Hiring the right crew for your asphalt maintenance business is comparable to laying the perfect pavement: it requires the right mix, layers, and a solid foundation. You can’t slap down a few workers and hope your business runs smoothly—you need a team as rugged and reliable as freshly cured asphalt.
To help pave your business’s way to success, let’s break down the five essential types of asphalt maintenance employees every pavement business needs and how to spot the rockstars from the roadblocks.
No pavement business runs without clients, and no clients say yes without a salesperson who knows how to seal the deal. But being persuasive isn’t enough. A good asphalt maintenance salesperson understands the industry and business services, listens carefully to customer needs, and can explain why proper asphalt care is worth every penny.
Look for someone who is a natural conversationalist, someone who can build trust while explaining the asphalt maintenance industry and services. They should be willing to learn about the ins and outs of asphalt maintenance and attentive to cultivating long-term client relationships.
Red Flags:
Pro Tip: Equip your sales team with strong talking points and conversion tools like pavement assessments to highlight the cost-saving benefits of regular asphalt maintenance for clients. People love hearing how they can save money.
Crew members are on the front lines, laying asphalt, sealing cracks, and putting in sweat equity to keep businesses moving. These asphalt maintenance employees need more than muscle; they need teamwork, grit, and the drive to do quality work daily.
Look for hard workers who don’t mind getting dirty, show up on time, and don’t balk at hard labor. Experience in asphalt maintenance, construction, or similar hands-on work is preferable. Still, a willingness to learn and cultivate the necessary skills can quickly become valuable expertise (they must start somewhere).
Red Flags:
Pro Tip: Look for people who take pride in the final product. Attention to detail should look like perfectly laid asphalt.
Think of your foreman as the glue that holds your asphalt maintenance team together. They manage other asphalt maintenance employees, keeping the job site running smoothly while ensuring every project is completed on time and within budget. A great foreman is also a coach, commander, and therapist when things get rough.
Look for leadership qualities and experience in asphalt maintenance or related fields. Foremen should have solid problem-solving skills (because no job ever goes exactly as planned) and respect for their team. They also need to lead by example.
Red Flags:
Pro Tip: A great foreman can train up-and-coming crew members, creating a pipeline of future leaders for your business.
You won’t see them on the pavement, but your office admin keeps your asphalt maintenance business running in top-notch shape from the background. Scheduling, invoicing, and customer communication—it’s all in their capable hands.
Look for someone with organization skills that rival a well-tuned Swiss watch. They should be experienced in office administration duties and capable of operating schedule software, invoicing apps, and ensuring positive customer service. Office admins should be calm, even when phones are ringing off the hook.
Red Flags:
Pro Tip: Your office admin can be a significant asset in customer retention. Friendliness and efficiency keep people coming back.
Most asphalt maintenance services require appointments, so a dedicated appointment setter is necessary. These asphalt maintenance employees are your first point of contact with potential clients. They must be warm, engaging, and persistent to keep the pipeline flowing.
Look for someone comfortable on the phone who can handle cold calls and warm leads. They should balance friendliness, professionalism, and familiarity with CRM tools to keep well-organized records of client information and appointments.
Red Flags:
Pro Tip: Offer small incentives for appointments booked. It keeps employee motivation high and your calendar full.
Building a solid team of asphalt maintenance employees is more than finding bodies to fill roles. Your employees are more than numbers. Assemble a crew of dedicated, hard-working individuals who share your commitment to quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. Get the mix right, and your business will be as solid and reliable as the roads you pave.
AK DASH is a system made specifically for asphalt contractors to manage and grow their business, with some of our most successful contractors making millions in revenue. Managing asphalt projects is made easier with our crew scheduling features, and our task environment helps your team members know what they should do.