Looking to hire some new blood for your tradie team? Here’s everything you need to know, from writing a great job description to what to look for in a background check.

Get the job description right

First things first, you need to lay out exactly what you’re after and what the new team member will be expected to do. You’re essentially ‘selling’ your company – you might want the best of the best, but what will make them choose you? Spend some time thinking about the type of person you want, and write your job description according to that. It doesn’t have to be boring, but make sure you cover the bases.

Know where to look

Advertising for a new hire can rack up the costs a bit, so see if you can explore other avenues first. Maybe your existing team or suppliers have someone they know who would fit the bill. Just make sure to triple check this person’s background – sometimes your mates aren’t what they seem. If it’s for a more skilled role, maybe you could train up one of your more driven junior team members.

Ask the right questions

You want to get someone who’s good at what they do, but you also want them to fit in with the team and be loyal to you. Ask things like why they enjoy what they do, where they want to be in five years, and why they left their current job. You should also ask why they want to work for you and how they feel they would be an asset to your team. You could also give them a scenario and ask what they would do in that situation, i.e. dealing with an upset client.

Do your research

Once you’ve found someone you’re keen to hire, it’s important to do some background checks to make sure they’re legit. Get in touch with their previous employers to see what their work ethic was like. See if you can find any reviews about them online, or any images of past work they’ve done so you can check for quality. If they’re apprentices, have a chat with their instructors to see how they learn and how dedicated they are to their trade.

Keep up the motivation

Once you’ve got a good team working for you, you don’t want them to take their skills elsewhere. Holding onto good employees is just as important as finding them in the first place. Check in regularly with your team to make sure they are happy in their work, and if not, find solutions that work. Use them to help you improve your business and your services – they might be your minions but they can be worth their weight in gold!