4 Signs of a High-Quality Worker

Whatever the answer, you know you need more workers like them to support your business. But these employees can be difficult to identify and recruit. According to a recent survey, 91% of entrepreneurs said they could identify few or no qualified applicants for their open positions.

Finding the right person for the right job isn’t easy, which raises the question, “What are the right qualifications in a job candidate?” Of course, most logistics, shipping, and manufacturing employers are seeking high-quality team members, but what does that really mean? And how do you go about targeting workers for the quality of their labor?

At Bluecrew, we’ve done the research. We know what makes a great employee and how to recruit them. We’re passionate about building the best teams for your enterprise, and we pride ourselves on our ability to deliver high-quality hourly workers to your business consistently.

Defining Quality

How do you define quality? Great question. The concept can be pretty subjective and, given the apparent scarcity of good help these days, determining exactly what you’re looking for in your next employee is important.

Fortunately, our experience and expertise in this space have yielded some significant insights about the characteristics of good team members. Here’s what we’ve learned.

1. W-2 classification

As a provider of temporary hourly labor, we get a lot of questions about employee classifications. For example, does offering all team members W-2 employment make sense, or is employing them as 1099 contractors more cost effective and time efficient? Our take on employee classification might surprise you.

All Bluecrew Crew Members are W-2 employees. We take this step with each of our Crew Members because the W-2 classification ensures they can access essential protections like minimum wage, workers’ compensation insurance, liability insurance, and health benefits. We believe this is what every worker deserves.

But there’s another reason we believe W-2 employment is the right choice, and it has to do with worker quality.

W-2 employees take greater pride in their work because they feel valued by the company they’re working for. The best employees understand the advantage of W-2 work and are willing to put in the time and effort to pursue and keep a job offering W-2 positions.

These benefits attract top talent, which means there is a clear correlation between W-2 employees and worker quality. In fact, our recent survey revealed that 72% of workers preferred to take on W-2 employment over 1099 gigs. So why would the best workers settle for any less?

2. Fully-vetted recruits

Knowing who you’re recruiting is key to ensuring you’re hiring a quality worker. Some candidates won’t jump at the chance to be screened, so simply having this process in place is the first step.

Job applicants who don’t want to go through the vetting process probably aren’t genuinely interested in being a part of your team. And no one has time to waste on candidates who aren’t truly interested.

At Bluecrew, our Crew Members undergo a rigorous screening process, including background checks, psychological screenings, behavioral health assessments, and more. We’re looking for people who demonstrate reliability, a good work ethic and a positive attitude. Screening all candidates helps ensure only the highest-quality recruits become Crew Members.‍

3. Flexibility

The best workers easily adapt to new situations and quickly acclimate to whatever conditions their job entails. Bluecrew recruits workers who can quickly shift gears to meet the needs of any employer at any job site.

Take Greg, for example. Before the pandemic, he worked in many of the best kitchens around Los Angeles. His last restaurant position was actually as a Bluecrew Crew Member! But as COVID-19 loomed, the restaurant industry shifted dramatically, and Greg’s expert skills as a line cook were no longer in demand.

Facing the decision to wait for the restaurant business to rebound while on unemployment or pivot to learn something new, Greg chose the latter. We observed Greg’s willingness to be flexible and offered him an opportunity in a warehouse that served the food industry.

Now, according to Greg, “I like that I get to stay in the food industry, even if I'm not in a kitchen. Times are tough and I’ve had to venture outside of my comfort zone a bit, but I feel lucky to have found a place with a great culture.”

Being flexible and willing to try something new set Greg apart as a high-quality Crew Member. Today, Greg is enjoying his new career and appreciates the opportunity to do a job that makes a difference in the lives of others.

4. Reliability

Every employer says they want reliable workers, and Bluecrew is no different. We seek out individuals with proven track records who demonstrate their ability to be trusted and relied upon in any workplace.

We only want to place Crew Members in your business who we know will be present on the days and at the times they’re scheduled to work. If we don’t feel they’re reliable enough for our business, they won’t be placed in yours. According to our most recent research, 93.94% of those surveyed noted reliability as a top definer of a quality employee. We couldn’t agree more.

What does a quality employee look like to you? Chances are, we’ve covered most of the attributes you look for when scaling your workforce. But are you able to find these workers on your own?

If you’re like most HR and operations managers and leaders, you’re struggling to locate the right workers to keep your business running at full capacity. Bluecrew can help.

Let Bluecrew take the guesswork out of finding quality team members. Contact us and stop worrying about staffing today.