pre-hire requirements — except one. We had agreed on his pay, and all that was left was for him to sign the waiver so we could run our background check.

We were sitting at a small conference room table, and I slid the paperwork over for him to fill out and sign. At this point, I got up and left the room to give him a few minutes to complete the form. I had no more than stepped through the doorway when he bolted out of the conference room, ran right past me and out the front door, jumped into his truck, and peeled out as he left the parking lot.

To this day, I’m still not sure whether he was embarrassed because he had a felony on his record or if he had an outstanding warrant. Both are possible. The moral of the story, however, is that I was very close to hiring this man. If it weren’t for doing background checks, I surely would have hired him.

I know one thing for sure. He’s not working for me, but I can almost guarantee you that he’s working for someone else who doesn’t do background checks. I’m not sure if he was a bad guy or not, but I’ll sleep better knowing my clients are safe.

Related

How do I find them?

When it comes to the hiring process, you must remember that this is a marathon — not a sprint. I remember getting this advice when we first opened a residential service side to our business. We were advised to spend one-third of our time on the operation of our business, one-third on marketing, and one-third on recruiting. I remember at the time thinking how ridiculous it sounded that I would spend one-third of my time recruiting when we were only a one to two truck operation. Then the day came when I lost two electricians in a matter of a week and I was now the sole electrician running calls. Thinking back, that was one of the toughest times I’ve ever had in this business. If I had only spent more of my time recruiting, it would’ve made that transition time much easier to manage. I’m sure you can imagine the stress and even tears I shed trying to handle the stress of this situation.

This is what we now do. Believe it or not, Craigslist and job recruiting websites are where we find the most success. I’ve also run TV ads and radio recruitment campaigns, sent out postcards, made phone calls, and run pay-per-click campaigns. If you name it, I’ve most likely tried it. I’ve had mixed results on these efforts. In my opinion, the most important part of the hiring process is what you do after you receive the call or email.

Here are my four tips for success.

1. Answer your phone. Put a personal cell phone number and personal email on every ad you place. You can miss great applicants if you’re too busy to answer your phone. You have to make the hiring process a priority. Answer your phone, even at night and on the weekends. No excuses! The good applicants will only call once, and they might not even answer a returned call because they probably were already hired by someone else.

2. Speak with every applicant. Be kind and courteous to everyone who is inquiring about a position with your company. Even if it’s obvious this person isn’t a good fit right now, take a couple of minutes, and sell your company to them. A few years down the road, they may contact you again after they’ve gained some experience and possibly secured their license. Always try to leave a positive impression on anyone with whom you speak.

3. Ask for referrals. Ask every applicant if they know of anyone who would be a fit for your company. You should also be farming your own employees for potential applicants. Offer them a $500 bonus for anyone they refer and you hire.

4. Keep a database. Keep dated files on every applicant, referral, or potential applicant with detailed notes. Every time you have a job opening, this should be the first place you go to fill it.

Anyone can apply these common sense tips. If you start using them immediately, years from now you’ll look back and wonder why it took you so long to start implementing them.

Hagan is a second-generation electrician. He owns and operates the Mister Sparky locations serving Northwest Arkansas, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa, Okla. He oversees a staff of 30, which includes electricians and technicians. He can be reached at [email protected].

About the Author

Aaron Hagan | Owner

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