Qualities to Look for When Hiring a Roofing Employee

Find a Good Roofing Employee by Hiring for the Right Characteristics

Hiring a good roofing employee isn’t just about their ability to carry a bundle of shingles or swing a hammer. Especially in today’s job market, the best employees will display characteristics that help your business stand out from the competition. When hiring for your roofing crew, look for candidates who bring the following qualities to the table in addition to their roofing know-how.

Ability to Learn

The ability to quickly learn and apply new skills is the hallmark of a good roofing employee. Someone willing and able to learn can be taught roofing skills relatively easily, but you can’t train someone to become a better learner. Even potential hires with prior roofing experience should be prepared to train in new skills or new ways of doing things. An employee who isn’t motivated to learn or adapt isn’t likely to stick around for the long haul and can hold your business back.

Comfortable With Technology

Hire roofing employees who can quickly pick up new technologies. Many businesses are already using construction apps on the job, and technology usage in the roofing industry will continue to grow. This is especially true if you’re looking to break into the solar roofing market. Employees who resist change or who aren’t comfortable with technology will eventually compromise your ability to keep up with tech-savvy competitors. 

Professional Behavior

A good roofing employee is someone whose conduct puts customers at ease. Employees who can’t deal with clients courteously and who don’t behave professionally while on the job will cost you referrals. You’ll also be setting yourself up for bad online reviews, which could cost you even more leads. Quality customer service is essential to growing a roofing business in today’s market, where homeowners expect more from roofers than simply getting the job done. Hire employees you trust to leave a good impression on customers.

Safety-Conscious

Find roofing employees who take safety seriously. The roofing industry has a high fatality rate and employees with a careless attitude toward safety practices can put your entire crew at risk. Ask any potential new hire lots of questions to gauge how well they know and how seriously they take safety best practices. Hire employees who will do their part to keep jobs running smoothly and injury-free.

Positive Outlook

While it might sound hokey, a good roofing employee won’t contribute to negativity on the job. Roofing is tough work and there’s always a possibility of injury. Adding a negative attitude on top of the everyday stress of the job can quickly demoralize crew members, resulting in sloppy work or unprofessional behavior around customers. It can also contribute to high employee turnover. Hire people who can roll with the punches on a job rather than drag down their fellow crew members.

Where to Find Potential Roofing Employees

Now that you know which qualities to prioritize when hiring a new crew member, you need to know how to get the word out. In addition to your usual ads, use these methods to put your job opening in front of the best pool of potential hires.

• Ask your top current employees for referrals. A good employee likely surrounds themselves with people with a similar work ethic. 
• Look into any apprenticeship programs in your area. People who’ve completed a program have proven their ability to learn and are likely looking for long-term work in this field.
• Contact local employment programs in your area. Program managers may be able to put you in contact with promising candidates who are motivated to learn new skills.

What qualities do you look for in a roofing employee? Comment below.