The Business Owner’s Quick Guide to Pest Control Hiring

Pest control technicians are your company’s boots on the ground, out in the world representing your business. In many ways, they’re the face of your company. You need assurance they will get the job done and leave customers satisfied and bug-free. Any business owner knows that hiring can be tough. You need a thorough worker who doesn’t cut corners, but how do you find skilled and reliable technicians for your pest control company?

What to Look For on A Pest Control Technician Resume

Before you start the pest control hiring process, assess whether your business has the bandwidth for a new hire looking to be trained on how to be a pest control technician or if you require someone with many years of previous experience who can jump right in.

A pest control technician is someone who:

• Is passionate about helping people

• Is able to physically move around indoor and outdoor spaces

• Is comfortable around rodents and insects

• Can safely assess where to spray the appropriate amount and type of pesticide

• Can anticipate infestations and recommend best practices to customers clearly

When looking through pest control resumes, see if the candidate has previous experience in the field and a license from the Department of Agriculture. Related education and/or customer service experience are a plus for pest control hiring.

A valid driver’s license, a clean criminal record, and no gaps in employment show reliability. References from previous employers can attest to the potential employee’s work ethic, communication style, and history of customer satisfaction.

How to Hire a Pest Control Technician 

• Post a job ad online on various job boards, as well as on your company website. In the field of pest control, hiring technicians can also be made easier by getting your current technicians to refer potential hires to you.

• After you’ve received applications, review them and compile a list of your top contenders. Compare them and contact your top candidates.

• Arrange an interview: in-person is usually best, but video interviews are also a great option. More information on interview questions below.

• Promptly let candidates know the status of their applications. Applying for jobs is difficult, and no one likes to be left hanging or never receive a response from a company they’ve applied to.

• Once you’ve made your hire, be sure to get all the required personal information, payment methods (direct deposit or checks), and any other necessary documentation. 

Interview Questions to Ask When Hiring Pest Control Technicians

To assess a candidate’s potential during the pest control hiring process, ask them questions regarding their experience, what they’re looking for in a company, and anything else you feel will tell you whether they’re a good match for your business. Examples of questions to ask include: 

• How they would handle a stressful scenario that could arise on the job, such as dealing with roaches in a newborn’s bedroom

• How they have dealt with a difficult situation at work in the past, such as dealing with an upset client

• What they think is most important for excellent customer service 

Be ready to answer any questions they may have for you about topics such as salary expectations, work hours, pest control sales commission, etc.  

Tips for Attracting & Keeping Pest Control Technicians

It’s important in pest control technician hiring to not only attract the right technicians, but to keep them on board. In order to retain good employees, try the following:

• Offer competitive pay and benefits, such as periodic raises to reflect inflation, meeting the livable wage, and offering 401(k) plans to full-time employees.

• Create an inclusive work culture that values diversity and promotes respectful communication.

• Reward employees who go above and beyond by recognizing them publicly for a job well done.

Conclusion

While building out your team, it’s important to make sure your company’s operations are streamlined and easy for your employees to work with. FieldRoutes provides the most efficient pest control software to simplify, scale, and grow pest control companies of all sizes. Get your free demo today.