Car Wash Recruiting

A car wash is only as good as the people running it. Your attendants and sales reps are often the only people a customer talks to, so who you hire shows up in every visit. However, finding the right people and getting them to apply is one of the most difficult tasks for owners and operators. As with any business, you are only as good as the people you keep around. Here are a few ideas for finding good people and getting them to apply.

Start with the people you already have

Employee referrals are one of the best ways to hire. Tell your team when you have openings and ask if they know anyone. Even better, set up a referral bonus: if the new hire stays past 90 days, both the new hire and the referring employee get paid. Your best people tend to know other good people.

Meet candidates where they already are

•Social media: You already use it to market your washes, so use it to post openings too. Some of your best applicants will be customers who already like your business.

•Job boards: Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Snagajob, and Monster all work. Fill out your company profile completely, because a full profile brings in more applicants.

•Passive candidates: Carry business cards. If someone impresses you at a restaurant or a hardware store, hand them one and tell them you're always looking for good help. Just know that people with jobs they like won't switch without better pay or benefits.

•Your community: Try colleges, job fairs, employment agencies, vocational rehab programs, professional associations, and people who've worked for you before.

Write job ads that make people want to apply

Every job posting is also an ad for your business. A few tricks:

•Use a specific, appealing title. "Customer Service Associate" works better than "Car Wash Worker or Attendant."

•Always list the pay. Leaving out compensation is one of the fastest ways to lose applicants.

•Be clear about the job. Vague descriptions bring in the wrong people, and requirements that ask too much scare off the right ones.

•List as many benefits as you can. Write out an extensive list of benefits that the candidate will get and use that list in every job ad.

•Fit the ad to the role. Ads should be honest about weather, weekends and standing all day. Sales rep ads should focus on membership knowledge and commission. Management ads should cover leadership, troubleshooting equipment, and overseeing the site.

If your ads aren't working, liven them up

If lots of people view or click on job ads but few good ones apply, or new hires aren't what you expected, your ad may be too dull. Rewrite it with more energy and some personality to attract the high-energy person you want. Also, consider that if you don’t get enough quality applications, your compensation and benefits might be lacking.

Sort applicants quickly

Once you start getting applicants, sort them quickly and put every application into one of three piles:

•Yes: Their availability, experience, and skills match. Bring them in for an interview.

•Maybe: They meet some of what you need, but there are gaps worth asking about.

•No: There's a clear mismatch, like they don’t have the availability you need.

After sorting them, make sure you reach out quickly as well. If they are a quality person, they will have other opportunities, so don’t take too long to start interviewing.

Hiring well is how you build a wash that runs well. Get the word out in more places, write ads that sound like your business, sort applicants, and reach out quickly. Without the right systems in place, recruiting and hiring can be a nightmare and can hinder your ability to provide great service.