While the trades decreased in popularity in the last 20 years, they’ve recently seen a resurgence in popularity. This is due in part to the stark reality that a college degree does not necessarily equate to a satisfying or well-paying job.This means that finding HVAC talent is a long game, but if you want to be really proactive, you should arrange to target your business to skilled, trained employees.

Adapting to HVAC Industry Growth

Droves of baby boomers are leaving the industry in favor of retirement. Despite projected industry growth, the departure of retirees will result in a talent shortage of more than 120,000 employees by 2022. Managers will be fighting a dual battle, attempting to fill vacant retiree positions, but also needing to fill new jobs created by increasing demand.

Attracting Skilled Employees

What does your business have to offer that others can’t? That’s a crucial question to ask yourself before initiating the hiring process. Obviously, pay structure and benefits are a top concern for employees. Having a positive workplace culture is a great way to gain a competitive advantage, especially if you can’t offer as high a wage as larger employers. Click To Tweet

Encourage Continued Education

An employee who continues to seek further education and HVAC training once employed is exactly the type of motivated worker you want on your team. Encourage continuing education for all new employees, both as a way to encourage a more skilled workforce, but also to emphasize the need to adapt to new technology. Research training courses with long-term credibility and an instructor with a proven teaching method.

Retain

Once you’ve found an ideal employee, you must retain that talent. Employee turnover is costly, in some cases more than a year’s salary for highly-skilled roles. Advertising a position, interviewing, training, and impact on the team are just some of the expenses involved. Like any long-term relationship, you must continue to put in the effort to keep that “special someone” around.

Offering Opportunity

One reason an employee might move on is that your company lacks upward mobility. Without opportunities for growth, an employee who strives to go further and position themselves more favorably faces frustration if there is a lack of new challenges and responsibilities. Attract talent and retain key employees by offering opportunities for professional growth.

Adapt and Evolve

As technology evolves, so does the workforce driving it.  Today it pays for management to be observant, flexible, and quick.  It hardly matters whether or not you welcome or accept these changes since they’re happening with or without your permission. It’s in the best interest of the industry on a whole to embrace and adapt right along with your workforce.

Contact Us to learn more about how to pursue a career in HVAC, or find highly trained technicians for your business.