Recruiting through a labour shortage: a guide for small service businesses
Monday, 7:15 a.m.: your best commercial cleaner texts you that he's starting somewhere else next week, and three office contracts are waiting. You repost the ad from March and wait. That's exactly where many small businesses lose two weeks. In a labour shortage, recruiting is won with a simple method, applied fast.
Start with the real need, not the ad
Most ads that flop are written too fast, copied from the last one. Before you write a single line, answer four questions: which specific tasks, at what hours, in what area, and with which cards that are truly mandatory. One requirement too many, and you rule out people who would have done just fine.
| What we write out of habit | What we often really need |
|---|---|
| "Class 3 licence required" | Is your truck 2-axle with a net mass under 4,500 kg? According to the SAAQ, a Class 5 licence is enough. It also covers tool vehicles such as a loader. |
| "5 years of cleaning experience" | Someone reliable, with a car, free Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| "Available at all times" | Storm nights, November to March, with 6 hours' notice |
Also decide whether you're looking for an employee or a self-employed worker. If you set the schedule and supervise the work, it's a job. If you want a result delivered at a price the person sets (rebuilding a fence, painting three apartments), it's a contract. On GPP Emploi, that means two types of posting: "Job offer" or "Quote request." The line between the two is explained in Employee or self-employed? The criteria that matter in Quebec.
Do this now: write your four answers on a sheet of paper and cross out any requirement you can't justify in one sentence.
A job ad that reads in 20 seconds
Candidates read your ad on their phone, often between two jobs. They want to know how much, when, where and with whom. If those answers are buried in the fourth paragraph, they move on to the next one.
- Pay, in numbers: a rate or a range. Since May 1, 2026, Quebec's general minimum wage is $16.60 an hour.
- The real schedule: "storm nights" or "Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m."
- Location and travel: leaving from the garage in Blainville, or meeting directly at the client's place.
- What you provide: truck, tools, products, uniform.
- The first week: who the person works with, how they learn.
Avoid: "young and dynamic," "students only" or "ideal for retirees." Age is one of the grounds of discrimination prohibited by section 10 of Quebec's Charter of human rights and freedoms. Write what the job requires instead: "lifting 25 kg boxes all day."
On GPP Emploi, posting is free. Every posting is checked automatically before it goes live (minimum wage, discriminatory criteria, scam signals) and stays online for 45 days. The details: Writing a job post that attracts candidates (and follows the law).
Do this now: open your employer account and put the pay in the first line of your description.
Stop waiting: go get the profiles
In a shortage, posting and waiting is no longer enough. Good workers don't read ads at night: they're working. Go to them.
In the profile bank, you filter by posting, trade, region, type (job or contract) and "available now." Profiles are ranked by how well they match your posting. They're anonymous: you see trades, region, availability and cards, not the name. You send an invitation, and the person accepts or declines. The invitation is valid for 7 days.
On pricing, you pay only for results, when a contact is accepted: the worker accepts your invitation, or you open an application you received. Generally, that's 2 credits per contact, or $50.00 (1 credit = $25.00), and the price can vary by trade and region. You need the credits in your account to invite, but they're only charged on acceptance. It's all on the pricing page.
A good invitation fits in three sentences:
"Your profile matches our snowblower operator job in Saint-Jérôme, storm nights, $[your rate] an hour. We provide the machine and training on our route. Are you free for a call this week?"
If you also use GPP Central, turn on the Central signal: when your business is taking more requests than usual, you're shown the available workers near you right away.
Do this now: filter the bank by your trade, your region and "available now," then invite the three best profiles today.
Reply in under 48 hours
A candidate who applies with you is probably applying elsewhere the same evening. The one you call the next morning is already halfway hired; the one who waits a week has often started next door.
On GPP Emploi, you have 14 days to answer an application; after that, it closes on its own and your response time is shown publicly on your postings. Fourteen days is the limit. The target is 48 hours. Why that number makes such a difference is explained in Responding to candidates fast: why 48 hours make all the difference.
- Do: block two set times a day (7 a.m. and 4 p.m., for example) to read applications.
