YOU'RE OPEN WHEN?

Here's an earth shattering statement--Most of the people we as BSC's employ work at night, usually starting after 6 PM. Amazing revelation, isn't it?

Here's another earth shattering statement--Most BSC's have their Human Resourses department open from 8 AM to 5 PM. What's wrong with this picture?

If we are in the business of hiring primarily evening staff members, why are we open only during the day? With many BSC's employing part time help, it means that if the applicant has a full time job, they have to take off from their other job to apply for a part time position with you. Or worse yet, they lie, and call in sick so they can put in an application in the hours YOU prefer to interview. Neither alternative, in my opinion, is a favorable choice. They give up pay on their full time job to apply for a part time, probably lower paying job?

It seems to me it makes sense to be open at least until 7 PM in the evening even if you don't start the HR day until 10 AM. At least do it a couple of days a week. In this way you can do interviewing with the quality propects you are always hoping for. Experience tells us that if you are only open during the daytime hours and are looking for part time workers, you are going to get the unemployed applicant that really wants full time work but will take this position until they can find that full time position. This just adds to your woes and the number of W-2s you have to make at the end of the year. And at $500+ per person cost of turnover per employee, this turns out to be a very expensive employee that you probably hired in desperation anyway.

Let's take it another step further. Many companies say they only interview between certain hours, say 2-4 PM or 1-4PM. Now there's a real kick in the teeth. We are a company looking for great employees but we are only willing to talk with them at certain times of the day? My guess is the competitor is hiring those applicants that want to be interviewed outside the window that has been established.

Some companies I know are open from 9-noon on Saturdays in order to give applicants every opportunity to apply. They post it in the ad and encourage Saturday interviews.

Others I know open their doors on Sunday afternoon from time to time from 1-4 PM to catch those people that may be out looking for a home and are trying to determine how they will come up with the extra money for the higher house payment. How about a Sunday ad that says something like--"Found the house you would like to own? Will the payments be a stretch? We are open on Sunday afternoon from 1-4 to talk with you about quality part time positions that will help you earn that extra money needed to afford the house you have always wanted.".

To drive even more traffic to your door, let me suggest you post an ad in whatever media form you use that says something like--"10 immediate openings" as the headline and then put in the rest of the details. I am sure someone reading this is saying something like, I only need 3 people right now Wouldn't that be lying?. Let me ask you. Do you have 7 people you would like to get rid of and if the answer is yes, then you have 10 immediate openings?

I remember helping an HR person for a company write an ad that said 25 immediate openings and the HR manager was resistant because he only had 14 actual openings. I then asked the Operations Manager if we placed an ad that said 25 immediate openings, did he have 11 people he would like to replace. His response to me was, "Today I have 111 employees I would like to replace. He was not having a good day.  It's kind of like the guy who asked me how many people I had working for me and my reply was "about half of them". I wasn't having a good day that day either. Or the basketball coach when asked, after a bad loss, what he thought of his team's execution and his response was, "I'm all for it". Well anyway, you get the idea.

So, let me ask you, when are you open? Are you open for your convenience or at the times convenient for your applicants which just might become your companies future leaders? Some things to think about. In our book, Finding, Training, and Keeping GREAT Service Employees 101" we talk a great deal about the subject of hiring techniques that bring you the right people. Available at www.consultantsincleaning.com

Remember to listen to our FREE weekly pod cast at www.tripodcast.com. We are making some changes in the format and you will want to listen and see what they are.

Let me know your comments, agree or disagree, we read them all.

Till next time.