Building a Pipeline (Not Just Filling a Seat)

Reactive hiring is the most expensive kind. You pay a premium in time, stress, and bad hires when you only recruit after someone leaves. The businesses that hire consistently well treat recruiting like sales. Always on, always adding to the pipeline.

What an always-on pipeline looks like

• ✓You have a job post live at all times, even when you are not actively hiring
• ✓You collect applicants into a database, not a pile of resumes
• ✓You follow up with strong candidates you did not hire the first time
• ✓You have a referral program your team actually knows about
• ✓You check in with past employees who left on good terms

Building a referral program that works

A referral program that lives in your head does not work. Your team has to know about it, know the rules, and believe they will get paid. Here is a simple structure that works for home service businesses.

Referral bonus: $[amount] (typical range: $150-$500 depending on role and urgency)

Rules:
- Referral must be submitted before the candidate applies
- Referral must be hired AND complete 90 days
- Payment is made on day 90 via paycheck
- No limit on the number of referrals per employee

How to submit: Text [name/number] the candidate's name and phone number

Announce it:
- At your next team meeting
- In your team group chat
- On a physical sign in your shop or office
- Monthly reminder in team communications

The alumni re-hire system

People who worked for you and left on good terms are your best re-hire candidates. They know the culture, they know the work, and they left for a reason that may not exist anymore (pay, schedule, a specific manager, life circumstances).

Most businesses never reach out to past employees. The ones that do often find a surprising number willing to come back.

Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] from [Company]. Hope you're doing well. We have an opening for a [Job Title] position and honestly, you were great when you were here. Would you be open to a quick conversation? No pressure either way. Just wanted to reach out before we posted publicly.

Keeping warm candidates warm

When you interview someone strong but do not have a spot for them right now, do not let them disappear. Add them to a short list and check in every 4-6 weeks.

Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] at [Company]. We talked back in [month] about a [Job Title] position. We're opening another spot and I wanted to reach out to you first. Are you still looking? If your situation has changed that's totally fine too. Just wanted to check in.

How many active candidates should you have?

A healthy pipeline has 3-5 qualified candidates per open role you might fill in the next 90 days. If you are a 10-person company with 40% turnover, you should expect to replace 4 people this year. That means you want 12-20 qualified candidates in your pipeline at any given time.