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The Hiring Shift That Saved Me Thousands
Focus on what works, not just what’s new
John Wilson
February 12, 2025
Yo,
Welcome back to Owned & Operated.
Why hiring overseas outperformed U.S.-based admin roles—and how it unlocked growth.
The real numbers behind hiring decisions and why reallocating resources made our business stronger.
How reducing admin costs allowed us to pay technicians more, hire better managers, and scale faster.
If you’re still paying premium prices for underperformance, it might be time to rethink your approach.
Special Thanks To Service Scalers
Service Scalers have helped us to deliver the leads we need to scale at Wilson, and their expertise in SEO, PPC, LSA, and GMB marketing has been a game-changer.
Why It Works
Last year their partnership helped us achieve 46% year-over-year growth and this year is going to be even bigger. If you're in the trades and serious about growth, I can't recommend them enough.
The Benefits of Overseas Hires
When we needed to take our business to the next level, we had three options: hire in the U.S., hire overseas, or automate with AI.
For years, we went the traditional route—hiring American workers for administrative roles. It felt like the right move: investing in our community, providing great jobs, and building a strong local team.
But the numbers told a different story.
Our biggest investment—U.S.-based admin staff—was giving us the lowest ROI.
Overseas hires were outperforming at a fraction of the cost, with higher booking rates, better call scores, and overall stronger efficiency.
Some US team members were absolutely killing it, especially under the new commission structure—but overall, the performance gap was hard to ignore.
At first, it bugged me that I was paying premium prices for lower performance.
But then I reframed it.
Lowering admin costs let us pay technicians more, hire stronger managers, and bring in top-tier leadership.
It wasn’t about cutting jobs—it was about reallocating resources to where they actually generated growth and kept the entire workforce happy.
Accent neutrality mattered for call center roles, but for back-office tasks like accounting and recruitment, skill mattered more than location.
The result? A more profitable, scalable, and well-run business.
If you’re still paying top dollar for underperformance just because it “feels right,” you might be leaving serious money—and growth—on the table.
On The Pod This Week
This week on the pod, we’re getting into how businesses are cutting costs and running more efficiently by hiring remote teams for their call centers, accounting, and recruitment. BIG NEWS.
Home Service Growth Hacks
🛠️ Industry Updates: HVAC and Plumbing benchmarks for 2025
🚀 Get up to Speed: How to set BIG targets, and actually achieve them
⚡ Quick Shout Out ⚡
Speaking of oversea’s hires, my co-host, Jack Carr just launched Quick Staffers, designed to place overseas CSRs who are pre-trained with HVAC and plumbing knowledge.
They’re already running proven SOPs and scripts from both mine and Jack’s call center.
It’s a total game-changer for growing your team without blowing your budget. Right now, he’s offering a soft launch special—$1,000 off per placement!
Disclosure: This newsletter includes sponsored content. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.
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