STEP 1
What skills do you require?
STEP 2 Do you want an employee or sub-contractor?
EMPLOYEES (W-2 EMPLOYEE)
Pro: You have a better chance of keeping them happy
Pro: They will stay with you year after year
Con: You must keep them busy even in the winter
Con: You must pay them even when times are slow
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS (1099 Employee)
Pro: You do not have to pay their taxes
Pro: You can let them go during the off-season
Con: You are always on the lookout for installers
Con: They may not be that loyal to you
Con: They may be interviewing with your competitors
STEP 3 How will you pay them?
HOURLY OR SALARY
Pro: Best for W-2 employees
Con: There is no incentive to work quickly
BY THE FOOT OR BY THE JOB
Pro: Your costs are fixed; makes it easy for estimating
Pro: The independent contractor will work faster
Con: Quality may suffer because they work too fast
Con: They may look for better money elsewhere
STEP 4 Where do you find good installers?
GOOD
Advertise where your installers are searching for jobs:
- Indeed
- ZipRecruiter
- Craigslist
- Monster
- Glassdoor
- Any local media with online listings
Advertise offline:
- Newspapers, both paid and free
- Radio or late-night TV
- Billboards or other signs
- Foreign-language media
BETTER
Advertise close to your office:
Pro: Your costs are fixed; makes it easy for estimating
Pro: The independent contractor will work faster
Con: Quality may suffer because they work too fast
Con: They may look for better money elsewhere
BEST
Focus on your circle of influence, those who know you:
• Promote from within
• Offer incentives to employees for referrals
• Ask friends and family
• Put the word out with customers
• Ask contractors and suppliers
STEP 5 Write an ad focused on benefits?
Get inside the head and heart of an installer. Think like an installer. What do they want? What would make you work for your company? Turn every phrase into a benefit, if possible.
HEADLINE:
Make your headline irresistible. For example, instead of saying Hiring fence installers say Hiring fence installers up to $18/hour M-F w/benefits. (Long headlines with benefits work best.)
BENEFITS:
Tell them everything they will get. Talk about wages, hours, benefits, working conditions, etc.
REQUIREMENTS:
Be specific. Weed out unqualified workers. Talk about experience, types of fence, power tools, how much digging is needed, etc.
SELL THEM ON YOU:
Answer their questions. Tell them why you are the best company to work for; how many years you have been in business; where you do most jobs; the types of customers you serve; etc.
APPLY:
Tell them how to apply. Make your job application process simple and seamless. (If you want to see a sample of installer ads, go to www.indeed.com).