Despite our nation’s high unemployment rates, there is still a real challenge to hire employees that are reliable and committed. Part of the reason could be the low detailing labor rates; nevertheless, by applying better practices, you can narrow down possible employees, to the cream of the crop at the pre-interview, interview and/or probation stages.
How to Hire Employees
Handy Tips
The first tip is that you must never do is hire under pressure. Do not over-book your schedules and then find yourself squeezed for time to look for extra hands. You will risk those detailing jobs being done poorly by new hands and then face the rah of customers.
Another thing is to be receptive to referrals. They are an effective way to hire employees and for good reasons. Be they family, friends or colleagues, your referrers probably know you and your preferences well enough to introduce people they feel are a close match.
Better Practices On How To Hire Employees for Your Detailing Business
Have Clear Communication Lines
From the get go, ensure that the job ad you post clearly specifies the ideal background, experience and skills you are looking for in the prospective candidate. You do not want to be overwhelmed with callers who are just not in the target group you are seeking.
Let Their Resume Talk To You
Before you meet the candidate, there resume will give you clues about them. From the way their resume is prepared and presented, you will be able to tell their attentiveness or not to detail. The length of tenure in previous jobs will hint at their commitment levels.
Test Their Skill Sets
Test their skill sets by asking them to demo a detailing task e.g. to wash and dress a tire. Your first step may be to ask them for a verbal walkthrough of how it is done; what are some of the correct and incorrect ways of doing the process and to elaborate on some of the why’s. Then, ask them to give you a hands-on demonstration.
Observe The Abstracts (Ethics and Personality):
While ethics and personality are rather abstract and hard to pinpoint when you hire employees, there are tell-tale signs you can pick up on by closely observing your candidate during the pre-selection stage. For instance, were they punctual for their interview with you, what is their tone and energy levels throughout the interview?
Organize Your Assessments
Chances are you will be dealing with several candidates vying for the same position. By the time you get the fifth interview, you will probably have forgotten some of your assessments of the first interview. Thus, use a spreadsheet to help organize your data collection and thoughts. Create columns for each of your top desired qualities in each candidate and grade them accordingly.
Put Them On Probation
No matter how well the possible candidates present themselves at the interviews, the proof is in the doing and until they start performing, you cannot know for sure. A ninety day probation will be ample time for you to figure out if the person has the professional background and personality to be a right fit for your detailing organization.
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