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PestFreeCanada's avatar
PestFreeCanada
Contributor 5
2 months ago

Upsides and downsides of hiring a summer helper?

I am thinking about hiring someone to help me in the busy season and the idea of a high school kid as a summer job sounds like a promising idea. I wouldn't have to pay them a crazy salary, they are like sponges with information and they are typically more physically full of energy. I wouldn't be able to send them on their own, but they could help me get a few more jobs done in a day.

I am wondering if anyone has tried this and what would be the pros and cons of doing it?

4 Replies

  • Pros you can move faster get more done take on more work. 

     Cons: workman’s comp, payroll, hard to find quality help.  

  • I think the biggest thing is attitude. A motivated helper who wants to learn.

    Pros:
    • More jobs completed in a day.
    • Can slowly train someone into your systems and company culture

    Cons:
    • Time investment for training and supervision
    • Some helpers only want a temporary paycheck and not the trade itself

  • roselvaggio's avatar
    roselvaggio
    Jobber Ambassador

    We’ve actually had pretty good experiences hiring seasonal/holiday help in our cleaning business, especially during busier periods.

    Attitude matters WAY more than experience. You can teach someone systems, cleaning methods, workflow, etc.
    You usually can’t teach:

    • reliability
    • work ethic
    • coachability
    • professionalism
    • positive attitude

    Some younger hires have honestly outperformed older “experienced” people simply because they showed up eager to learn and willing to work.

    The upsides can definitely be:

    • extra energy/stamina
    • lower labor cost while learning
    • additional production capacity
    • flexibility during peak season
    • potential long-term hires

    We’ve actually had some seasonal hires turn into full-time team members later on once they proved themselves.

    The downsides:

    • more supervision/training initially
    • inconsistent availability
    • professionalism can vary a lot
    • you usually can’t leave them alone right away
    • one bad attitude can drag down an entire crew

    I think the biggest mistake is hiring purely because someone is “cheap summer help.” The better approach is "Could this potentially become a great long-term employee if things go well?”