Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: mark_roberts on March 21, 2011, 08:45:48 pm

Title: Best way to find an employee
Post by: mark_roberts on March 21, 2011, 08:45:48 pm
Last year I had a mate working for me for four months which worked very well.  He got a proper job so now I need to look for someone else.

So whats the best way to find a local guy looking for work.  Any websites out there I could advertise on without a heafty fee.

thanks
Mark
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: jasonl on March 21, 2011, 08:54:48 pm
" GOT a proper job"   funny .

I took on a new person 4 weeks ago( well I needed him as I cannot drive), he is on a 10 hour contract at 6.50 an hour , meaning I have to guarantee him 10 hours min per week , this is how all big retailers now work.

I placed an ad on Gumtree  for free , I had applicants  apply via email , I screened the obvious retards and phoned a few and telephone interviewed them.

I asked 2 people to come for a "walk the job day"  with no pay to see if I like them and they like the job, only one of the 2 trned up

Christien ,who I took on has been reliable ,presentable good with customers and  can clean carpets unsupervised now.  He will need more training on upholstery. He is very keen to carry on and get into fire and flood work . 

I had over 50 applicants and I was very glad that I made them apply via email as the phonecalls would have been a pain.
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: davep on March 21, 2011, 09:38:29 pm
What if they get trained up and leave- set up on there own?
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: Carpet Dawg on March 21, 2011, 09:57:09 pm
What if they get trained up and leave- set up on there own?

Thats what i have always feared :(
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: garyj on March 21, 2011, 10:16:48 pm
That was my fear when I had the contract cleaning company, in 10 years and 100's of employees only one did. A lot will talk of it but none of them ever do it. You could put in the contract that if they leave they cannot set up in competition with you or work for a rival for 12 months, how that would hold in court I don't know.
Don't forget not everyone thinks about being self employed, the amount of paperwork puts them off and you'll be surprised how many just want a wage without the hassle of starting on their own.

To give you an idea of the mentality that's out there I've a friend who is a painter and decorator, he lives near Eastbourne and works in London, it costs him £200 a week to get to work and back and is nearly 2 hours each way. I asked him why he doesn't set up in his own town and work for himself, he said he doesn't want the agro and just wants his wages each week and when he leaves work he can forget all about it. You're thinking of it wrong and thinking the way you think, not many people have the gumption to be their own boss.

Best way to find an employee?? Not family or friends, not the job centre and not agency. Looks like Gumtree worked for Jason so why not give that a go.
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: SteX13 on March 21, 2011, 10:34:29 pm
Gumtree will be best, only get like 5 free job ads a year now though.

You will get a lot of idiots who seem like they dint read the ad but ask for a covering letter in the ad via email to prevent the cv only send to all vacancy type people. Well not prevent but easily worm out the genuinely interested folks.

Also try a small ad in all your local shops and supermarkets.



Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: Ian Gourlay on March 21, 2011, 11:17:40 pm
I was watching an old jp video where this subject is discussed

You look out for tecs who work for other carpet cleaners

in the states they are often paid on commission so offer a regular income and you get your man readily trained

You follow vans see where they go for a break introduce yourself a few months prior to poach

I paid money for this yours for FREE
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: Ian Rochester on March 22, 2011, 06:06:27 am
Put the word out that you are looking for someone, either verbally or through the local papers or newsagents.  Get CV's in, interview them and make your decision from there.

At the moment there are good people screaming out for work, you should have no problem finding the right person.

Just yesterday I got a spec CV through the door from a cleaner who works as a supervisor for a very large national cleaning business, I spoke to him yesterday and he's coming round for a interview next week.
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: craig partridge on March 22, 2011, 06:42:13 pm
Hi mark,

Definatley gumtree, I have used it to get leaflet drppers, so many replies! I was amazed, your get a good feel for what they are like by their reply, (wording, grammar, enthusiasm etc.)

For companies to advertise jobs it is free but only 5  adverts per year, to stop abuse by job agencies I guess.

