How to Recruit HVAC Technicians in 9 Effective Ways

As HVAC business owners, you know how hard it can be to find the right HVAC technician. The fact that 80,000 HVAC technician jobs remain unfilled and 20,000 technicians retire or change careers each year only confirms that.

That’s why it’s so essential for HVAC-R companies to hire the best HVAC technicians they can find. If a company has trouble hiring top-quality technicians, it won’t be able to capture leads or provide customers with the best service possible. And that means fewer customers and less revenue for your company which is not good for growth.

If you are looking for a reliable resource on how to recruit HVAC technicians, this is it. 

To help you get started on your search for these top-notch technicians, we’ve put together nine steps that residential and commercial HVAC companies can take to recruit the right HVAC technicians.

9 Ways to Hire Skilled HVAC Technicians

If you want to increase productivity, make the most of your team. Studies show that happy employees are more productive, so ensure your team is happy working with you. Always keep an eye out for ways to improve the working environment.

To have the best HVAC recruitment, you have to be the best. This is especially true when it comes to hiring HVAC techs. Great HVAC contractors can increase your profits by keeping your customers satisfied. 

Here are 9 answers to your how to recruit HVAC technicians question.

1. Make your company culture better

As an HVAC business owner, you must ensure that your employees are as invested in the company as you are.

One of the best ways to do that is by creating a great workplace culture and providing them with a vibrant environment that inspires them to invest in the future of your company.

You want your employees to feel like they’re part of something big, not just working for a place where they punch a clock every day.

If you feel like your company culture is in need of a re-evaluation, take a look at these questions before you hire HVAC technicians.

• What’s our mission?
• How do we distinguish ourselves from the competition?
• Do we set goals as a team?
• Does our team have a good system for getting in touch with management if they have questions or concerns?
• Do we give our employees opportunities to progress in their HVAC careers.?

It’s also a brilliant idea to ask your staff members for their opinion on the business and their suggestions for improvement when hiring HVAC technicians.

2. Make and publish a compelling HVAC job posting

When looking to recruit HVAC technicians, write an HVAC job post that will appeal to HVAC professionals and persuade them to apply for the position. Include the following:

• A quick introduction to your business.
• Information about the new job.
• What qualifications, traits, and qualifications will your ideal candidate (an HVAC contractor) have?
• Reasons why you are better than the competition.

Make sure you post your job ad on all the online job boards and social media platforms, from Instagram to Facebook, LinkedIn, and more.

Here are several other business tips to make your job ads more appealing to qualified candidates:

• Keep your job ad brief and to the point.
• Application requirements should be realistic.
• A brief description of your company’s culture.
• List all the employee perks and benefits that set your company apart from its peers.

3. Job ads can benefit from marketing

Marketing is great for expanding your business, but it’s also terrific for luring new hires. You can use social media to share content or reviews pertinent to your industry and demonstrate why it’s a fantastic place to work. 

Posting on social media should be done as frequently as possible. Additionally, update your website frequently. As much as possible, you should market your company every day.

By posting content on social media and updating your website regularly, you can show potential employees what kind of company you run and how much you value your employees as individuals. This will help them feel valued and appreciated immediately, making them more likely to join you and stick around.

In addition to making a great first impression on new employees, marketing can help retain current employees. Your company culture must value individuality and creativity because that will make current and potential employees people want to stay with you long term.

4. Ask for recommendations

If you’re looking for a new HVAC technician, your best bet is to ask for recommendations from people you trust (employee referrals, for example). But that’s not all! You also need to ensure that the person you’re hiring has the proper credentials and experience for the job.

Don’t just take someone’s word for it; do some research on them too. Specifically, contact a representative from the company where they once worked and ask about their background. That way, you can confirm everything yourself. Doing this lets you know exactly what you’re getting into before making any decisions which is always a good idea when you spend money.

5. Use your network to find potential hires

If you have been in business for a while, you will likely employ your HVAC technician for many years. Therefore, it makes sense to find the perfect fit for your company and stick with them.

