Hiring for a contract you just won

The award letter arrives. The contract starts in four weeks, and you need six more people. For a small crew, this is the moment that makes or breaks the contract. Public buyers forgive a lot, but they do not forgive empty shifts, untrained staff or a different face every week.

Plan staffing before you bid

The best time to think about hiring is before you submit. In your bid or no-bid check, ask:

• How many people, with what skills, starting when?
• Where will they come from? Your current crew, referrals, the outgoing contractor's staff, or job ads.
• What will it cost? Wages, benefits, overtime, WorkSafeBC premiums, training and uniforms. Price these honestly, because the contract price is fixed. See pricing a multi-year service contract.
• Is there enough time between award and start to hire and train?

If you cannot answer these, the contract may be bigger than you can handle right now.

Check the rules that come with the contract

Successorship. In BC, when certain service contracts are retendered, such as building cleaning, security, bus transportation, food services and some non-clinical health services, a union certification and collective agreement can carry over to the new contractor. If the current workforce is unionised, find out before you bid. See successorship when contracts are retendered.

Living wage policies. Some BC municipalities, such as New Westminster, require contractors' staff on their sites to be paid at least a living wage. The tender will usually say so.

Screening. Schools, health care, housing and some federal sites need criminal record checks or security clearances. These take time. Start them as soon as you know who you are hiring.

Licences and tickets. Security workers need a BC security worker licence. Gas, refrigeration and electrical work need certified people. Traffic control, first aid and fall protection need current tickets. See the trade guides, such as security and patrol contracts.

WorkSafeBC. New employees must be covered, and new workers need an orientation before they start. See WorkSafeBC coverage for contractors.

Hiring the outgoing contractor's staff

Often the best candidates already work on the site. They know the building, the people and the routines. Hiring them can make the transition smooth, and buyers often appreciate the continuity. Be fair, follow the law, and do not make promises before the contract is signed. If successorship applies, the rules may decide much of this for you.

Onboarding for the specific site

A general orientation is not enough. For each site, cover:

• Site rules: access, keys, alarm codes, parking, sign-in and who to call.
• The scope: exactly what the contract requires, from the buyer's checklist, not just "clean like normal."
• Safety: site hazards, procedures and the people responsible. See a safety program for a small crew.
• Reporting: how logs and incident reports work.
• Behaviour: dealing with building staff, students, patients or the public.

Have a supervisor work alongside new staff for the first shifts.

Keeping people

Turnover is expensive and buyers notice it. A few things help small firms keep people:

• Pay at or above market, and price your bids so you can.
• Steady hours. Public contracts are steady by nature; pass that on.
• A real supervisor who knows the crew and backs them up.
• Recognition when the buyer compliments the work.
• A path up. People stay where they can grow.

A stable, well-trained crew is the best argument you will have when the contract comes up for renewal. Read keeping a contract at renewal.