The problem is that you do not want to just offer everyone a job that walks in the door. You do still need to do some homework to make sure they are the right fit. Below are a couple of quick things that you can do that will not extend your hiring process but will ensure that who you hire will be a good fit for your company.
- References
- Ride Along
- Technical Test
- Technician Interview
1) References
Don’t take the candidates word for it, do some references and find out what others have to say about them. Go beyond the standard reference questions and go right out and ask what is bugging you. If they were late for the interview and you worry that punctuality will be an issue, ask their reference how they did with punctuality.
One big thing that you want to find out in a reference is attitude and team work. When interviewing you are not getting the real person, you are getting someone who is presenting themselves. Some do this very well, some are quite genuine and some are putting on an act. Many find interviewing to be an incredibly nerve-racking affair and in an interview it is easy to view their nervousness as something else like rudeness, arrogance etc. In a reference I like to ask “How did your impression of the candidate change from when they first started to now?” basically you are asking, what are they actually like when you get to know them.
2) Ride Along
Offer them a 1 day working interview or Ride Along. Pay them for their time (they are going to be taking a vacation day for this) and team them up with a tech that you trust. Get a full day of work out of them to find out who they really are. Unlike an interview where they have their guard up, this will allow them to relax a bit and you will get to see who they really are. At the end of the working interview you should have a better idea if they are a fit for your company and they will have a very clear idea if your company is somewhere they want to work long term. Remember they are interviewing you as well, and a job has to be a fit for both parties.
3) Technician Interview
Have one of your other techs meet with them. They are going to be spending most of their time working alongside other techs and it is important they can get along with them.
You will be surprised by some of the insights that you miss that a tech will pick up on right away. Ideally this will be a more informal, 1 on 1 meeting, maybe just grabbing a coffee of a shop tour. If a manager or HR rep is present it will likely result in a much less open and honest conversation.
Side note, make sure the tech you choose is versed in the basics of HR so they don’t start asking questions that they shouldn’t. I have seen this backfire when an untrained interviewer asks them straight up how old they are or if they are married.
4) Technical Test
If you are unsure about their technical knowledge have them do a technical test, either written or hands on or present them with a scenario to see how they do.
Avoid Waiting And Personality Assessments
1) Waiting
A lot of times, the feedback I get after an interview is that they thought the tech was good but they would like to see a couple of more for interviews so they can compare. This makes sense in a perfect world where there are 100’s of HVAC Techs out there begging for a job. This is not the reality, with the shortage of good techs available you might have been lucky to have even one apply. You do not have the luxury of waiting for other techs to apply so that you can compare them. By the time you meet with the other techs the first one is off the market.
Also, the delay in the process is a delay in when they can start with you which equals lost work/revenue. While I will always say that you should hire the best tech the caveat is that you should hire the best tech available.
Perfect is the enemy of good, do not go waiting for the perfect tech, hire the one that is good enough.
2) Personality Assessment
I recommend avoiding personality assessments or professional profiles. I have worked with many companies that provide them and have always found that the results are very generic and are not a great predictor of future success.
Use Your Gut
If the tech seems like the right fit give them a shot, if something seems off avoid the hire. Don’t lead them on, let them know that you have chosen not to move forward with their application at this time.
If you are having a hard time finding the right technician, Rockstar HVAC can help, give us a call at 1-833-937-3546 or visit us at www.rockstarhvac.com to learn more about how we can help you find the perfect HVAC Technician or Installer for your company.
