The Bureau of Labor Statistics says only one in two HVAC technician slots will be filled by 2027 if the current employment rate remains the same. That is a serious statistic, and our industry must immediately pull together to change it. We must find ways to replenish our workforce.
At the AHR Expo this past January, I hosted a panel of industry leaders, including manufacturing, education, and contracting. The panel “How Do We Address the Workforce Development, Recruitment, and Retention Gap?” focused on this topic. A video of the panel discussion is available on AHR’s website at ahrexpo.com.
The general upshot of the discussion was that we must work together to attract new people to our industry while finding ways to retain our existing workforce. Of course, we will always have attrition due to retirement, but we must figure out how to keep people from leaving for other careers. I believe the solution is to increase awareness of the great opportunities in HVACR.
One factor that makes our workforce difficult to replenish is the variety of knowledge that is needed. HVAC technicians need to understand the refrigeration cycle, airflow, and combustion. They have to be proficient in electrical, controls, plumbing/piping, and air distribution. In addition, they must possess great people skills. That’s a tall order!
In the past decade, HVACR technology has advanced significantly and continues to evolve at a breakneck pace. It’s easy to see the glaring need to attract the best and the brightest to our industry.
People entering our workforce must be able to work with not just hardware but also software, which is prevalent in every aspect of HVACR. Systems are less forgiving than ever and must be precisely installed, tested, and adjusted to perform as designed. New tools, instruments, and software are available online every day. These tools require advanced learning and skills training.
This presents challenges for our existing infrastructure, particularly regarding education and training. However, it also presents an opportunity to attract a more significant population segment. The key is our ability to articulate all our benefits – especially as an alternative to a college education.
Image Change is Essential
While it’s simply not true, many still view the trades as dead-end, low-paying jobs. Numerous studies have proven that someone entering the HVAC industry at age 18 can out-earn a typical college grad – especially in the first eight years, and they’re not saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in student debt.
So, how do we educate the population that working in HVACR is very different from the stereotype that has plagued us for decades? Part of the solution is to learn to promote ourselves as well-paid professional craftsmen, not just tradesmen.
I believe one of the best ways to make your company stand out is to show prospective employees that you are a High-Performance HVAC™ organization and what that means for your team members and your customers.
Start by painting a picture of what a day in the life of a service tech, comfort specialist, or installer looks like working for a company with this type of culture. You can show them how you are different and the clear paths for advancement within your organization.
To attract Gen Z’ers and Millennials, you must also learn to accommodate varying life-work balances. I’m not suggesting you coddle employees. Just the opposite: find out what motivates a prospective hire and make the position work for both of you with clear, written expectations.
Different Labor Pool
A contractor recently told me that he rarely hires technicians from other companies and feels technicians fresh out of trade school typically require re-training. Instead, he prefers to recruit talented people outside our industry and, as he put it, “grow my own” field people.
His favorite sources include car dealerships, both in the showroom and the shop, and other in-home service companies. The bottom line is we must learn to “fish in different ponds.” HVACR can be taught, but other qualities like great attitudes and people skills are harder and often impossible to teach.
We can solve this crisis. Our industry must start marketing itself as a desired field to work and be appreciated in. It needs to start with our thousands of HVACR service companies reaching outside the industry and showing people the incredible opportunities in this great industry!
Dominick Guarino is President & CEO of National Comfort Institute (NCI) (nationalcomfortinstitute.com), the nation’s premier High-Performance training, certification, and membership organization. NCI focuses on improving consumer safety, comfort, health, saving energy, and helping contractors grow and become more profitable. His e-mail is [email protected].