There are several ways to find a great technician. First, ask your existing vendors if they know of anyone who meets your criteria for the ideal HVAC system technician. If not, ask them if they would mind sharing relevant contact information so you can inquire.

Once you have a list of recommendations, research each one online to confirm the data your vendors and partners provided. This can also help you determine how many people are interested in applying for the position and whether or not any candidates have experience working with your company’s specific equipment or industry sector.

6. Get the word out on all platforms available to you

If you want to attract the best candidates, consider making it as easy as possible for them to apply for your job.

Today, you have many options for advertising a job vacancy. You can still rely on conventional newspapers and fliers, but you might want to add in-person applications and online job listings to your list of options. The younger generation of job seekers tends to favor straightforward and effective processes; 35% of candidates prefer to use their mobile phones to apply for employment. 

The application process should be as easy as possible to navigate, ideally taking no more than three minutes. To achieve this:

• Make the initial application process easy, and get a feel for the person over time. You can always probe further if you want to know more.
• Simply ask for the applicant’s name, address, contact information, academic history, and career history.
• If you must conduct a survey, keep it to no more than five questions. Either multiple-choice questions or yes/no questions will do.

7. Take calculated risks and invest in HVAC training

You can take the employees out of the classroom, but you can’t take the classroom out of the employee. If you want to keep your HVAC service techs sharp and up-to-date on the latest industry developments, it pays to have a job training program.

According to research, giving employees the chance to learn new technical skills is a perk that draws a lot of talent. Additionally, it enables you to access a pool of candidates that other HVAC businesses have overlooked owing to a lack of capabilities.

A competent manager will know that while personality and personal values cannot be taught, new skills can.

It is preferable to train less experienced or skilled workers (who would naturally seek a lesser salary) than to hire an HVAC technician who is more knowledgeable but can’t be bothered to show up for work or who fosters a hostile work environment. 

You will naturally stand out from the competition if you highlight learning options in your HVAC recruitment ads, such as software training and assistance with obtaining required credentials. Just remember to keep your word.

8. Ask the right questions

When looking for technicians, you need to ensure they have the right skills to perform the tasks that are crucial to your business.

Whether your business is looking for technicians to work on residential or light commercial HVAC systems, they must blend in with the rest of the HVAC team to adhere to corporate policies.

Ask the appropriate interview questions to determine whether a candidate’s skills match the work at your organization, such as whether they have a basic understanding of heating and cooling systems.

Top technicians demonstrate a strong work ethic, dependability, cooperation, problem-solving, and effective communication in addition to their knowledge. Make good hires to round out your team with people who uphold the principles of your business.

9. Reach out to community colleges and schools

When looking for new talent, many people turn to the local university and skilled trades or vocational schools. After all, these institutions have access to some of the most talented students in the area.

If you are looking for skilled technicians, consider reaching out to these institutions. You can schedule a meeting with their students and alums to discuss job prospects there; this will allow them to learn more about your company and what they can expect when they work at your company.

You can also contact the registrar’s office at any of these schools or universities to get a list of graduates who have entered the HVAC industry. The registrar’s office should be able to give you names, phone numbers, email addresses, and social media accounts so that you can reach out directly if necessary.

It will help ensure that you speak with someone who has already completed their education and is looking for employment opportunities. It will also help ensure that you talk with someone who has already been trained in the skills required by your company.

Conclusion

When it comes to HVAC hiring, you can use plenty of tactics. In this article, we have walked you through 9 ways of recruiting HVAC technicians to improve your business.

You don’t have to worry about implementing all of these. The tip is to start small and remember the power of compounding. 

Take that first step towards enhancing your company’s culture, offering better training resources, working thoroughly on the marketing and branding front, or finding ways to make your existing employees feel deeply heard (existing employees = company’s brand ambassadors). 

Once you hire a team of HVAC technicians, all you need to adopt HVAC service scheduling and dispatching software for your business. FieldCamp, the top service scheduling software, will help you to manage your entire HVAC business in just a few clicks. From managing your HVAC team to job scheduling, dispatching invoicing, and accepting payments, FieldCamp does it all.