Having a tough time finding the right employees for your residential or commercial painting business? It may be time to consider people working in other construction trades and service industries, says Art Snarzyk, owner of InnerView Advisors.

Snarzyk owned and operated his own painting company in St. Louis for many years before starting his business consulting firm.

“The same qualities and attributes that make a good painter translate well from other trades,” he says. “Technical work you can be proud of, working with your hands, the satisfaction of seeing results rather quickly, and a certain degree of autonomy.”

Trades to check into

He suggests checking into some of the more exhausting trades, those that are hard on the body, or offer poorer working conditions than painting. Send out feelers by writing a job advertisement that gets them curious about the painting industry.

“Painting work can be tough, but it’s not as strenuous as the work of some other trades,” Snarzyk says. “For example, one of my clients had luck converting seasoned floor layers by telling them that switching to a career in painting would give their backs and knees a break.”

You’ll increase success, he says, by recruiting from trades and service industries which would consider painting a step up in pay, benefits, environment, hours, etc. Think landscaping, janitorial, trash and recycling, apartment maintenance, food service, etc.

More hiring ideas

• 10 Steps to Better Hiring: Finding the right person for a position is part art and part science. While some people certainly have a gift for finding good people, everyone can improve their success rate by following a methodical step-by-step process.
• Broaden Your Search for Good Candidates: It may be tempting to rely on your friends and family. While networking is a great strategy, it’s time to broaden the search. Since the majority of job seekers use online resources in their search, here are a few ways to reach them.

Art Snarzyk was interviewed by Mike Starling, PPC Editor. Get more ideas to build your painting business at the Sherwin-Williams contractor site.