Create marketing funnels in minutes!

Your page? Unpause your account to remove this banner.

Learn more

How To Find Superstar Part-Time Employees In 3 Minutes

Primary Blog/Hiring/How To Find Superstar Part-Time Employees In 3 Minutes

Hiring a new employee costs an average of $4,000-$7,645. For example, The 2020 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates an annualized employee turnover rate of 73.88% in the hotel and motel industry. If you operate with a 13-person staff, a 73.88% turnover rate will cost you between $148,000 to $282.865 each year.

There is a solution, and it’s a lot easier than you might think.

It’s time to reconsider the traditional hire slow and fire quick philosophy—at least the hire slow part. Maybe hiring should be more like speed dating. Put many candidates across the table from you but spend very little time evaluating them. You’ll drastically reduce the number of clever slackers who make it into your workforce compared to your current slow and expensive recruiting and hiring process but for much less cost and time.

Once you determine the applicant meets the minimum job requirements, either from their application or resume, give them an unscheduled call. It seems like no one answers their phone these days; leave a clear, short message with a short deadline to call back. For example, “This is Jane from XYZ Hotel. Based on your application you look exactly like the superstars we hire. Give me a call by Friday so you and I can clarify a few minor points before scheduling a formal interview.” You’ve now just boosted their excitement level about your position and simultaneously calmed them down about a telephone interview — which is exactly what clarifying a few minor points is. Of course, leave your phone number.

Once you have the applicant on the phone, take just three minutes to ask these screening questions. If they pass the screening questions, immediately schedule an interview for a later date. A negative response to any of your questions disqualifies the candidate for hire — end the interview. Initial, date, and note on the application why you disqualified the applicant.

Move on to the next applicant. This is speed dating, remember?

The 3-Minute Telephone Screening Interview

  • Do you object to a background check? If you hire people with criminal records, give them a chance to come clean. Check their criminal record ahead of the call. If you don’t have a service to check for you, search online for the circuit clerk in the county the candidate resides. Most records are online these days. In their answer, you are looking for remorse about criminal activity and honesty about having a criminal record. One of my best employees was an ex-felon.
  • Do you have a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation? Clarify that transportation is available all the time, and in good working order. Oh, the number of times I’ve heard, “My car isn’t working,” or “My license is suspended,” or other excuses an employee can’t get to work. In these days of Uber, there should be no excuse for not getting to work — on time. Nonetheless, we don’t hire you unless you have reliable transportation for your personal use and a valid driver’s license.
  • Are there any days of the week you cannot work? We let part-time applicants slide on this because they are usually students or have other regular obligations. Full-time applicants must be available to work when our customers expect us to be open. It’s hard enough to work around the schedules of part-time employees, you don’t want to have to manage the variable schedules of your full-time staff too. You may have a different opinion; it’s up to you on this one.
  • Can you work Saturday and Sunday? I know, we just asked if they are available 7 days a week, but somehow people still think that doesn’t include the weekends. If you are open on weekends, best to ask and see if there is hesitation or backpedaling. Sometimes they’ll ask, “Do I have to work every weekend?” That’s an indication you’ll have more problems than not getting them to pick up a weekend shift.
  • Do you know any reason that could cause you to be late for work? First, you are telling the candidate you expect them to show up on time. Second, you are trying to uncover problems with getting to work, other obligations, or patterns of absenteeism.
  • ​If you hire students: Are you involved in athletics, drama, music, or other after-school activities? Do not hire any student involved in after-school activities. They’ll tell you, last minute, “I have a mandatory meeting/event/game/practice so I can’t come to work.” Save yourself the headache, don’t hire students involved in after-school activities.
  • Will you have another job if you work with us? Are you planning to make us your priority? We don’t hire if the applicant has another job. One hundred percent of the time there is a scheduling conflict. If you are willing to deal with the frequent scheduling conflicts, determine if the applicant only wants your job to fill in around their other job. If so, they are disqualified.
  • What are your professional goals for the next 6 months? You are looking for professional goals that indicate the candidate might not be working for you in 6 to 12 months, like becoming a stylist, nurse, or emergency medical technician.

Use this 3-minute screening interview in conjunction with accurate interviews, short probationary periods, productive onboarding, effective evaluations, meaningful & diverse work, and common-sense policies to recruit, hire, and retain superstar employees. You’ll drastically reduce the number of slackers and people with too many personal obligations who make it to the interview process and into your workforce. This will save you time, money, and headache later.

If this sounds daunting, book a free consult with me to transform your workforce into productive, cohesive, team-players who stay for the long haul, and contribute to innovation and excellence on the job.

Don Kermath bGrateful1 png

Hi, I Am Don "Dark Horse" Kermath

Amazon #1 New Release  Best Selling Author—Twice

Don Kermath is the employee turnover reduction expert that empowers small business owners and managers to transform their workforce into productive, cohesive, team-players who stay for the long haul and contribute to innovation and excellence on the job (and could really benefit your bottom line).

Recruit Hire Retain Superstar Part-Time Employees 3D Cover New png

Get Our Best Selling Product!

Superstars Wanted: Whiners & Slackers Need NOT Apply is for the small business owner or manager who wants to avoid the pain and minimize the expense of recruiting, hiring, and retaining superstar part-time employees.

Dark Horse Secrets Logo wb 20210607 png

© Copyright Yellow Coat LLC 2020+