inPAINT magazine’s recent annual reader survey confirmed that finding qualified workers remains the greatest challenge for survey participants.

Resonating as the top challenge with 54% of survey respondents, finding qualified workers was well ahead of time management (25%), finding new business (16%) and estimating (13%).

The subject of finding and retaining quality workers has been repeatedly addressed in inPAINT. From finding and hiring talent to retaining and rewarding the best, we’ve worked with numerous pros to share the strategies and approaches that have worked best for them in real-world situations. Here are some of the insights we’ve gleaned from pros and hiring experts:

• Look to the retiring veteran market; many seek career opportunities and have the discipline and drive to do well in this field.
• Job Corps, which helps young people earn a high school degree and train for a career, has become a popular program for some paint pros looking for talent. Other pros tap high school counselors to find students who might be open to learning a trade.
• Reaching out to current (and previous) employees can be a great source for talent. Then reward them when a good referral comes through.
• Look for those in ‘name tag jobs,’ one pro said … for example, think of that server who gives great service. They may be looking for a better career opportunity.
• Be very clear (and realistic) with your ads. Craigslist is a talent hotspot for painting professionals and the right ad can attract a good hire if it’s honest, forthright and gives a glimpse into a good company culture. Conversely, poorly written ads attract the wrong people.

For articles offering valuable tips on hiring and retaining employees, check out the inPAINT Article Index on inpaintmag.com. And for complete survey results, see our June issue.