⭐ How to Find HVAC Technicians for Hire
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When starting out, most contractors are willing to take on any job; all work is good work. But, eventually, as you get more established, many will run into the same problem, a good problem where they have too much work.
If you utilize lead generation tools to grow your business, this day may come sooner than you had expected. At this point, you must decide whether you stay independent and start turning down good jobs or grow your business and look for new employees. If you choose the latter, then keep reading.
When it comes to hiring staff, there is a ton to consider. However, for this article, we will stick to the fundamental question of where to find an HVAC system technician to hire.
Once you find these techs, you will want to make sure you ask the right questions during the interview, hire for the proper skill set, and put some things in place to ensure the young people you hire stick around. To find technicians, we recommend five primary sources; we will cover the pros and cons of each below.
⭐ Sources to find HVAC Technicians & Installers
- Websites/ Online Job Boards
- Colleges
- Social Media
- Referrals/Network
- Recruiting Firm
⭐ Job Boards/ Websites
The most obvious place is the first place you should try, post an ad on a recruiting website. There are 100’s of websites to pick from. Here are the top four most businesses use:
🛠️ No.1 – Zip Recruiter
Zip Recruiter has been very aggressively advertising over the past year and is quickly becoming a favorite source for many. Zip recruiter is definitely one of our favorites.
You can sign up for a new account and get a free trial posting, and we recommend doing this to see what kind of response you get, as every area is a bit different.
The nice thing about Zip is that they will actively encourage candidates to apply as opposed to waiting for people to find the ad.
🛠️ No.2 – Linkedin Talent Solutions
LinkedIn Talent Solutions is another great place to start when looking to hire. Not only do you have access to a vast pool of candidates, but you can also connect with technicians or other specialized staff currently employed who might be passively looking to leave.
LinkedIn also allows you to check out their resume up front without the usual lag time of waiting to see a pool of resumes. It also has a free trial where you can post for free. This is worth trialing to see the types of responses you will receive without outlaying a bunch of cash.
One negative aspect of LinkedIn for this industry is that many younger techs or techs who are just starting out may not be using this platform.
🛠️ No.3 – HVAC Jobs Center
HVAC Jobs Center is another way to find HVAC techs looking for a fresh start. One great thing about HVAC Jobs Center is they specialize in the HVAC and Plumbing industry and is not spread across a bunch of sectors like other generic job posting websites.
Though it’s not as popular as the others when looking for new employees, your choices may be limited.
According to HVAC Jobs Center, jobs posted on this site reach over 30,000 industry professionals in North America via different marketing channels such as direct contacts, social platforms, and group and email alerts. They are not only reaching out to active job seekers but also to potential quality candidates who are actively employed and may be interested in a new opportunity.
🛠️ No.4 – Indeed
You can sign up for Indeed for free as an employer, and for most jobs, you can post a free ad. This is still a popular job board and where many start and finish their job search. You will be asked, recommended, and told several times by Indeed that you should pay to sponsor your job post.
This is not something we recommend.
We hear from companies that spend thousands to sponsor their ads, and all they end up with is an inbox full of international technicians or unqualified candidates who have never picked up a tool or have zero experience with HVAC systems. The problem with sponsoring is it adds up very quickly, and you have no control because you pay every time someone clicks on your ad, regardless of whether they apply.
🛠️ No.5 – Other Sites
Other boards we recommend are the government websites. So, for example, in Canada, you have Job Bank, and throughout the USA, many states have their state job board like this one from California. These are usually free to post on and can produce some good results.
Hundreds of other boards are available, but most are not worth your time as the results can be minimal. When relying on websites to find candidates, remember that the only people seeing your posts are those actively looking for a new job. This is usually only about 15% of the workforce, and these are not always the best and brightest. Often, they are HVAC contractors that have recently been terminated.
⭐ Local Colleges
If you are looking for an entry-level HVAC technician or a helper, contact your local college or skilled trades school. This can be a great way to build your business as you can mentor them, and they will grow with your business.
That said, if you need an experienced HVAC technician who can work more autonomously and run their truck, then the Colleges will not help. Your best bet is to contact the college, ideally the HVAC instructors, and let them know you are hiring. Good instructors can recommend or refer your job to students they think would fit. At the very least, they will likely e-mail it to students or bring it up in class.
If you are using colleges to find these skilled craftsmen or craftswomen everyone is searching for, at least you know they are working towards an HVAC certification.
⭐ Social Media
If you have taken the time to build up your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds, now is the time to use them. Putting up a post that says you are hiring shows your customers that you are getting busier, which indicates that you must know what you are doing.
You can also get lucky going this route. It is incredible how often a post gets shared, and someone forwards it to an HVAC contractor they know who just might be looking. Of course, this does not always work, but it is free and is always worth a shot.
⭐ Referrals and Your Network
When hiring skilled technicians, continuously tap into your HVAC industry network and ask for referrals. For example, those techs you went to school with could be open to a change, or perhaps they know someone who is. Ask around and let people know you are looking to hire.
Every HVAC technician knows other techs, and most know someone looking for a change. Hiring through employee referrals can be a positive experience if you trust the employee giving the referral! You can offer a bonus and an extra day off as a reward.
⭐ Online and Local Recruiters
If you have tried everything else and still can’t find the HVAC technician, installer, or helper you need, it is time to hire a recruiter. This is typically the last resort, as recruiters can be expensive. However, turning away work or losing customers because you take too long to complete a job is also costly.
The nice thing about a recruiter is that you only pay if they successfully find you the HVAC technician you hire, and every hire comes with a warranty period. Good recruiters can find you HVAC technicians who are not actively looking and match your exact specifications. For a full rundown on how a recruiter can help, check out this article –
7 Ways a Recruiter Can Help you Find HVAC Technicians.
Congratulations on growing your business. Finding an excellent technician to hire is never easy, but hopefully, these tips will help.
⭐ Where To Find HVAC Technicians to Hire Summary
Many online resources help you find the best HVAC technician, though sorting through them can be a nightmare. We really like Zip Recruiter and Linkedin Talent Solutions as they allow you to test the waters with a free trial. Not all of these avenues will succeed, so you must be careful where you spend your time.
Congratulations on growing your business if you are reading this. Finding an excellent technician to hire is never easy, but hopefully, these tips on recruiting HVAC technicians will help.
