The most stressful part of my moving business was hiring and keeping great guys.
Which I know is the same for most of you.
And when you’re a small one or two truck operation it is even more difficult, especially during the winter months when it’s slow.
There’s just not enough work to keep a large or small crew busy…and being busy is a key ingredient in being able to keep the guys around.
During the summer busy season when things are literally hot and heavy it seems that you hire anyone with a pulse…
The problem with that is then we hire losers, no calls no shows, druggies, dead beat dads with warrants, and the list goes on.
And don’t get me started on the guys that just don’t seem to care or want to just milk the clock…
And the list goes on.
You’re trying to run a business…and the crew just doesn’t get it.
You’re frustrated all the time, stressed out…you take it out on the crew and they quit…
You have to realize…if they were as dedicated to their job as you are, then they too would be owners or managers.
So what can we do?
Step 1: You have to Establish the Qualities you Want.
The key to hiring the guys that you want is to know what guys you want.
Seems like common sense I know, but let’s be honest, most of you haven’t done it. Maybe in your head, but not on paper.
So, before you hire anyone for any position make a list of the qualities you want and don’t want. And include in that list the qualities that you can accept.
What you need to do is get a sheet of paper (or use a spreadsheet) with three columns. Column 1: the ideal qualities. Column 2: acceptable qualities. And column 3: the qualities that are a deal killer.
| Ideal Qualities | Acceptable Qualities | Deal Killer |
| Punctual | Can’t drive | Criminal |
| Great Customer Service | Decent work history | Drug User |
| Driver’s License | Clean | Too many jobs |
| Great personality | Experienced | Poor work references |
Now the above table is just an example…hopefully you get the point.
What you’re looking for is a long list of “ideal qualities.” Your no-go list should be extensive too.
You need to use this tool for all the positions that you have available. Not just for movers.
Establishing how much you’re going to pay.
The next thing you have to determine is how much you’re going to pay for the position that you have available.
Are you going to pay hourly? Pay a flat rate? Combination of the two?
Will you be offering benefits and insurances?
Will they be 1099 subcontractors or will they be on payroll W-2?
Answering the above questions first will help you in determining how much you’ll be paying the new guys.
For instance, if you decide you’re going to be paying by the hour and the guys will be on payroll (which is what most of you should be doing anyway, legally speaking) will you also offer any kind of benefits and insurance (other than legal required insurance)?
Realize if you do decide to offer insurance and benefits then you can get away with paying less than a 1099 guy. A 1099 guy will be responsible for his own insurances and benefits.
Step 2: Placing Ads and Getting the Word out.
Before you place your first ad what you need to do before anything else is create a landing page on your website with your available position(s).
The more detailed your page is with what you’re looking for the better.
Here’s how you should craft your help wanted page:
- Name the position exactly. E.g. if you’re looking for labor then write “Moving Labor.”
- State in one or two sentences what the position is and what’s expected.
- List all the ideal qualities that you’re looking for for that position from the above exercise.
- Now list everything they’ll get like benefits, uniforms, pay and so on.
- List the requirements for the job. E.g. Driver’s license, Age, and so on.
- Explain to them how to apply and where
- Send them to a Google Form that you’ve set up as an application.
This should be long and detailed as necessary. Don’t skimp on this page.
Where to place your ads
I’ve discovered, and maybe you have as well, that there is one place that will get you worst candidates and that is Craigslist.
But don’t discount Craiglist out. You still want to place an ad there.
The best places that I’ve found to get guys to hire is FaceBook and job boards like Indeed.com and Monster.com.
I’ve also placed ads with my state’s employment agency.
I’ve found the best places to find people with the best candidates are the places where the applicants have to actually jump through some hoops. The more effort, I’ve learned, that someone goes through to get a job the better the applicant.
Here’s a good list of places that you want to place your ads:
- Facebook Jobs
- Craigslist
- Indeed.com
- Monster
- Your state’s employment agency
- FaceBook community forums
- Craigslist gigs section
- Facebook Moving Labor groups
- Local newspapers if they still have them
I’ve had no luck with other social media sites like Instagram or Twitter when looking for help. Maybe they’ll work for you. They didn’t for me.
Recruit. Don’t Hire.
A really good method in trying to find the right guys is in active recruitment.
Instead of placing ads and getting tons of no call-no shows and missed appointments, and the such. I’ve learned that recruiting is the best method.
Recruiting is different from hiring.
When you recruit you are vetting the person even before he comes in for the interview. You’ve already decided that you’re hiring this guy, now it’s just a matter of seeing if it fits for them.
I have a great article about this which you can read here.
Send them to a Form, Don’t Call.
Your biggest waste of time is having the guys call you.
Instead, direct them to your website landing page where they can read more about the job. Look over your website. And be directed to the online Google Sheet application form that you’ve set up.
(I love Google. And Google Form can be your friend for so many reasons. But in this case, it’s especially helpful because if you set up the Google Form and have your applicant fill out all the info the Google Form can also create a Google spreadsheet for you…)
Step 3: Organizing for Maximum Efficiency
You’ve got your ads out with what you want. Now set up your company to be able to hire them.
