Promotions often don't favor the best technicians or the hardest workers, contrary to what many believe. Moving into a supervisor or manager role requires a different skill set from excelling as a technician. While being proficient as a technician is essential, those who typically advance are not only technically skilled but also excel in other areas.
Two things to keep in mind before we get into it.
The Keys to getting promoted are:
A supervisor or manager is the template of what future techs should be. You want to be the model tech, this includes:
These are all the obvious things and none have anything to do with your technical knowledge, these are things that everyone can do. Basically, just show up, pay attention and work hard.
Without customers, HVAC companies don’t exist. There are a lot of choices out there and when it comes to repeat business it is all about how well the tech/installer worked with the customer. The salesperson no longer matters you are the one in their house/on-site you are the face of the company.
You do not have to do anything crazy here, good customer service is pretty easy. Be a good person, like what you do and be happy to be there (or at least pretend to be happy to be there.) Bad customer service sticks out like a sore thumb, good customer service in its simplest form is just not bad.
Things to keep in mind:
If you have done a good job the customer will not even remember you but will remember they had a good experience. There is no need to develop any sort of relationship or shared interests, do the job, do it professionally and get out.
If you have customers calling in and complaining about you, you can kiss any sort of promotions goodbye.
No one likes a whiner so stop complaining. How you behave impacts everyone and unless you are well-liked there is almost no chance of a promotion. Stop complaining to:
Having a beer after work with the guys is great but if you spend the whole time bitching about your employer that will not reflect well and could jeopardize your chances of moving up.
Being promoted has a lot to do with where you are. If you are working with a small company with 2 employees and an owner your chances of being promoted are almost non-existent, there is not a big enough team for you to be looking after. Similarly, if you are with a company where your supervisor has been working there for 20 years and is only 45 and not likely going anywhere for another 20 years you also have a bad chance of getting promoted.
If you are in a bad situation it may be time to look into a new role. It is very common to make a lateral move to a company where you will be doing the same job for the same money but have more room for career growth. Give us a call at 1-833-947-3546 or check out our job board – www.rockstarhvac.com/jobs to see opportunities available that might be a fit.
When interviewing with new companies make sure to ask about career growth, the chance of promotion, etc. It is not rude and you can save yourself a lot of wasted time and headaches. A company is only a perfect fit for you if it matches what your career goals are.
Have a friendly conversation with ownership or Sr. Management to let them know you would like to be on a promotion track. Do this gently and without making demands. You are not at all asking for someone else’s job nor are you threatening to leave. You are offering to take on more responsibility and letting them know you would like to learn more about the business and if there was any training available you would be happy to take it.
At least this way they know you are looking to move up and will start looking at you that way. It is super common for many techs to get overlooked for a promotion simply because ownership thought the tech wanted to stay a tech. Make sure they know you are interested but are not demanding a change.
Take on incremental promotions as they are offered. You are not going to go from Tech To Service Manager, look for lead tech, foreman, supervisory roles and keep progressing from there.
Follow these five guidelines to pave your way towards a career in management. Patience is key; if you're 22 and have only a year of experience, don't expect immediate promotion. Spend time gaining experience before moving up. Focus on excelling in your current role and stay prepared for advancement opportunities.
If you're ever seeking a new position or need to hire technicians, consider Rockstar HVAC. We specialize in recruiting HVAC Technicians and are dedicated to finding the right opportunities for you. For more details on how we can assist, visit www.rockstarhvac.com or call us at 1-833-937-3546.