Talk to us about the roles you need to fill

What to include in your first message

A short message is fine. These details make the first conversation far more useful:

• The role or roles you need to fill: licensed technician, installer, helper, apprentice, dispatcher.
• Your yard or start location, as a nearest major intersection or neighbourhood, so we can think about commute zones from the start.
• Company size, roughly. It helps us point you to the posting rules that may apply, which you then confirm yourself.
• What you've tried: job boards, referrals, past ads. If you can, paste one recent posting.
• How urgent it is, and how much work you're turning away.

You don't need to have everything. If all you know is "we need two techs before winter", start there.

A sample first message

Here is a template you can copy and fill in:

Hi, this is [Your name] from [Business name]. We're a [trade] company with about [number] staff, based near [intersection or neighbourhood] in Toronto. We need to hire [role] and our last ads on [job board] got [rough result]. Could we talk this week? Best number is [phone].

Send it by text or email, whichever suits you.

What happens next

1. We reply within about one business day to set a time.
2. A first call of about half an hour, at no charge if you're an eligible trades business. We'll ask about the role, your offer, your hiring history and your yard location. You'll get an honest view on whether recruiting marketing is worth it for you right now.
3. A written plan if it makes sense: which service to start with, what we'll produce, the monthly fee under the Trades.Agency plans, and the ad budget you would control.
4. Start, usually within a week or two of your approval, with accounts set up in your name.

If we think your problem is something marketing can't fix, such as an offer that isn't competitive or a shop that can't yet train an apprentice, we'll say so.

What we won't ask you for

We won't ask for passwords by text or email. When we need access to an ad account or website, you add us as a user from your side. We also won't ask candidates to contact us; job seekers deal with your company directly.

Timing your message around hiring season

Many Toronto trades see hiring pressure build before their peak: heating and cooling shops ahead of winter and summer, roofers and landscapers in late winter, renovators ahead of spring. Recruiting marketing needs lead time. A rewritten ad can work within weeks, but a campaign needs a month to settle and an apprentice pipeline needs a school term or more.

So the useful rule is to get in touch about two to three months before the season when you'll need people. If you're already short-staffed in the middle of a rush, tell us; we'll focus on the fastest changes first, such as the ad itself and how quickly your office calls applicants back.

Before you get in touch

If you'd like to do some homework first:

• Read how we choose between the four services.
• Look at the Toronto areas page to see how we think about commute zones in your district.
• Check the FAQ for questions about contracts, ownership and reporting.
• Skim our posting rules guide if you're unsure what your next ad needs to include.

Toronto.Works is part of the Sedighi.ca and SAZ.ca group, headquartered in Vancouver, BC, and led by Ali Sedighi, MBA. We're a marketing and consulting service, not a contractor or a recruiter. Call, text or email whenever you're ready.