You haven’t hired anyone yet. You haven’t even interviewed them. This step is getting you ready organizationally for the moment when you do.
You’ll need to make sure your company handbook is ready. Have all the forms and contracts that they’ll need to sign. Have their uniforms and equipment at hand and ready to disburse to them the new hires.
Step 4: Setting and Doing Interviews for Hiring Movers
Okay, now we get into the meat of the bone.
You’ve listed out what you want when hiring movers. You’ve placed the ad and you’ve got the company ready for the new hires when they arrive.
Now…
Let’s set up the interviews.
Cull your List
If you’ve done what I’ve suggested here then you should have a Google Spreadsheet of all the applicants.
Call each one on the list and set up a time for them to come in for an interview.
My suggestion is to never hire anyone until you’ve looked them in the eye and had a conversation.
In the next step, I’ll go over how to actually further qualify your applicants.
Before the Interview
Before any interviews, I suggest that you create a list of 20 to 40 questions that you want to ask the applicant to help you determine if they are going to be a right fit for your company.
These questions should cover their ethics and moral standards. I’d ask them to define certain words that are common to the moving industry (this would prove if they have experience or not).
I’d have a few “what would you do if…” questions.
I would also have a piece of furniture with pads, paper, stretch, bands, and tape so that I could have them demonstrate wrapping a chair or something.
Doing the Interview
Here’s how I conducted the interview:
- If they had a resume read over it. Noting specifically how many jobs they’ve had in the last year. Also noting what they put down as a reason for their leaving.
- Ask them a couple of pertinent questions about their application and/or resume.
- I’d then ask them the questions on my predetermined questionnaire (I would have already sent this to them via email with instructions to fill out in a Google Form…but in case they didn’t fill it out I would ask them personally the questions)
- If they say they have experience then have them pad and wrap the chair (or whatever) that you ready.
- I would either dismiss or continue with the interview.
- If they don’t pass thank them for their time and dismiss them professionally.
- If they pass so far, then I would explain my company, it’s origins and what I am looking for again and what I expect. I’d discuss how and when they’ll be paid.
- Ask them if they have any questions and answer them.
- Thank them for their time and dismiss them telling them that you’ll be in touch with them in a day or two.
That’s the end of the interview process. Now we have to qualify them.
Step 5: Qualifying and Training your Applicants
Now that you’ve done the interviews and culled the list for potential employees you have to qualify them and make sure they are the guys you want representing your company.
Of the guys that you have listed as potential go through their applications and/or resume and call up their references.
Call their former companies.
Check out their Facebook profile and other social media.
If they pass muster, then hire them…
Get them set up and ready to go
Back in Step 3, we told you to get ready to hire the new guys. Well now is the time to get them officially enrolled in your company.
You have them read and sign the company handbook and basic rules. Or have them sign the contract if they will 1099.
Get them set up for pay.
Issue them their uniforms and any equipment that they need if any.
Getting them drug tested (optional.)
Now send them for training.
Getting the New Hires Trained
This is an essential step that most of the new smaller moving companies miss.
Most of the small operations rely on on-the-job training. Which is good if the owner is working on the trucks. Not so great if they are leaving it up to a crew leader.
But you have to do what you have to do. The point is getting them trained right.
The first day of training should be in the office and not on the truck if you can swing it.
Having Checklists
The best form of training is having a step by step checklist that your movers should be following. It doesn’t matter which position it is they should have a checklist.
Your first step, in my opinion, is having them read over your procedures. Help them clear up any confusions or misunderstandings.
The more they understand the theory of doing the job the better.
the next step is giving them some mass to the significance.
Have them watch videos on the procedures
This is important.
Some people learn by reading. Some learn by watching. And some learn by doing.
I’ve found that if you have read, watch and then do is the ideal scene.
The larger companies do this well. You smaller guys find this hard. I get that. You’ll have to do your best.
If you don’t have your own videos, then there are tons of great videos on YouTube that you can have them watch.
Go through YouTube and create a playlist of all the videos that show how to pad, wrap, stack and pack.
Had you’ve done this right this playlist will be several hours long.
On-the-Job Training
Once they’ve done the reading, watched the videos it’s now time for them do a little hands-on work and put it all together.
I would recommend that this phase is done the next day.
Some of the bigger moving companies have the new guys work with a supervisor in the warehouse. But many of you won’t or don’t have that option.
Should you do have a warehouse…great. If not, then you need to send out the new guys with an experienced supervisor or leader that you trust…Or do it yourself.
But…
Let’s be honest. One day of on-the-job training isn’t going to cut. It’s going to take several days and/or weeks to get this guy up to speed.
That’s why you should have a checklist of things that they have to accomplish to qualify for consideration of being removed from probationary status and get a raise.
They and their crew leader need to sign off on various tasks that have to be performed well.
What I mean is have things disassemble a bed and reassemble it. Pad a chair. Pad a sofa. Disassemble a piano. Move a piano. Layout floor runners.
