Managing a distributed workforce in field service companies comes with unique challenges and opportunities. Effective hiring, retention and termination practices are crucial for ensuring that remote teams operate efficiently and deliver exceptional service. At a recent conference for software users, WorkWave partnered with Applause, a technology company with expertise in helping companies support and maximize employee engagement. Using their advice as a guide, field service companies can learn how to improve their hiring processes and set employees up for long-term success. 

The Challenges of Managing a Remote Workforce

Though remote work is a work style that has gained in popularity since the pandemic, the reality is that field service companies have been managing distributed workforces for a long time. While many might think ‘remote’ refers to working from an employee’s home rather than an office, it can actually include all employees who do not work at a centralized office space to complete their work. 

Field service companies — businesses operating in industries such as pest control, lawn care, HVAC, etc. — require a large portion of their workforce to be ‘distributed,’ servicing job sites remotely. This typically includes a single worker, or sometimes a small team or crew, with limited in-person interactions with the office. 

Effective hiring practices are vital for field service companies to ensure they bring on board skilled and reliable employees who can work independently, excel at time management and perform quality services in a remote work environment. The right hires contribute to the overall success and reputation of the company.

The Dos of Hiring a Distributed Workforce

Field service industries often experience high rates of employee turnover. Because of constant churn, you have a crucial role to ensure your hiring practices are optimized to hire the best candidates (and reduce the odds of quick turnover down the road). Here are some tips we have for things you want to do in the hiring process.

Do: Leverage Employee Referrals for Quality Candidates

45% of employees obtained through employee referrals stay for more than four years. Knowing that employee churn is one of the leading challenges field service companies face, companies can reduce turnover by leaning into employee referrals as a primary hiring tactic. 

This strategy involves encouraging current employees to recommend potential candidates from their professional and personal networks. Leveraging employee referrals during the recruiting process can lead to numerous benefits, but requires careful implementation to maximize its effectiveness. Take a look at the benefits and challenges below:

Benefits of Employee Referrals 

  1. Higher quality hires: Employees are likely to refer individuals they know to be skilled and reliable.
  2. Cultural fit: Referred candidates often understand the company culture better through their connection with current employees.
  3. Reduced time and cost: Referrals can shorten the recruitment process and reduce advertising costs.

Challenges of Employee Referrals 

  1. Bias and diversity: Relying too heavily on referrals can lead to a less diverse workforce, as employees may refer candidates too similar to themselves.
  2. Inconsistent quality: Not all employees have the same judgment or network quality, leading to varied referral success.
  3. Referral management: Tracking and managing referrals efficiently requires a structured process to ensure all candidates in the selection process are considered fairly.

Do: Create Role-Specific Scorecards for Objective Evaluation

Develop scorecards tailored to each role to objectively evaluate candidates’ qualifications and suitability for the position. Role-specific scorecards serve as a structured and objective method to evaluate candidates, ensuring that hiring decisions are consistent, fair and aligned with the specific requirements of each role. Here’s a deeper look into the importance and implementation of role-specific scorecards:

Objective evaluation: Scorecards provide a standardized framework for evaluating candidates. By focusing on predefined criteria, they minimize subjective biases and ensure that all candidates are assessed based on the same standards, including framing the same performance expectations for all.

Consistency across interviews: Using scorecards ensures that every interviewer evaluates candidates consistently. This is particularly important in a distributed workforce where multiple interviewers across different locations may be involved in the hiring process.

Alignment with job requirements: Scorecards help ensure that the evaluation criteria are directly aligned with the specific needs and responsibilities of the role. This alignment increases the likelihood of selecting candidates who are truly suited for the position and helps to avoid future performance issues.

Clear documentation: Scorecards create a documented trail of the evaluation process. This is useful for justifying hiring decisions, providing feedback to candidates and reviewing the effectiveness of the hiring process.

Enhanced communication channels: Scorecards facilitate effective communication among hiring team members. They provide a clear basis for discussion and comparison of candidates, making it easier to reach a consensus.

Do: Develop Standardized Interview Questions

Standardized interview questions help maintain consistency and fairness in the hiring process, ensuring that all candidates are assessed on the same criteria. They will help ensure a level playing field across all interviewees. It helps eliminate bias and allows for a fair comparison of all candidates based on their responses to identical questions. Standardized questions ensure that all critical aspects of the role are covered during the interview. This comprehensive approach helps identify the best candidates who meet the job requirements and fit the company culture.