3 Best Practices for Hiring Roofing Subcontractors

By Equipter.

Find a roofing subcontractor that’s right for your crew with these helpful tips! 

Finding reliable roofing subcontractors isn’t easy. And with today’s job market, it seems even more flooded with less qualified candidates. After you pin down exactly what it is you’re looking for in a candidate, it’s time to begin the hunt for the right roofers. 

Whether you’re in the process of starting a roofing business or looking to grow your workforce, here are a few tips to help navigate the task of hiring and retaining good roofing subcontractors for your company: 

1. Get their work history 

If you’re looking to hire professional roofing subcontractors, you want to hire those with the experience necessary to complete a roofing job that emanates high quality. A simple way to ensure this is to ask for their work history.  

Don’t be afraid to call contractors they’ve worked for in the past to determine their work ethic. Here are a few things to consider when checking out their work history: 

• How long have they been in the industry?  

• How many companies has the subcontractor worked for? 

• Are they still serving those companies? 

• Do they work well with others or do their own thing on the job? 

If they haven’t been in the industry very long, ask why they’re interested in roofing and whether they’ve attended a trade school. 

2. Perform a background check 

Employee background checks are done by many businesses before hiring, and the same thing should be done with subcontractors. Their performance–or lack thereof–will impact your company’s reputation, so it’s key to make sure your subcontractors are reliable and trustworthy.  

Be straightforward with your applicants. Let them know you plan to run background checks on more qualified candidates. In addition, make sure you’re up to date with your state’s background check regulations. 

Some areas to pay particular attention to in these checks include:  

• Driving records 

• County, state, and federal criminal history 

• Drug screening records 

• Sex offender lists 

Get more info on what to consider and how to perform background checks in this recent article on Betterteam.com. Although written about hiring employees, the article also applies well to performing subcontractor background checks before hiring. 

3. Make sure they’re a good fit with the rest of the crew 

Subcontractors can be skilled in manual labor, but if their attitude stinks or they don’t get along with others, you’ll definitely want to take that into consideration. Don’t jeopardize an atmosphere of respect and good morale by bringing the wrong subcontractors onto your company’s team. Conflict on the job translates to poor quality, dissatisfied customers and, ultimately, a blow to your professional reputation. 

When hiring your next subcontractor, make sure to look for more than just experience. Get to know them a bit–find out whether they’re good learners and ensure that they’ll treat your customers with the utmost respect.  

Non-manual labor skills are as valuable as job skills. Excellent character influences customer satisfaction and employee morale. 

Bonus tip: Invest in equipment that makes their job easier 

Many business owners are hesitant about investing in equipment for subcontractors. Sometimes it’s because they’re unsure if the subs will be open to the learning curve that comes with equipment they haven’t used before. Owners may also be questioning whether the subcontractors will treat the equipment with respect or if it’ll just end up getting damaged from careless use.  

These are legitimate concerns, but you can take steps to eliminate them. If a subcontractor realizes how a piece of equipment will benefit them and raise their efficiency level, they’ll be much more likely to give it a try. Use this as a team-building opportunity–take a few minutes to share the benefits and functions with them or show tutorial videos and take questions. Crews will feel more valued when they recognize that you’re investing in them rather than just more stuff, so they’ll be more open to trying new equipment.  

Your company will benefit from investing in equipment that raises productivity. In fact, if your company has good equipment that simplifies a roofing job, you’ll attract more reliable subcontractors. Not every company provides excellent equipment for their subcontractors, so you’ll have the advantage of roofers wanting to come back to work for you. 

Investing in quality equipment like the Equipter RB4000 for your subcontractors will set your company apart from competitors, giving you a more professional air among residential and commercial prospects and, in turn, boosting your bottom line. 

Let your subs try before you buy! Find your closest RB4000 rental location here. 

Hiring roofing subcontractors can be a challenge, but it can also become a great privilege as you get to see good workers get your jobs done efficiently. Apply these tips to find more qualified roofing subcontractors now. 

Learn more about Equipter in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www.Equipter.com. 

Original article source: Equipter