Your first 5 hires set the culture, the standards and the ceiling on what you can grow to. Get it wrong and you'll spend the next 2 years undoing the damage.
Where to source
- Trade-specific Facebook groups (most underrated channel)
- Indeed, with screening questions filtering out time-wasters
- Referral bonus to existing engineers (£500 paid after 90 days)
- Local college trade courses for apprentices
How to screen
- 30-min phone call — values and motivation, not skills
- Trade test — a real job they have to quote and explain
- Trial day shadowing your best engineer — paid
- Reference check — always
14-day onboarding checklist
- Days 1–2: van kit, uniform, app login, payment process
- Days 3–5: shadowing a senior engineer
- Days 6–10: paired jobs (they lead, senior observes)
- Days 11–14: solo jobs, daily debrief
- Day 14: review with you — keep, extend trial, or part ways