Every year, pro installers struggle with the same frustrations:
"I can't find reliable help." "They bail mid-season." "I'm spending more time babysitting than growing."
Sound familiar?
The truth is, hiring and retaining great people isn’t just a task—it’s the game. Your crew is your operating system. Build it right, and your business will start to run without you. Build it wrong, and you’re scaling chaos.
This post is adapted from a Big Star Lights Strategy Session hosted by BSL founder Daniel Cowan. In it, Daniel lays out how you can hire strategically and use the best local talent to grow your organization into a thriving business.
Table of Contents
- Why Hiring Is the Game (Not Just a Task)
- Crafting Irresistible Installer Offers
- Interview Like a Pro (Traits Over Tasks)
- Train Fast, Train Right: Building Repeatable Systems
- Motivate with Metrics: Smart Incentives That Work
- Trial Days & SOPs: Hiring With Confidence
- Avoiding the Pitfalls of Premature Scaling
- Conclusion: Build the Team, Build the Business
- FAQs
- Summary
1. Why Hiring Is the Game (Not Just a Task)
Most installers think they’re in the lighting business. You’re not. You’re in the business of building a business. And businesses are built by people.
Hiring is your #1 growth lever—and your most expensive. If your team can’t scale, neither can you. You need people who show up, follow systems, learn fast, and rep your brand with pride. That takes intentional hiring, not hopeful guessing.
"Your team is your operating system. It needs to run without crashing. And if you want to scale, it needs to run without you."
— Daniel Cowan
2. Crafting Irresistible Installer Offers
Most job postings read like a chore list. But if you're competing for attention, you need to find a way to really hook them.
So stop listing tasks. Start promising outcomes. Why? Because people don't apply for duties. They apply for their futures.
Bad Offer: "Seasonal installer needed. $20/hr. Must like ladders."
Great Offer: "Make $1,500–$2,000/week installing Christmas lights with a fun, high-performing crew. No experience? No problem. Paid training. Gear provided. Be outside, stay fit, and create holiday magic."
Daniel introduced a powerful formula for value:
Value of Role = Dream Outcome x Perceived Likelihood of Achievement ÷ Time Delay x Effort/Sacrifice
The better you paint the dream, the more believable it is, and the faster they can win—the more irresistible your offer becomes.
💡 Pro Tip: Use a short video of you and your team in action on your landing page. People don't just want to read it—they want to feel it.
3. Interview Like a Pro (Traits Over Tasks)
You can train almost any skill in this business. But you can't train character. That’s why Daniel hires for five non-negotiables:
- Winner mindset: Past performance is the best predictor of future results
- Obsessed: People who fixate on anything show they can care deeply
- Good person: Culture is contagious. One bad hire can infect the whole crew
- Proactive: Self-starters solve problems before they become problems
- Leadership: Especially important for future crew leads
Red Flags to Watch:
- Blaming others for past failures
- Fixed mindset (e.g. "I just don’t do ladders")
- Vague or evasive answers
- Overpromising without humility
Great Interview Questions:
- "Tell me about a time you failed at something. What did you learn?"
- "What’s something you stayed up all night working on because you wanted to?"
- "Where do you think you'd rank on Santa's naughty or nice list—and why?"
- "What would you do if our company had too much work and not enough people?"
Use consistent questions and scorecards across interviews. That way, you’re not just trusting your gut. You’re measuring real signals.
“It’s better to have a hole in your team than an a**hole in your team.”
— Richard Branson
4. Train Fast, Train Right: Building Repeatable Systems
Training is your biggest investment. And the faster someone gets up to speed, the faster they start making you money.
The goal? Make a new hire profitable within 3 days.
That requires a system, not a speech. Think like a franchise:
- Use visual SOPs, checklists, and posters
- Leverage training videos like the 14 modules in the BSL Community
- Document a clear 4-week path to crew leadership
💡 Pro Tip: Notion and other productivity tools have a "Wiki" feature, which means you can upload relevant SOPs and meeting notes to train new hires easily.
The Four P’s of Onboarding
- Promise: The outcome for them (money, skills, pride)
- Process: The path from new hire to trusted crew member
- Price: What they have to give (effort, attitude, time)
- Proof: Social proof that this works
5. Motivate with Metrics: Smart Incentives That Work
If you're only paying for hours, you're missing your biggest lever.
Performance-based pay makes people care. It shows them how to win. Here are Daniel's go-to bonuses:
-
Utilization Bonuses: % of hours that are billable
-
Review Bonuses: Cash for public praise
-
Attendance Bonuses: $250/month with zero tardies
-
Return Bonuses: $X if they come back next season
-
Referral Bonuses: $500 if their friend stays the season
Consider gamifying the experience with The Great Game of Business, a method pioneered by Jack Stack:
"When employees think and act like owners, everyone wins."
Share the scoreboard. Let crews forecast their own weeks. Use huddles to celebrate wins and diagnose setbacks. This builds intrinsic motivation.
6. Trial Days & SOPs: Hire With Confidence
Interviews show you what they say. Trial days show you what they do.
Use a flat rate for a paid trial shift. Evaluate:
- Punctuality
- Coachability
- Attitude
- Fit with your team
Equip your crew room with visual SOPs:
- Posters of "great vs bad" rooflines
- Lists of common errors (with pictures)
- One-pagers outlining the 7-step install process
7. Avoiding the Pitfalls of Premature Scaling
One of the biggest mistakes Daniel warns against? Growing too soon.
"If your operations are messy, disorganized, or inconsistent, and you try to grow, you're not scaling success—you're multiplying dysfunction."
Before you add crews, vehicles, or clients:
- Dial in your training
- Track daily revenue per crew
- Eliminate bottlenecks with solid operating procedures (check out our blog post about Improving Your Operations)
8. Build the Team, Build the Business
Your crew is your product. Invest in it, and the business builds itself. The installers who stick? They stay because they win.
Need help crafting your own irresistible offer or installer playbook? Join the BSL Community for templates, training, and live Q&As.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is it better to hire seasonally or use subcontractors?
A: Depends on your season intensity. For short bursts, subs might be more efficient. Just ensure you pay only for billable hours and incentivize loyalty year over year.
Q: How soon should a new hire be profitable?
A: Within 3 days if your systems are dialed. That’s why training clarity matters.
Q: What if I can’t find people with all the traits listed?
A: Prioritize mindset and coachability. Skills follow quickly with the right SOPs.
10. Summary
- You’re in the people business first
- Sell the dream, not the duties
- Hire for traits, not just experience
- Use visual SOPs and fast-track training
- Incentivize with metrics and peer accountability
- Don’t scale until your systems are stable
Table: Subcontractor vs. Seasonal Hire Comparison
| Feature | Subcontractor | Seasonal Hire |
|---|---|---|
| Cost predictability | Higher per hour, lower overhead | Lower per hour, higher ops costs |
| Equipment provided | By them | By you |
| Training need | Lower | Higher |
| Loyalty potential | Lower (unless incentivized) | Higher with return bonuses |
| Best for | Peak season surge | Early/late season consistency |
Want to learn from the same source Daniel? Tons of the business expertise he cites in the webinar comes from The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack.