Recruiting

Fish where they’re biting

The number one complaint from our clients is their inability to hire enough garage door techs to meet their installation and service demands. The first question I ask is “where are you advertising?”. Most of the time they talk about trying newspaper, online job boards and soliciting referrals from their employees. Bit when I dig a little deeper many times they’re not currently advertising at all. It’s hard to catch a fish if you don’t have a line in the water! I advise our clients to “fish in a lot of different ponds”. In addition to ads on job boards like Indeed, I suggest other often overlooked venues.

Your Website – This may be a blinding glimpse of the obvious, but I see door dealer websites that have beautiful homepages, artfully promoting their products and services, but not once mentioning that they’re looking to hire. Consider it as hanging your “help wanted” sign on your cyber-storefront door. Make it easy to see and link it to a simple to use online application form or maybe allow them to upload their resume. You are already paying for the advertising on the web to sell products, why not allocate some space for selling jobs with your company?

Billboard Ads – Rather than selling doors, sell jobs on the roadside billboard you already pay to advertise on. 

Truck Signs – It may sound hokey but it works. In addition to using your trucks to market your company brand, consider using it for recruiting your next installer. Your techs and their techs hang out at the same fast food joints. A well placed, eye-grabbing bumper stickers or magnetic sign can get noticed quickly and at least start a dialog. Once you’ve hired the people you need simply remove it!

Store Signs – Something as simple as a sign on your storefront may make all the difference. If you really want to get crazy use one of those lighted, rent-a-signs and position it so traffic passing your store can easily see it.

Truck Signs - Your service and installation trucks are rolling billboards. Why not use them to let other drivers know you’re hiring skilled labor? They may recognize your company logo, possibly even being one of your customers and may know someone who might like such an opportunity….especially of they were satisfied with your products and service. A magnetic sign is cheap, letting hundreds of other drivers know you’re in the market for new employees if invaluable.

Employee Incentives – We are reluctant to hang bounties on the jobs we need to fill but let’s face it, your employees collectively know more people than you do. Why not leverage their connections? Consider rewarding current employees with a significant bonus, say $1,000 or more, paid out over time if new hire meets expectations. Require that the referring employee also act as a job mentor to help the new hire adjust. Let them be part of the interview team and decision process also. 

Hire Veterans – Consider contacting local armed forces recruiters. Yes, they may be more interested in finding new recruits but take it from this old sailor, re-entry into civilian life can be tough and the local recruiting office is there to help vets. Letting them know you are willing to hire and train veterans can help both of you. On GarageDoorJobs.com we are advertising our jobs to veteran related job search websites and make a special effort to welcome these heroes to our industry