Lately, there has been an increase in the number of moving businesses in the United States. Americans are highly mobile people, with tens of millions of individuals (and families) moving house each year. A large percentage of the moves are local, with the majority of local moves happening within the same county, but a significant chunk also relocates within the same state.

Long-distance interstate moves are also fairly common, with millions of moves happening annually across the country. Looking at it from a mover’s perspective, this is another way of saying moving is big business in this country. With the increase in competition as more companies come up to tap into what is clearly a huge market, there comes the need as a mover to differentiate your offerings from the next guy’s.

There is little that separates professional moving companies, you see, especially when you’re basically rendering the same service offerings. And this is where the issue of staffing comes in. Employees play a central role in the success of every business, doubly so for businesses where there is direct interaction between the staff and customers. In the case of moving companies, the individuals that make up a moving crew are the actual people that interact with your customers.

For this reason, it is imperative that you not only hire the best people but also instill a good culture that you want your employees to project. It is by this ethos that your moving company will ultimately be judged by, which in turn determines your success (or failure) as a business.

Here are 11 tips to keep in mind when hiring moving labor to ensure you end up recruiting the best personnel.

Make hiring movers a priority

A lot of companies overlook the importance of moving labor, instead choosing to direct their energy on other aspects of the business such as improvement of their service offerings, branding, and marketing. That’s all good. But as pointed out, your moving people are central to your business. This is an area that needs special attention to ensure you’re bringing in the right people, from the drivers to the muscle.

Create a mover recruitment process

You need a process behind your recruitment, a clear roadmap to abide by when onboarding employees. It all starts with the qualities you’re looking for in your ideal moving personnel. And no, not just as a formality to tick the boxes. Ensure the whole process is clear – from the employment ads to the actual recruitment of candidates, the interviewing, onboarding, and the training that follows. Speaking of interviewing…

Establish an interview process

Include what questions you will ask, who will be conducting the interviews, and other details that will allow the interview process to proceed seamlessly every time. Remember, as much as you’re offering jobs, it is a candidates’ market and you risk losing out on the best candidates to other employers if you don’t move swiftly.

Research the market rate

Conduct salary surveys and research the market to understand what the current going rate for moving labor is. We know, keeping your operating budget low is a priority for many companies, but you also don’t want to lowball your movers. This not only attracts low-quality candidates but also makes for disgruntled employees. That’s not the picture you want to paint with your customers as you can be sure it will be projected onto them – and with it, comes poor reviews and no repeat business.

Have a growth plan

People want to know the opportunities available to them when they’re joining your company. Some will enquire about it during the interview process, and having one ready to go can help you stand out by setting you apart from other companies. Don’t forget that some of the people looking to fill your positions are employees working in other moving companies and are probably on the lookout for better opportunities. And, you can’t really blame them.

Communication is important

Let’s be honest, no one likes a company that keeps people in the dark as far as recruitment goes. What is also true is that people appreciate upfront communication right from when you post your vacancies to the time you find suitable candidates – even when relaying bad news for those who failed to make the cut. It says a lot about your company. And bear in mind that word travels fast in this industry.

Rethink your channels when hiring

Don’t limit yourself to traditional hiring avenues like staffing agencies. These days, you can find groups of experienced professional movers on platforms like Facebook. Post your request within these groups, complete with your requirements and expectations. Others include online job websites like Zip Recruiter, Indeed, and even LinkedIn and Craigslist.

Always ask for referrals

A great way to find the best moving labor is to ask for referrals, ideally from your top-rated employees who have been with you for some time. More likely than not, they will recommend some competent individuals. Consider offering a referral bonus that awards your staff for every new employee they bring on board.

You’re not only looking for muscle

Modern-day movers need to be people who bring more than just the muscle. They need to be smart individuals with expertise and the soft skills to boot. Soft skills have to do with the individual’s ability to interact well with customers and get along well with other employees.

Train your movers

A lot of moving companies focus on recruiting people with “previous moving experience”. But this locks out a huge pool of prospective candidates. Experience is great (and we recommend it), but have a training program in place (ideally ongoing) for your moving crew that not only keeps them on top of their craft but also molds them into the ideal people you want in your company.

Make your company a great place to work

There will be little cause to leave when people feel your company is a great place to work. Not only that, but they’ll spread the word amongst their friends and in the moving community too, helping you gain a good reputation that attracts the best of the best. As we mentioned, word gets around fast in this business. And you want the word on the street to be positive.