SUN CITY WEST, Ariz. — I think finding reliable employees has always been a difficult process.
And it’s gotten harder the last few years due to worker demand for higher wages; an anti-work, anti-authority attitude that seems to be growing; and just a plain shortage of people who want to work in a laundromat.
No matter what search method you choose, you’re going to need plenty of job applications.
There are many royalty-free, “boilerplate” application forms online, and you may find one that closely suits your needs. It’s not hard to scan one and edit it to create what you desire. You can take something out, or add something in, and then print it up.
For instance, put in your company logo; it adds a nice professional touch.
But however you may change it, make sure that your application conforms to your state’s legal requirements as to what you can and cannot ask an applicant.
It was my experience that the prior jobs that applicants listed could mean very little.
For instance, you may have a perfectly good candidate who has been raising his/her children the past 10 years, hence has no recent jobs to list. Or a person may try to impress you by listing lots of jobs, inadvertently illustrating the fact that they have trouble holding down work.
Let’s run through a few options for searching for and finding new employees. There are pros and cons for each.
‘Help Wanted’ Sign in the Window — This is the classic approach since the beginning of small business. In many cases, this is still the go-to method for many mats. You’ll usually get a lot of applicants in the first couple of weeks, then responses trail off.
The pros are you get local applicants who can find it easy and convenient to work for you. There are some parents, for instance, who don’t want to work too far from their families.
Some people don’t have cars and may take a short bus ride, ride a bike, or even walk to work. After all, if they saw your sign, they were already passing by, or may even be a customer. So these people can be more reliable, especially during times of bad weather.
As for cons, getting many local applicants can be a double-edged sword. Why? Let’s say that you get as many as 40 applicants during the first week. That may sound great, but as you go through your first screenings, you’ll probably find many of them not suitable for a variety of reasons. The work alone to screen so many applicants can be time-consuming for you.
Another negative is if you have a regular customer who wants the job but doesn’t fit your requirements for one reason or another, you may lose their business if you don’t hire them.
Additionally, the optics of always displaying a “Help Wanted” sign may make some customers think your place is not good to work for.
Online Hiring Sites — These are sites that specialize in helping you find candidates. Some will help you tailor your job openings to find a better match.
You can do a virtual interview, post job requirements, etc. These sites can also provide virtual application forms tailored to your needs.
Don’t forget Facebook, Craigslist, Next Door, etc.
The downside to using these sites is you’ll get some no-shows for your appointments. And some won’t even have the courtesy to call ahead to cancel.
Crossing the Language Barrier — Hiring someone who has trouble with English may still work out for you, especially if you already have employees with backgrounds similar to your applicant’s, or have customers who are doing laundry in your mat.
If they have enough rudimentary English-language skill so that you can basically understand each other, you may have struck gold. Working with the public will greatly strengthen their command of English.
Besides, for any situation where they, you, or a customer are having a language block, there is a translation program like Google Translate or something similar available for every smartphone. With Google Translate, you can even use it to do voice-to-voice translations.
Treat Employees Well and Turnover Goes Down — This is the best solution for staffing your store. If nobody quits, you don’t need to look for new workers in the first place.
In addition, if you keep your employees happy enough, not only will they stay with you for years, they’ll recommend candidates to you when you have a job opening. In other words, they’ll save you the trouble.
So pay them as much as you can afford, treat them with professionalism and respect, and always try to lift their spirits. Make your place a happy place so they actually want to show up to work. If you can, hire happy people in the first place.
You may not believe this but I actually had a waiting list of employees’ friends who wanted to work for me. I thought my employees were great, which enhanced the chances that a friend or associate of theirs would also turn out to be a great worker.
When people are happy to come and work for you, there are so many rewards. One of them is when you’re looking for help, you’ll hear those beautiful words, “Hey, boss, I have a friend who would like to work here.”
Before you put out any “Now Hiring” ads, ask your employees about their connections.
Check back Tuesday for the conclusion!
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].
