HVAC Recruiting: 5 Ways to Attract and Retain Talent
Ongoing HVAC recruiting strategies
are essential for Dealers
The HVAC industry has long been bracing for a shortage of skilled technicians, but with the U.S. unemployment rate at the lowest point in a decade, finding and keeping great employees has become challenging across a wide variety of positions and industries. Job seekers know they can leverage the current labor market to their advantage. So, how can employers make sure they hold onto the employees they have and attract the talent they want?
1. Hire for attitude, train for skill
With the proper training, you don’t have to limit your search to people already in the HVAC industry. From the front office to the truck, Lennox Learning Solutions can connect you to fast, effective training solutions that give you the freedom to hire great talent from anywhere. Keep your business cards ready, and when you see someone with a work ethic and attitude that fits your needs, recruit them.
2. Give a great onboarding experience
Research shows 40% of employees that don’t receive proper training will leave a job within the first year. With all the work that goes into finding great talent, be sure you don’t lose them through a poor onboarding process. Have a plan to create a thoughtful onboarding plan based on reasonable expectations that takes into consideration the skill level of the new hire and the complexity of the job. Set 30, 60, and 90-day goals that are clear and specific so they understand your expectations for their progress and feel confident they can be successful.
3. Establish a training and development culture
Keep your employees from seeking greener pastures by giving them the security of a bright future within your business. By building a culture of training and development, employees can feel confident they will continue to grow their skills and have a path that leads to future opportunities. In addition, create a collaborative learning culture by implementing a mentoring program and tools to aid employees in being more efficient – this provides bench strength for your organization.
LennoxPros offers digital solutions that make it easier to sell, install, and service equipment, helping your employees save time and develop a balanced work schedule.:
- Discover problems before they happen with the Service Dashboard, send techs on calls already knowing the problem, solution, and parts and supplies to use.
- Techs can diagnose problems from their mobile device with the Error Code Lookup, instantly identifying error codes without relying or waiting on technical support.
- While techs are on the job, they can easily use the Repair Part Finder on their mobile device to scan equipment and find OEM repair parts.
- The AHRI Matchup tool guarantees a perfect match every time, it doesn’t matter if you’re matching heat pumps, mini-splits, or a furnace, the equipment and components are AHRI certified.
- Lead your team with the Sales Dashboard to help manage leads from creation, close of the sale, post-installation, and follow-up.
- Cut load calculations in half with the Manual J Load Calculator, comfort advisors can provide homeowners with ACCA approved reports in 30 minutes or less.
- Your sales team will have the ability to create customer-specific proposals that make closing sales quicker and easier with the Proposal Builder tool.
- Employees will save time while on the job site with the cross-reference tool, this allows them to search thousands of parts to provide a one-to-one match in no time.
4. Recognize the Achievements of Your Employees
Celebrate employee promotions across your business’ social media channels to give a friendly face to your company. Feature photos from training classes or employee development activities on your website and social platforms to position your company as well-equipped and invested in employee growth. Showcase interviews with employees that have moved up within your organization to inadvertently advertise your brand by explaining the employee’s work and process.
5. Encourage Career Growth
Remember, employees today often have a growth mindset, so ensure your company culture provides fertile ground for them. Have regular career development discussions and allow employees to learn and explore other roles within your organization. Then, as their interests evolve, have a plan for keeping them focused on growing with your business – not growing beyond it. Cross-training, personal development programs, and a genuine interest in their professional future go a long way toward keeping employees engaged.
HVAC training should be a continuous process to ensure employee retention and business success. Lennox makes it easier to help employees grow their HVAC skills by providing expert led training to our partners.