How to Hire the Best HVAC employees

It’s that time of year again, when HVAC service companies are staffing up for the busy summer season. When hiring new HVAC employees, company leaders face some of the most challenging decisions they will make all year: choosing candidates who will prove to be valuable employees.

Especially when you’re hiring entry-level technicians, that can be pretty difficult to figure out.

• Who has what it takes to become skilled at HVAC repair? 
• Which ones will become the reliable employees that you can always count on? 
• Which ones will stick around for the long term, so all the time and money you spend training them is not wasted?

In this article, we’ll reveal the qualities that are most likely to predict technician success, and how to conduct more effective interviews to guide your hiring decisions.

Look for HVAC employees with the right skills and qualities

When it comes to evaluating entry-level candidates (and more experienced ones) for HVAC technician jobs, certain personal qualities and abilities tend to be the best predictors of success. 

Here’s what the largest employers say they want most in HVAC employees.

Reliability 

More than any other skill or ability, HVAC contractors want employees they can count on to show up on time and always do what they promise. If candidates can demonstrate that quality with their prior experience, references, and behavior in an interview, that’s worth its weight in gold. Almost everything else can be taught.

Work ethic

HVAC companies invest quite a bit of time and money training inexperienced young people to become skilled technicians. And even new technicians earn good money and benefits when they aren’t yet fully qualified. 

In return for that investment, you want employees who are willing to work hard. There will be times during the busy season that require working in challenging conditions, working long hours, and possibly putting in overtime. When you choose candidates who understand that and are willing and able to put in the required time and effort, your decision will pay off.

Communication and customer service skills

Many, if not most, HVAC technicians will deal directly with customers. They serve as the face of your company. That’s why it’s so important to hire people with the ability to communicate with customers and make them feel valued. 

For some, this is a natural talent that will be clear in an interview. Others may not be so outgoing, but you can tell that they enjoy helping others and making them happy, and can learn the tricks to successful customer interactions.

Commitment to learning

As everyone in this industry knows well, technology is constantly changing and you will never stop learning. So when you’re talking with candidates, be sure to find out their attitude about ongoing training and education. 

Do they expect to become a journeyman and be done with training? Or do they enjoy learning new things and building their skills, and realize that they will be doing that until they retire? And are they interested and curious enough to be willing to learn on their own time?

In fact, we recommend prioritizing will over skill: someone with a positive attitude and interest but little experience is more likely to succeed than a more experienced candidate who isn’t motivated to learn and improve.

Ask the right questions when interviewing candidates

Before you start interviewing, take some time to think through what you want most in a new hire. Chances are, you want the skills and qualities discussed above. And you also want someone who will fit in your company culture and be a pleasure to work with. How will you find out that information in an interview?

In many cases, a direct question might not get you the proof you want. For example, if you ask Are you a good communicator? or Are you willing to work hard?, of course the candidate is going to say yes. A more effective question might be, Give me an example of a time that you went above and beyond the call of duty at work.

Go beyond the basic interview questions to get them to talk about themselves and their experiences to uncover their skills and personality. Here are some examples of the types of questions that can help you learn what really makes them tick.

• How would you go about establishing your credibility quickly with the team?

• What did you like best and least about your last job?

• Tell me about a goal that you had to work hard to achieve. How did you do it?

• What 3 words would your friends/family use to describe you?

• What are 3 things about yourself that you want to improve? 

• What are you most proud of?

• What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it? 

• What’s the most difficult decision you’ve made and how did you come to that decision?

Be clear about expectations

An interview should be a two-way street. Ideally the candidate should ask you questions, so they understand what they are signing up for. If that doesn’t happen, you need to proactively share as much information about the job and the company as you can.

Be clear about how things work at your company, how employees must behave toward coworkers and customers, what the training process is like, how much overtime is expected. Be transparent about what the job entails and how long it will take for helpers to become qualified to work independently. 

This is the way to weed out the candidates who are not willing to do what you need or won’t fit in with your culture. This part of the interview can really help you to hone in on the candidates that are most likely to stay with you for the long term.

More advice for HVAC employers

We’ve got lots more helpful information for HVAC and Refrigeration businesses. Check out these resources.

HVACR Career Connect NY was created to promote the exceptional quality-of-life benefits of a career in HVAC and Refrigeration service, and also to provide a clear path for getting started in the profession. In doing so, we serve as a resource for employers in the New York City metro area to find and hire smart and capable new technicians. We also serve as an educational resource to support business growth and to help service technicians succeed in their chosen profession.