One of the biggest problems any contractor faces is staffing. Good people are available, especially today. You simply have to think out of the box and be prepared to invest. Here are five places you can raid for employees.
Start by dispelling the notion that you are going to find unicorn technicians who are looking for work or you can hire away from their employer, are good technically, can present themselves well, carry no bad habits from a previous employee, and are drug free. In today’s environment you will need to develop technicians. Some might qualify as apprentices, who ride with a senior tech for a year or two while learning the trade. Some might get sent to one of the schools that can turn them around in a few weeks to perform basic work, if well supported.
Hire for attitude, aptitude, and presentability. Train for the rest.
1. Big Box DIY Retailers
Anyone who works in a DIY retail store is likely attracted to hands-on work. More than likely, this individual will have the mechanical aptitude necessary to improve with training.
During the day, walk through your area big box DIY retailers and look for someone and presentable. Look for the people who approach you and ask it help. They are likely service oriented by nature.
When you find a good candidate, hand out a business card. Tell the person you’re hiring and what the potential is. Stress that there’s a lot of freedom working as a technician.
2. Police
A lot of cops have mechanical aptitude. Most are also incredibly well trained in handling difficult situations. They simply do not lose their cool. Many are also reconsidering their career choices in an age of defunding the police. Market to them through targeted social media ads. Stress how they can have a career where they can serve the community with customers relieved when they arrive and grateful when they leave.
3. Military
If you have good process documentation in your business, the military can be an excellent source of good people. The veterans moving into the private sector are bright, motivated, and process centric. A number of websites and services exist to help match veterans to private sector opportunities.
4. Auto Mechanics
Several contractors have reported good results targeting auto mechanics. Working in HVAC is simpler and many of them have some knowledge of refrigeration from automotive air conditioning systems. Mechanics can make more money in HVAC and enjoy the changing environment that’s part and parcel of home service. You can find them through target social media advertising.
5. Real Estate Agents
Sales professionals represent another area of need. Real estate agents can make excellent HVAC salespeople. They will make more money and are accustomed to taking more responsibility for their success. For example, in the world of real estate, they need to generate their own leads and pay their own expenses. These are natural networkers
About two thirds of the people selling homes are women. Given the role women play in the buying process according to the marketing research, contractors should seek more women as sales professionals.
6. Hotel Front Desk Employees
The hotel industry has been hit hard lately. A lot of the people working the front desks are out of work. They can make great customer service representatives (CSRs). They have lots of training in customer service and know how to handle upset customers. If you think about it, you are in a hospitality business, so it only makes sense to hire hospitality workers.
An HVAC CSR role is also attractive to a hotel worker. CSR’s get to sit, while hotel workers stand. Attire is more casual for CSRs than hotels. Plus, HVAC is an essential service!
When you hire outside of the industry, you bring people in who have no preconceived notions about what is and is not possible. When you hire from the right occupations, you will bring people in who have everything but the HVAC technical and company knowledge. That’s all teachable.
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