Finding and hiring the right people for your company is essential for business success. This was a key message that surfaced at this year’s Pesticon, and it’s an issue across industries. Getting recruitment right in the property and pest control sectors needn’t be impossible – especially with the right approach.
In this article, Rapid Solutions shares key pointers to help you find and retain the right staff. Getting people that have the right skills, knowledge and commitment to your business will save you time, money, effort and help your business grow from strength to strength. Find out how, up next.
“We are hiring”… but how?
When you undergo the process of hiring someone, it’s more than an administrative task – you’re building a relationship that could be vital for your business future. A new employee enters a business relationship with your company, which, if successful, could last for years. And soon after, through them, other business relationships will be built.
With that in mind, how do you put your best foot forward with recruiting?
Getting recruitment right begins with the way you present your business and your recruitment advert. Whereas, keeping the right candidates interested through to the end of the process means asking them the right questions and answering their questions thoughtfully.
Let’s dig into some aspects of hiring that you should be well across.
1. Are you getting your recruitment advert right?
What does your advertisement look like? How does it read? Does it communicate anything exciting, interesting or unique about your industry? Is it a good representation of your business and the position on offer? Are you conveying how your business sets itself apart from its competitors with customer service and with taking care of its staff?
Getting recruitment right is very much a two way exchange and how you present the facts in your ad can have a lasting effect on a potential employee.
2. Are you setting the right expectations?
What expectations are you setting in your recruitment advert and then throughout the interview process? Do you make it a priority to talk through the job activity and training involved and what opportunities and challenges they will encounter over their first year?
For example, if you’re hiring a pest inspector, technician or manager in peak season then following work, health and safety (WHS) measures is essential when crawling through roof voids and subfloors in the heat. On the job reporting is very likely of significant importance to you – does your candidate have the attention to detail and care needed to get it right every time? To follow the Australian Standards? When it comes to your staff knowledge base, you might have significant ongoing upskilling expectations, or expect that each staff member presents an interesting customer case study every quarter in the team meeting. You could have a business shutdown period over Christmas or require skeleton staff to work right through. And so on…
Your ideal candidate will need to be well suited to the role requirements.
3. What career progression opportunities are there?
Any employee worth their salt will want to know this job has career potential, which usually means an opportunity for growth. If the role you’re recruiting for comes with initial and ongoing training, potential to move roles sideways or up, a career path you can talk about being possible, etc, then candidates are more likely to be drawn in.
You might even find that someone doesn’t have any further career aspirations but they want a job with purpose. Can you deliver on that? Is your recruitment process connecting to their higher purpose?
For example, pest control is a unique opportunity to give homeowners peace of mind. You’re helping protect what’s likely their biggest asset from significant damage, such as termite infestation, as well as delivering an important public health service. Keeping people, their property and their pets safe (read about pet safety during pest control) is an essential service.
People who love the work they do are usually very good at what they do. To ensure this is possible, you’ll need to support and nurture them as employees and give them opportunities to grow if that’s what they’re striving for.
4. Are you getting your recruitment interview right?
How do you interview potential employees? Ask yourself what your interview and recruitment process is like and whether it suits your recruitment expectations. What reporting or other work examples do you ask them to show you as part of the recruitment process? Could you take them onsite with you (if the role will require it) to see how they respond to/manage certain situations?
During the recruitment process you’ll need to focus on figuring out whether they can properly accomplish the role’s responsibilities. Do you ask them open ended questions that give them a chance to explain the XYZ tasks they did in previous roles? One popular interviewing technique to uncover such insights is the STAR method. This asks candidates to respond to behavioural-based questions in a structured way by explaining the specific situation, task, action, and result of the example they’re describing.
5. Are you getting your recruitment outcomes right?
When you interview a potential new employee there’s just as much room for you as there is for them to discover how they might succeed in the role you’re looking to fill. When you employ a new pest technician, building inspector, cleaner, maintenance person or other, be sure to get your recruitment outcomes right.
To help achieve this, have the following covered:
- How do you know they’re technically sound?
- Can you be sure they’ve kept up with changes to products, regulations, codes of practice and so on?
- Will you be confident they’ll use best practice application techniques?
- Are they aware of what insurances such as professional indemnity and general liability cover them for, and don’t?
- How on point are their customer service skills?
Getting recruitment right will help you enjoy positive customer feedback. The operational efficiency achieved will improve your happiness and overall team engagement.
Think about your past experiences with employing staff and consider how you can improve upon that where possible. Try to step out of your position and see it from someone else’s point of view.
6. Don’t be shy – it’s your business’ future and theirs
Don’t be shy to dig deep and identify any areas that require improvement. Anyone interested in their career will be keen to answer your questions and they’ll likely be aware of their weaknesses (we all have them!). If they really want the role they’ll be keen to hear constructive feedback on how they can improve – how you’ll help them improve.
Thanks to technology nothing in today’s world stays the same for long, so be sure your employees can keep up with the moving industry landscape. This is part of getting recruitment right. For example, when you employ a new office manager how do you know they’re capable of managing your business systems and processes? How efficient will they be in completing their tasks? What do they know about using AI to improve their productivity?
When it comes to any type of property services sector employee, do you carefully check references and (if possible) speak to others about their reputation in the industry? How can you trust what they tell you?
7. The importance of upskilling
In our interview with Rebel Pest Professionals owner Leah Klime she highlights how training your staff is part of getting recruitment right and keeping it right. Long after you’ve hired someone. Not only does ongoing training ensure your people understand industry changes, it makes them feel more invested in your business. And that makes them greater assets to your property services business.
Find out more about upskilling existing and new staff with these articles and website pages:
- Traineeships for Pest Controllers
- Interview with Rapid Training Pest Control Graduates, Sheri and Steve
- Pest Licensing Changes for NSW – Our Q&A with the EPA
- Cert III in Urban Pest Management
- Rapid Training
Now you know about getting recruitment right, protect your business
Being honest with yourself will help you identify gaps in your recruitment process and be a better employer in future. Getting recruitment right can take some time and practice but is well worth the effort.
Along with getting recruitment right and hiring the right people, get your business protection right with Rapid Solutions. Our professional indemnity and general liability insurance help safeguard your business against unintended outcomes, like when the outcome of your work isn’t as promised, there’s an on-site chemical accident, pets or customers are injured, theft occurs in or outside your business, and much more.
