Photo courtesy Anna Easton, Awamoa Sanitation
Sustaining a healthy workforce is crucial to portable restroom businesses. A great team helps everything run smoothly. But where do you find job candidates, and what entices them to stay? These days, this issue feels like a million-dollar question.
Recruiting, hiring, and onboarding processes affect employee retention, as do your company’s benefits and compensation package. Use this article as your guide to improve your approach and develop effective strategies.
Let’s face it. A newspaper ad or sign on your door is unlikely to send a flood of applicants your way. Today’s workers rely on their cell phones. They can research opportunities from anywhere, and you only have a few seconds to catch their attention. Adapt your recruiting process to give your portable restroom business an edge. Here’s how to find an employee for your company.
A job ad is a chance to make an excellent first impression. Start with a brief introduction summarizing the position and why it’s a great opportunity. Highlight the key aspects of your business, such as how many years you’ve been in business or how many clients you serve. Next, move into the factors that matter most: pay and benefits.
Heat map studies find that individuals spend more time reading about compensation and benefits than a company’s culture. Similar surveys show that job seekers respond better to a needs-supplies approach than job ads focusing on demand and abilities. The former showcases what your company can do for an individual, whereas the latter emphasizes your expectations.
So, put the most important details first, then follow with position responsibilities and requirements, like CDL licensing. Use bullet points to make your task list and qualifications easy to scan. Read our articles about important positions to understand how job roles differ for portable restroom drivers, yard managers, and outside sales.
Draw job applicants to your ad by:
Research shows that over 70% of people abandon applications that take 15 minutes or more to complete. Simplify your process by creating a custom form. It can increase the number of apps you receive, and your screening process can gather additional information, if necessary. Free tools from Google or similar companies let you save, upload, and print employment applications.
Mobile recruitment may also work for some employers. Job seekers can apply via text message. From there, hiring managers can confirm the applicant’s eligibility for the position. Automated mobile software makes this process easier, but you can make it work manually if you only handle a handful of candidates.
Many PROs prefer individuals to drop by the office for an application. However, this might cause you to miss out on good candidates. Instead, add a hiring page to your website. This allows you to provide more details about your company or the position, highlight multiple job openings, and even create an FAQ (frequently asked questions) section.
An FAQ section is also a great spot to address perceptions of the portable sanitation industry. Discuss the methods that keep your toilets clean and fresh from the perspective of the job seekers’ duties. Mention the types of customers your business helps and how your new employee will navigate various job sites and client interactions.
Your career page should:
Also, consider adding a calendar for self-scheduling an interview from your career page. Tools like Calendly embed on your site and sync with Microsoft, iPhone, or Google calendars. You can set aside a few available times and ask applicants to sign up for an interview now. Let them know that you’ll confirm the interview time after reviewing their application.
Job boards and social media connect PROs to applicants. But don’t stop there. Spread the word at local job fairs and involve your staff through an employee referral program. Create a list of assets that you can use to expand your search. When looking for new employees, check off each item to ensure ample coverage.
Reach applicants through:
Also, remember to check your Glassdoor status. Many job seekers look at company profiles to see if current or previous employees have left reviews. Improve your reputation by updating your profile, sharing information about your work environment, and responding to reviews.
Few portable restroom operators have time for a drawn-out hiring process. However, mistakes during screening and interviewing can increase employee turnover or cause legal troubles. An effective screening process goes a long way in helping you find and keep good help. Learn what to look for in a candidate and brush up on your interviewing skills before hiring.
Unless you use an applicant tracking system (ATS), you must go through each resume or application manually. Look at their job history and confirm that they meet your basic requirements. Make notes on a separate paper (not their actual application) to help guide your interview. These might highlight an employment gap or mention military service.
For those that make the initial cut, contact references to find out:
If you have many applicants, you may want to follow up with a pre-screening phone, text, or video interview. Use the same four to six questions but remember to review employment laws before interacting with applicants. Social media can also offer some insights. However, it’s important to be careful here. Personal social media profiles may disclose protected information you can’t use for decision-making. This includes medical conditions, age, race, or if they have children.
Some people naturally excel at interviews. They say the right things, have great posture, and win over the interviewer. It’s your job to instill objectivity into the process. To this end, it’s imperative to collaborate with everyone who will interview candidates. Develop an approach that identifies quality applicants and gets accurate results.
Consider the following:
Benefits Include: Subscription to JohnTalk Digital & Print Newsletters • JohnTalk Vault In-Depth Content • Full Access to the JohnTalk Classifieds & Ask a PRO Forum
Show new hires that they made the right choice with a seamless onboarding process. Making the extra effort to get this part right can increase loyalty and help them move into their role quickly. Remember to ask for feedback about the hiring and onboarding experience, as there’s always room for improvement.
Onboarding means welcoming new team members to your workplace and preparing them to start their jobs. Give other staff a heads-up so they can say hello and make your new hire feel comfortable. Plus, have email addresses or mobile phones pre-provisioned before their first day.
Typical onboarding steps include:
Gather new hire information efficiently by creating employee packets with a checklist. That way, you or another team member can ensure that new workers receive all necessary documents. When possible, consider digitalizing your new hire information. Create a staff portal on your website where workers can access your employee handbook, W-2 forms, and benefits information. Encourage them to review everything beforehand and be prepared to answer their questions.
Nearly every PRO can share a story about a great employee being lured away. You can’t prevent folks from checking out greener pastures. But you can entice them to stay with competitive pay and benefits, a supportive company culture, and growth opportunities. Even if you cannot offer every perk now, you can communicate your intentions and show employees that you’re prioritizing a better future for them.
An attractive compensation package helps PROs attract and retain staff. Typically, it includes health insurance, paid time off (PTO), a retirement plan, and competitive pay rates. Research your local market to understand what businesses offer employees. Then, speak with health and retirement plan brokers to evaluate your costs and tax impact. Lastly, decide when new hires become eligible for health and retirement plans.
When creating a benefits package, consider the following:
Get the most from your employees by giving them your best. Allow your staff to experience and celebrate the great moments that bring your team together, from personal wins like a co-worker buying a home to business successes like getting a new client. When they see PROs involved in day-to-day work, they want to work harder for you. The same goes for management.
As your company grows, so do the stress levels. And greeting employees or being aware that something is off can fall by the wayside. Make an honest effort to stay in tune with your team through sustainable company growth.
Portable restroom operators and leaders should:
Hiring in a competitive market has plenty of challenges. However, portable restroom owners can devise strategies to stand out and attract qualified candidates. Use key performance indicators (KPIs), competitive research, and employee feedback to assess your processes and compensation package. If something isn’t working for your staff (or you), change it. Don’t wait until people leave or reject a job offer over it.
Looking to Take Your Portable Restroom Business to the NEXT LEVEL? Download our FREE Guide: “Your Guide to Operating A Portable Restroom Business.”
Thinking About GETTING INTO the Portable Restroom Industry? Download our FREE Guide: “Your Guide to Starting A Portable Restroom Business.”