Did you ask your spouse to marry you on your first date! Of course not! Instead, BOTH of you took time to verify you were compatible BEFORE you “popped the big question”! Logical, right?
And yet I constantly see restoration and cleaning contractors asking job applicants if they want to get “married” after a half hour ‘first date’! (A job interview where the business owner does most of the talking.) That’s right- we hire people before we’ve even got to know them OR they know us!
NEWS FLASH! Some job applicants interview great and yet are totally worthless as employees! (Don’t ask me how I learned this!)
Instead, why not let both parties get to know each other before you ‘propose’ full time employment? Here’s how to do this…
Invite your best job candidate(s) to work with you for a day or two (or even better longer as a part time worker) BEFORE either of you make a final decision.
If your job applicant is currently employed (which is ALWAYS a good sign!) then suggest he or she work with you or your employees on their day off. This “trial marriage” takes the pressure off both sides because no commitments have been made. (Including your prospective employee having resigned from their current job!)
Remember that your new hire’s performance is “as good as it gets” during this trial work time. If they are ambivalent about the job (or struggling with the physical work) then let them gracefully fade away…
IDEA: The billion dollar Zappos corporation is famous for offering new employees $2,000.00 to quit after their initial training period. Zappo’s theory is if a new employee will “sell out their future” with them for a measly 2 grand they don’t want this half-hearted employee cluttering up their “family” of employees. I like this concept!
HINT: This more leisurely “courtship approach” works great for finding superb ‘Very Best People’ employees that will fit well into your company. BUT to do so you MUST avoid “Desperation Hiring”!
NOTE: Want step-by-step SFS procedures on HOW to recruit, ‘sort’, interview, verify and HIRE ONLY the Very Best People? Then you need our 3-hour, online SFS: ‘Hiring the Very Best’! LIVE seminar. Click HERE for more info or to register…
Restoration HINT: As a restoration contractor you have a perfect “trial period” by using prospective new hires in your on-call division till A) they prove themselves and B) you have a position open up.
Commercial HINT: Building service contractors and commercial carpet cleaners usually work weekend and late hour shifts. (Even though you should check out my ‘Creative Commercial Scheduling’ video HERE!) This “off hour” work will let you test out new hires before you put them on permanently. And don’t forget the value of hiring several part time commercial workers instead of just one full time employee.
Steve