Women Looking for a Flexible and Stable Career Should Consider Pest Control

How Pest Control Companies and Job Seekers Alike Can Find the Best Fit for Their Future

The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly shook the world, affecting almost every aspect of our day-to-day lives—how we work, attend school, spend time with friends and family, and so much more. The pandemic also drastically changed how we recruit and apply for jobs. Gone are the days of meeting face-to-face and shaking hands. Instead, we’re “Zooming,” “Skyping” and finding new ways to connect virtually.

Despite the physical disconnect that has resulted, however, our world has become more virtually interconnected than ever before, allowing job seekers and employers alike to continue ardently in their search. While the pest control industry has always played an essential role in the protection of public health, food and property from the threats posed by pests, the industry was recognized as an Essential Service by the United States Department of Homeland Security during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the importance of professional pest control and the viability of our industry.

As our industry rapidly grows, there is also a high demand for women to join the field. Studies show that when more women participate in the skilled trade workforce, both the economy and GDP go up. Pest control companies are thus clamoring for the best talent, so if you’re a woman looking for a flexible career with significant growth potential, professional pest control may be the right fit for you. To help both employers and job seekers alike, we’ve rounded up a list of best practices in recruiting and applying for pest control jobs.

Pest Control Companies: What You Should Be Doing
We spoke with a panel of women in various leadership positions in the pest control industry about their companies’ recruitment efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and, specifically, recruiting women to the industry at this time. While they acknowledged the process has certainly been more difficult since the start of the pandemic, they also noted they’ve still been able to successfully add new talent to their teams over the past year. These women also raised an interesting thought: As much as you are vetting and assessing potential candidates to see if they’d be a good fit for your company, those candidates are doing the same to you. Refining and solidifying your brand voice and image are so essential when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent, so here are some tips to help ensure your company is putting its best foot forward:

Website audit: Your website is one of the first things job seekers will encounter when looking to learn more about your company, so make sure the site accurately displays your company culture, its people and core values to help job seekers determine if your company is a good fit for them.
Reviews are key: Company reviews give prospective employees a glimpse into what it would be like working for your company and the type of environment they’d be entering into. Encourage current employees and customers to leave reviews about your company, its employees and its services.
Actively recruit: In order to find the right candidate for the job, it’s important to be actively searching. Posting job openings on platforms such as LinkedIn and Indeed, and the PestControlJobs.com Job Board will help get the word out about open positions at your company and the type of candidate you are looking for. Employee referrals are another good way to increase your candidate pool—if you trust your employee’s judgement, you can trust that the person they are recommending for the job would be a good fit.
Build employee profiles: Career success stories are always encouraging, especially to those considering a major change, so be sure to highlight exceptional employees in your organization and the path they took to get to where they are today.
Utilize video: Videos are a great way to show off your company brand and culture in a compelling and fresh way. According to Monster’s 2019 State of the Candidate Survey, 80 percent of Americans agree that a video of a job recruiter talking about the role would help them better understand the job opportunity.

Women Job Seekers: Tips for Navigating the Job Search Process

If you’re a woman currently contemplating your next career move and are beginning to feel overwhelmed or discouraged, fear not—the professional pest control industry is hiring and wants you to join! Not only has our industry proven resilient in the toughest of times, but women in the industry have proven to be just as tough. Many women leaders in professional pest control have commented that they haven’t lost any female employees due to the pandemic and echo the importance of having women in the industry. If you think you’re ready to pursue a career in professional pest control, here are some tips and best practices to help you get started:

Refine your resume: Your resume is the very first thing a potential employer will see, so make sure it is up to date and clearly reflects your experience, skillset and career goals.
Get on LinkedIn: If you do not already have a LinkedIn account, consider creating one. Or, if your existing account needs some dusting off, make sure it is updated with your most recent information and resume. If a potential employer does a Google search of your name, your LinkedIn profile will show up, so you want it to serve as a compelling snapshot of who you are professionally.
Utilize job boards: You can upload your resume to recruitment sites such as Indeed and set up alerts to be notified when there is an open job in your area that fits the criteria of what you’re looking for. You can also actively search job boards and refine your search to your area to see if there are any current listings that are a fit. Our PestControlJobs.com Job Board is a great place to start!
Don’t be afraid to reach out: Getting in touch with local companies is a great way to get your foot in the door. A simple introductory email with your resume attached shows you are interested not only in the industry, but in that specific company as well. Employers value proactiveness and will be more inclined to keep your resume on file for future consideration, even if they are not actively hiring at the time.

Whether you’re a hiring pest control company or a woman looking for a career in a promising field, navigating the world of job recruiting and applying is no easy feat – especially during a global pandemic. This list of tips and best practices will help steer you in the right direction, and ultimately help land you a dream employee or dream job!