Craig.
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: mark_roberts on March 25, 2011, 05:53:17 pm
Ive had 8 replys in 24 hours.  Some are one liners with no full stops or capital letters.  Some are cv or a page of history as requested.

So now for the part of weeding them out.  Any tips here.

Also can I ask if they have a criminal record and how do I do a criminal record check.

thanks
Mark
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: craig partridge on March 25, 2011, 06:45:28 pm
Yes, ask them whatever you want to know, my advice is just start it with, "I'm sorry but I have to ask you this.."
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: Simon Gerrard on March 25, 2011, 07:13:24 pm
I've been advertising for someone recently and decided very firmly that I was goiing to give the job to someone British but all of the British applicants didn't supply the information we asked for and for the one's that did meet the criteria, except one. I emailed him and told him I needed to speak to him first and he told me ring me after 10:00am today. As I was busy today I rang him at 9:50 and was told very firmly that I wasn't to ring until after 10. 'Forget it,' I told him and put the phone down. Rang a Polish guy, he was pleasant and respectful and has now got the job. So much for patriotism!

Simon
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: mark_roberts on March 25, 2011, 07:47:32 pm
I agree.  If people are really wanting this job, 50% of them cant even type a sentence or provide a paragraph of info on themselves. 

Mark
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: Phillip Mold on March 26, 2011, 12:52:13 am
"Best way to find an employee" ??



obvious, tag em, with radio transmitter.
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: jasonl on March 26, 2011, 07:54:19 am
Yes, ask them whatever you want to know, my advice is just start it with, "I'm sorry but I have to ask you this.."

This is REALLY dangerous , you have to ask everyone the same thing , eg , If  you ask a woman who will look after her 2 year old , you then have to ask the same thing of everyone. If you ask a foreign national whether they are eligible to work in the EU then you also have to ask a clearly british person.  There are lots of professional job applicants about ,who make a living out of claiming discrimination over the job application process, it is easy to get caught for up to a years pay of the post advertised, let alone the time and hassle defending it.
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: Helen on March 26, 2011, 08:10:00 am
Yes, ask them whatever you want to know, my advice is just start it with, "I'm sorry but I have to ask you this.."

This is REALLY dangerous , you have to ask everyone the same thing , eg , If  you ask a woman who will look after her 2 year old , you then have to ask the same thing of everyone. If you ask a foreign national whether they are eligible to work in the EU then you also have to ask a clearly british person.  There are lots of professional job applicants about ,who make a living out of claiming discrimination over the job application process, it is easy to get caught for up to a years pay of the post advertised, let alone the time and hassle defending it.

Used to be a standard question on our standard interview form, which had to be completed by all applicants, along with the "good health" etc questions. Doesn't stop them from lying, but if something does go wrong later in a bad way, you can then sue them for it!
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: Griffus on March 28, 2011, 09:06:59 pm
Yes, ask them whatever you want to know, my advice is just start it with, "I'm sorry but I have to ask you this.."

This is REALLY dangerous , you have to ask everyone the same thing , eg , If  you ask a woman who will look after her 2 year old , you then have to ask the same thing of everyone. If you ask a foreign national whether they are eligible to work in the EU then you also have to ask a clearly british person.  There are lots of professional job applicants about ,who make a living out of claiming discrimination over the job application process, it is easy to get caught for up to a years pay of the post advertised, let alone the time and hassle defending it.

Spot on.

Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: Ricky M on March 29, 2011, 12:31:17 am
PROPER JOB !!! , OMG !

thats class, why dont you find a proper job too  ;D ;D ;D

still PMSL  ;D ;D

this can only be a wind up
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: mark_roberts on March 29, 2011, 09:31:39 pm
Proper job.  One that paid more than I could pay him also sick pay, pension, better holidays not as physical.

So better more than proper.

Is carpet cleaning a job anyway?

Mark
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: Denise l on March 30, 2011, 06:41:50 am
Try advertising on Spick & Span, they have a jobs section.
Title: Re: Best way to find an employee
Post by: John Atkinson on March 30, 2011, 08:17:52 am
Post an ad in Gumtree   ;)