Have them meet and perform certain milestones before you consider them truly full-time employees.
The faster that they can complete that checklist the faster they get a raise.
Reversely, if they can’t complete the checklist in a certain amount of time then you need to get rid of them. No excuses.
I usually gave my guys two weeks max to get all the items signed off and verified.
Step 6: Getting the Word Out
If you’re creating a good company culture and not having a lot of turnover, then you need to get videos made up from your long term employees saying how great it is to work for your company.
Put these videos on your website, especially your help wanted page. Put them on your social media pages.
You should be Constantly Hiring
Hiring is a full-time job.
Looking for great guys only when you need them is lazy and stupid.
Always be looking for movers and sending them through the process. By doing this, you are eliminating the stress of not having guys to do the jobs because you have a full stable all the time.
Someone no calls, no shows no problem. You have a new guy waiting in the wings to take his place.
Hire more than you need.
My motto when I was hiring movers I hired in excess.
I’ve found that you should hire three people for every available position.
People are going to disappoint. They won’t show up. If they do, then when they get into it they quit because they realize their too lazy and don’t want to work that hard.
Whatever the reason.
Hire in a 3:1 ratio. Hire three and one will make it…at least for a little while.
Tell everyone you’re hiring and what you’re looking for.
Every chance you get you should be telling people that you are hiring.
When you’re at a networking event. At the supermarket. When you’re at the gas station. Everywhere and all the time.
You should have it on your business card. Put a sign on your trucks. Of course your website. Your social media.
Constantly be looking and telling everyone.
Step 7: Plan. Budget. Repeat.
Now that you’ve gone through this procedure you should have a good or better idea of what you’re looking for and what you want.
Go through these steps and see where they could be improved, altered or even removed so that they fit your organization.
Once you’ve done that you can now plan the next round using these steps.
The more you do these steps and the more refinement that you do, the better you’ll get at hiring movers for your moving company.
Now…you can also put a budget behind this and attract even better candidates too.
And lastly, repeat all the above steps over and over.
This will create a hiring machine, keep you in abundant employees, which will greatly reduce your stress levels, and keep you focused on your company and not IN IT.
Job Fairs
We hadn’t talked about this previously but you should look at participating or hosting your own job fairs.
Holding a job fair in early spring is always the best idea.
With your smaller operations just not feasible to hold a job fair in the busy season because you shouldn’t be having the time to coordinate such things.
Larger operations this could be considered surely.
Temp Agencies
Another source for hiring movers could be your local temp and employment placement agencies.
I tried this once and it was expensive…the but quality that I got was very good.
I don’t like temp agencies personally, I’d rather go to the placement agencies and hire permanent guys.
Although when I did go to a temp agency I did not have to worry about any insurance or taxes as the agency handled all of this for me.
Now if you typically hire people and start them off at let’s say $15/hr you’ll want to hire the temp agency guys at $10/hr. You’ll still pay $15/hr but the agency will take $5/hr for their fees.
Contracted Labor List Guys
I love Facebook. It changed how I did business…and it saved me so much time and money when I need guys…especially guys for the big jobs.
There are numerous Facebook labor groups that you can find, hire and use to help with loading and unloading.
They’re very practical for your small apartment moves but you could use for that if you wish.
These guys are highly skilled, trained and more often than not reliable. You’ll get your duds…but for the most part they good guys.
You can choose to use list or non-list guys.
You run a risk when using non-list guys. The duds usually come from these people. The list guys have been vetted and approved.
They’ve proven they’ll show up, and do a great job. If they don’t then they get removed from the list right now and even removed from the group(s).
There’s a no tolerance policy with the labor list. You either show up, do a great job or you get called out and removed from the groups.
The Laborers live off these groups, they’re not going to screw it up.
Putting it altogether
There are over 3000 words and hours of video content in this article. I’ve included strategies and tactics that I never taught anywhere else and this is only scratching the surface.
That’s why I am creating my “How to Hire Great Movers” Course.
This is going to be at least a 7-week intensive course. We’re going deep dive into this subject and I’ll teach you how to hire the best and brightest.
Every week there’ll be at least an hour video presentation where I teach you everything you need to know on each step above. Deep diving and answering all your questions.
You’ll be given all the materials and tutorials you need to get this hiring movers machine rolling like clockwork so you can concentrate on building your business rather working in your business.
But…
You have to enroll before September 1st at 5 pm. And I only take up to 75 students.
I’m going to close the course immediately at 5 pm on the 1st of September or once I’ve enrolled 75 students, whichever comes first.
If you don’t wish to join, that’s fine, I hope that this article helps you out.
The course will include at least seven 1-hour video classes, all the materials, and direct Q & A with me. Plus as a bonus, you get the Hiring Movers ebook and 1 free hour consultation call with me each month of the course for FREE.
Plus, if you’re not yet a member of the 7 Figure Moving Academy Facebook group you get a 1-year FREE membership.
All of this for one payment of $99.