I heard a great argument regarding the Gen. Z & Millennial Generations the other day; hear me out? How is it the U.S. Military can hire unlimited labor, with some of the Nation’s brightest Generation Z seeking their employment, and being trained to operate the world’s most sophisticated and most expensive equipment all at the age of 18? The military is willing to recruit, sometimes pay bonuses, train ‘employees’ with zero experience, and have them excel to make small management positions in just a few years.

     So, why is it so hard for you to find new employees in HVAC? Those willing to recruit, train, and advance their employees tend to have more loyal and engaged workers! This would be the best way to steadily grow your workforce. Unfortunately, most look for a short-cut, trying to hire an experienced person away from another company. This typically leads to overpayment, and a less engaged employee that will likely leave for a raise at another institution just a year or two later.

     The way I see it, your best option is to hire the right person that fits your company culture. Where do you look and find this person? Well, that is the million dollar question! I can tell you that it helps when that person is knocking down your door, like customers, because they know how your employees are happy and are excited to be a part of your bright future.

     If I asked your employees at the distributor’s counter while picking up supplies about their company, what would they say?

     What if you hired one of those Millennials that knew the basics, and was a clean slate when it came to any bad habits in the industry? All those years you were trying to hire someone away from another company - what type of highly engaged, well trained employee could you have had at this point?

     On that note: How engaged is your company with the local Trade Schools?

     If you are interested in talking to the Vocational Students in MA, don’t miss this event I am excited to be a part of Spring: ACA/NE’s HVAC/R Career Day. When they get excited about the opportunity in the trade, they may just remember your enthusiasm at this event and reach out for employment!