How to Hire Good People Without Waiting for a Unicorn

Stop holding the truck open for a unicorn

Service shops bounce between two problems. Either the board is light or there is more work than the crew can handle. When customers are waiting too long, a solid tech who still needs coaching may help you more than the perfect tech who never applies.

And do not get hypnotized by what somebody says they sold at the last shop. Maybe they had better leads, a stronger dispatcher, higher prices, or installers ready to go. You are hiring the person, not importing their old scoreboard.

• Know the minimum trade skill the job really needs.
• Look hard at coachability, reliability, and how they treat customers.
• Do not pass on a useful B or C player while waiting forever for an A player.

Write down the deal for the first 90 days

Everybody sounds pretty good in an interview. That is not proof. Write down what they say they can do and what you say you will give them: calls, schedule, training, pay, and support.

Sit down at 30, 60, and 90 days. Are they doing what they said? Are you giving them the calls and coaching you promised? If either side is missing, say it plainly and fix it. Facts make that talk a whole lot easier.

• Jobs run, sales, and close-rate goals
• Attendance, communication, and truck standards
• The training and support you promised

Do not let one person hurt the whole shop

The company has to take care of every customer and every paycheck. Keeping the wrong person too long dumps extra calls on your good techs, creates callbacks, and tells everybody your standards are optional.

That does not mean fire every person who has a rough month. A dependable C player may be worth coaching while you keep recruiting. But somebody who poisons the shop, blames everybody else, or refuses to change is an anchor. The longer you wait, the more damage the rest of the crew has to carry.

Recruit before you are desperate

If you only look for a tech after somebody quits, you are already behind. Keep taking résumés. Keep the names of people you liked. Stay in touch with the good apprentice, installer, or service tech you would hire when the next truck opens.

Know who on your team is rowing, who is along for the ride but can improve, and who is drilling holes in the boat. Coach the middle. Keep looking for upgrades. Move fast on the people pulling everybody backward.

• Keep a short list of techs you would call.
• Be honest about who is helping and who is hurting.
• Recruit all year, not just after somebody leaves.

Good people still need a good shop

A strong team usually is not hired all at once. You find people with enough skill and the right attitude, then give them clear steps, decent tools, steady coaching, and a chance to get better.

And leave your ego out of it. If one of your techs finds a better way to keep trucks stocked or close out a call, use it. The best way wins. Then teach it to everybody.