Stop hiring in desperation: How intentional recruitment fuels growth

If there’s one mistake I see pest control companies make over and over again, it’s hiring in desperation. The phone is ringing, routes are full and your staff is overwhelmed — so you hire fast. Almost always, that “quick fix” creates a long-term problem.

Key takeaways

• Proactive vs. reactive: Desperate hiring happens because companies wait too long to recruit. Hire early to avoid lowering your standards.
• Values-first recruitment: Technical skills can be taught, but attitude and kindness cannot. Always hire for the “smile” and train for the skill.
• Protect the culture: Use a “hire slow, fire fast” mentality. Keeping a bad fit sends a message to your top performers that lowers the bar for everyone.
• Leverage AI for better interviews: Use tools like ChatGPT to generate structured interview questions that specifically test for your company’s core values.

Rushing brings unwanted results

Desperate hires don’t create long-term team members; they create short-term solutions. In my coaching practice, I track dashboards for all my clients, and a clear pattern has emerged: the companies with the least growth also have the highest turnover. These companies share two common traits:

1. They didn’t hire soon enough.
2. They didn’t hire based on culture or core values.

When hiring is rushed, red flags are ignored and expectations aren’t set. The result is predictable: constant retraining, burnout among your best people, and a revolving door of employees.

The “hire slow, fire fast” philosophy

Hiring slowly doesn’t mean dragging your feet; it means being intentional. You must know exactly what you are hiring for, define your core values and follow a consistent onboarding process.

Conversely, firing fast protects your culture. When someone clearly isn’t aligned with your expectations, keeping them on the payroll sends a damaging message to the rest of your team.

Hire for the smile, train for the skill

Pest control is a customer service business first. Technical skills are vital, but they can be trained. What you cannot train is attitude, kindness and how someone treats your customers. You can’t teach someone to care — that’s why the best companies prioritize personality and “the smile” during the interview process.

Using technology to filter for culture

One underused tool in recruitment is leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT to create interview questions tied directly to your core values. Instead of generic questions, ask for scenarios that reveal how a candidate handles mistakes or responds to unhappy customers. You aren’t looking for perfect answers; you are looking for patterns of behavior.

Orientation and the training red flag

Hiring doesn’t stop when someone accepts the offer. A clearly defined orientation and onboarding process sets the standard from Day 1 for how you treat customers and one another. Pay close attention during this phase — training is where red flags show up early. If you see them, do not ignore them.

Build a team that lasts

If you want long-term growth and stable teams, you must move beyond reactive recruitment.

• Hire early before the desperation sets in.
• Hire intentionally with a set process.
• Hire to culture to ensure alignment.

Desperate hiring creates short-term fixes, while intentional hiring builds the foundation for a business that scales.