What you need to know about hiring Ironers / staff for your ironing service business

Hiring staff of your ironing service is similar to hiring staff for other personal services like laundry, housekeeping, personal attendant, waiting staff etc. You do not need a degree or too much education to be able to do an ironers job. There are certain minimum requirements that all businesses have and your ideal candidate should meet a majority of these requirements for you to think about hiring them. It is unrealistic to believe that you can find people who will fit your requirements 100%. There may be a rare gem that you may turn up, but they are few and far between. Often you may find that a person you have hired is better or worse than you expected. In such case, do not hesitate to do the needful. If the person is good, keep them happy and with you, if the person doesn't live up to your expectations, then just let them go, you do not want unhappy clients.

What to Look For In an Ideal Candidate for Ironing

The basic requirements when interviewing a candidate to work for your ironing service would be:

Education :

you do not need to be highly educated to be a presser or ironer. A little education with the ability to read, write and speak coherently in English should suffice. A High School Certification should be enough for the job.

Training :

For menial jobs like ironing you do not require a formal training. Most of what you need to know can be learnt on the job. Most applicants will have some experience in ironing, even if it is their personal ironing and that should be enough to get them started with you. They should be familiar with irons and heat settings, which is the most crucial for your service. The rest they will learn on the job.

Previous Experience:

It is desirable to have some previous experience as a professional ironer but don't let that limit your choice. You can hire an inexperienced ironer and they can learn the ropes as they work for you.

Knowledge of Settings and Materials:

This is very important. If your candidate has knowledge of the settings on the iron and which setting to use with what, then it is fine. If not, then you need to teach it to them before you allow them anywhere near your client's clothes. Too high a setting could ruin a garment and too low a setting would not be enough to take all the wrinkles out. A knowledge of the different materials is certainly an added advantage. The ability to be able to identify the material and then choose the ideal setting on the iron is crucial to a well ironed garment that is not singed, burned or still wrinkled.

Physical Stamina :

Physical stamina is also essential in the candidates you are interviewing to hire. They will need it when they have to stand for several hours a day on their feet ironing clothes after clothes. It is a tiring job that requires a lot of energy. It is not for the sick, frail and old. They should be able to work in a hot room with short breaks that could provide some respite. Look for a candidate who looks healthy and energetic.

Criminal History:

Please do check if your prospective employee has a previous criminal record. Do not let this limit you in hiring him/her. Best to give a chance and see how it works out. If there is a chance that the person is violent then it is best to let them go. Working on a menial job, in a hot room hour after hour can be mentally taxing and flare ups can happen. So keep a look out.

Honesty:

This is very important as you are the caretaker of other people's belongings, sometimes expensive belongings. You need to be absolutely sure that your workers are honest. You do not want your client's clothes to go missing. You will have to make good not your employee. So make sure that your ironers are honest. If you suspect someone to be less than 100% honest, get rid of them fast.

Diligence and Punctuality:

These are two more qualities that you need to have in a worker. You do not want an employee who is not dedicated to the job or does not complete the work in time. You do not want shysters and time wasters on your job. You want dependable people whom you can trust to complete the job on time every time. After all you need to keep your schedules and these will depend upon your ironers.

Leadership Qualities:

Look for leadership qualities, people who use their initiative and are not always waiting for instruction are the employees you should try to keep with yourself. They are the ones who would be the biggest assets to your business. It is not essential that only people who have degrees can have leadership qualities, even illiterate people can be leaders.

Ability to Follow instructions:

All clients have their own preferences, to convey which, they give instruction. The key to your ironing business success is the ability of your ironers to follow the clients' instructions completely. An inability to do so could impact your goodwill. Since it is your ironers who are working on the clients' garments, they should follow all instructions as given by the client. There should be no compromise on this.

Other Qualities:

There are a few other things that need to be taken into account while hiring an ironer, if they have other skills that are ancillary to your ironing service like; sewing, darning, stitching, etc, then these are desirable. They should be able to handle clients, take phone calls and other such little things when you are absent from the job. Now that you have a checklist of what you should be looking in an ideal ironer, don't confine yourself to ticking all the boxes. Sometimes it may be better to go with a person who has no experience, has never ironed in his or her life but is willing to learn and enthusiastic about the job. Such an employee will make an excellent trainee who will rise to become a star of your ironing services.