Hiring feels harder than ever — because it is.
Posting another “Now Hiring” sign and crossing your fingers doesn’t cut it anymore.
The best tradespeople already have jobs — and they're choosing their next company very carefully.
If you want to win the talent game, you need two things: a reputation people trust and a real system for hiring, not guesswork.
If you're tired of getting ghosted, burned, or blindsided by new hires, here's how to fix it.
1. Prioritize your online reputation
The best prospective employees absolutely check your reviews before they even think about applying.
They Google you.
They read your reviews.
They stalk your website, your Instagram, and your projects.
And what they're looking for is simple:
- Does this company respect people? (Both employees and customers)
- Do they finish what they start? (Are there lots of reviews from satisfied customers?)
- Do they run a professional ship? (We might be biased, but we think that good systems and processes lead to better retention and a more profitable company.)
If you have 5-star reviews, they’re likely to assume you're a 5-star place to work.
But if you have chaos online, they assume you’ll have chaos on-site. How you choose to respond to your customers online, especially the unhappy ones, signals how you’ll treat people behind the scenes.
This is why smart contractors automate the review collection process — they use tools like NiceJob to consistently collect authentic Google reviews from customers without chasing them down.
And as a bonus, with a steady flow of fresh 5-star reviews, you’re not only closing more jobs, getting repeat bookings, and optimizing your local search — you’re also attracting better talent.
2. Have a clear and replicable system for hiring
There’s a risk of solely hiring based on gut feelings, and if you’ve been in business long enough, you’ll know that sometimes it leads to getting burned or losing money, whether on a job or through the process of having to hire and re-train someone new.
But did you know a bad hire can also create retention issues with your best performers? Your top team members are more likely to become resentful and leave if they are consistently picking up the slack for other people.
Smart contractor businesses build structured hiring systems to minimize this risk. Here’s how:
- Define exactly what you're looking for (Ideal Candidate Profile ✅)
- Write job ads that sell opportunity, not desperation (Job Posting Template ✅)
- Run real interviews that screen for skills and attitude (Interview Guide ✅)
If you’re looking for templates to get started, Breakthrough Academy has free tools and templates to help you build your hiring funnel.
3. Showcase the benefits of working with you
Top tradespeople are looking for a career, not just a paycheck.
Show them:
- Growth paths 📈
- A professional, supportive, and well-organized team 💬
- Systems that make life easier — like real-time communication, scheduling, and transparent and realistic project management
- That your company has its act together with clear processes and policies
Aside from showcasing your employee benefits and team culture, it’s important to highlight your business operations and systems that you have in place. This signals to prospective employees that you’re serious about creating a scalable business and environment where people have the tools that they need to get the job done.
4. Develop a clear and consistent interview strategy
Too many hiring managers wing interviews based on gut feelings. But "he seems like a good guy" isn’t a hiring strategy. There are plenty of great guys who aren’t qualified for the job, and as previously mentioned this could lead to retention issues with added strain on your top performers.
If you want to build a crew that stays and works seamlessly together, you need to screen for:
- Technical skills
- Communication skills
- Values (Are they punctual and reliable? Do they work well as a team?)
- Coachability and willingness to learn new skills and take direction
Ready to Start Hiring Like a Pro?
If you’re serious about building a stronger team (not just hiring another warm body), you need better tools. Breakthrough Academy has experience coaching over 1,537 contracting businesses across North America and has developed free tools to help you level up.
Access your Full Hiring Tools Bundle and learn how to hire like a pro.
✅ Ideal Candidate Profile Template
✅ Job Posting Template
✅ Interview Set-Up Call Script
✅ Interview Guide