- Do: prepare three standard replies: "we'll call you," "we're keeping your profile," "it's not the right job, thank you."
- Do: suggest a call date and time right away, instead of "let's talk soon."
- Avoid: waiting until you have "all the candidates" to compare. In a shortage, that moment never comes.
Keep conversations on the platform. Phone numbers and email addresses written in a message before a contact is accepted are hidden, to protect everyone.
Do this now: set two daily reminders on your phone called "applications."
Assess without discriminating (and without getting it wrong)
Quebec's Charter of human rights and freedoms prohibits discrimination in hiring, and its section 18.1 forbids asking, in an application form or interview, for information about the grounds in section 10: race, colour, sex, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sexual orientation, civil status, age (except as provided by law), religion, political convictions, language, ethnic or national origin, social condition and handicap. Specific exceptions exist; for a real case, contact the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse.
| Questions to ask | Questions to avoid |
|---|---|
| "Are you available on storm nights?" | "Do you have kids?" |
| "Can you lift 25 kg repeatedly?" | "How old are you?" |
| "Do you have a valid Class 5 licence?" | "Where are you from?" |
| "How do you clean a ceramic shower?" | "Are you planning a pregnancy?" |
On criminal records, section 18.2 prohibits refusing to hire someone solely because of an offence that has no connection with the job, or for which the person has been pardoned.
The best test is still a practical trial: an hour clearing a parking lot, a room to paint, a bedroom to clean. Careful: under the Act respecting labour standards, an employee is deemed to be at work during any trial or training period required by the employer. The trial is paid.
Do this now: write your five interview questions and make sure each one is about the work, not the person.
Close fast, start well and keep your people
Found the right person? Make the offer the same day, in writing: hourly rate, schedule, start date and time, where to meet on day one, what to bring. Then get the first pay ready: the Act respecting labour standards requires a pay statement given with the wages, detailed enough for the person to check the calculation.
The first day often decides the rest. Check:
- Someone is waiting for the new hire at the agreed time, coffee included.
- The truck, keys, tools and protective equipment are ready.
- They work with your most patient person, not your most rushed one.
- You take five minutes at the end of the day to ask what was unclear.
- You check in again after the first and second weeks.
And if the person you hired doesn't show up? On GPP Emploi, you report it; if they confirm, the credits for that contact are refunded (up to 2 refunds per 90 days). If they dispute it, our team decides. All the options are on the for employers page.
Do this now: write your written-offer template once and for all. Next time, you'll only have three blanks to fill.
The bottom line
In a shortage, speed wins: a clear need, a readable ad, invitations sent the same day and a reply in under 48 hours. Start by inviting three profiles today.
Frequently asked questions
How do you recruit through a labour shortage as a small business?
Define the real need, post an ad that shows pay and schedule up front, then invite profiles instead of waiting for applications. Answer every candidate within 48 hours and make your offer in writing the same day.
How much does a job posting cost on GPP Emploi?
Posting is free. You pay only when a contact is accepted, generally 2 credits, or $50.00, and the price can vary by trade and region. Credits are only charged on acceptance.
Can I ask a candidate's age in an interview?
No. Section 18.1 of Quebec's Charter of human rights and freedoms forbids asking for information about the grounds in section 10, including age, in an application form or job interview. Specific exceptions exist. For a particular case, contact the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse.
Does a trial day have to be paid?
Yes. The Act respecting labour standards says an employee is deemed to be at work during any trial or training period required by the employer. So plan to pay for the practical trial. The CNESST can answer a specific question.
Can I turn down a candidate because of a criminal record?
Not solely because of an offence that has no connection with the job, or for which the person has been pardoned: section 18.2 of the Charter prohibits it. If the offence is genuinely connected to the position, the situation is different. To assess a specific case, consult a lawyer or the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse.
What if the person I hired doesn't show up on the first day?
On GPP Emploi, you report the absence. If the person confirms it, the credits for the contact are refunded, up to 2 refunds per 90 days. If they dispute it, our team decides.
