Struggling to Hire and Train New Technicians – Need Advice

[ConstructionHR]

Hey everyone,

I’m from the HR department of a mid-sized construction company, and we’re facing some significant challenges in hiring and training new technicians. I’m hoping to get some advice from the community here on how to tackle these issues effectively.

We’re finding it increasingly difficult to attract skilled technicians. The talent pool seems to be shrinking, and we’re struggling to compete with other companies for the available talent. Does anyone have strategies or tips on how to broaden our reach and attract more candidates?

Training new hires is another major issue. Our senior technicians are already stretched thin, and dedicating time to train newcomers is impacting our project timelines. How do you balance the need for on-the-job training with maintaining productivity? Are there any training programs or tools that have worked well for you?

We’re really looking for practical solutions that can be implemented without putting too much strain on our current workforce. Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[funwithfuel]

Partner up with your local Operating Engineer Union. Their training program is amazing especially concerning technicians. A give take relationship benefits all concerned. You gain an apprentice in a bonafide training program, he/she gets valuable working experience. The apprentice will have to satisfy required training and proficiency and you gain skilled labor. This is NOT limited to techs, the same can be said for operators. You would basically be looking at one stop shopping. The caveat is, you need to be willing to unionize and only hire union workforce. Contractually, you'd get what you agree to. This could be crippling or an advantage depending on the area. Union labor commands premium pay rates and benefits package. Hope this helps.

 

[chidog]

This is just me. I had the attitude way back when, that I think the generation now finally figured out.

That is my time was very important, I did not want to live for work. But then I liked to work on what I wanted to work on or with.

Now you can think of what I'm going to say, as this. If you can't find ones that will work for you that means that nothing is being done on the what ever thingy that needs work. But if you can find someone that will work shorter hours than the normal 8 per day and 5 per week, then something is getting done.

Especially doing the mechanic work on something I didn't like to work on, the shorter the day the better.
The same thing with machinist work.
Doing fun work like operating etc. longer hours were much easier.

Any way offering very flexible hours and schedule, with decent pay would help attract people.
Any nasty shop or employee attitudes to others is a huge turn off to any new person. If the company has the "its a big family atmosphere" you will retain Happy employees that will want to work longer hours if needed at times, just don't force it.

Oh and take any nasty HR rule book, and burn it.
And sorry to say "company's" are going to have change every thing from the past crap they have got away with, else no one will work for ya. Actually I'm glad to finally see them get what they deserve. Sorry

 

[thepumpguysc]

It would be easy to say, pay more than everyone else in the area.. BUT that’s not a guarantee of the quality of personnel you’ll get..
A LOT of business’s do use money to lure techs and drivers BUT with the stipulation of 1 year’s service..THEN & ONLY THEN do u get the sign-on bonus.. & u can add your own stipulations.. no tardiness.. etc.
GOOD LUCK

 

[digger242j]

Posting the same question in multiple forums can create confusion. I've merged the two threads and left the discussion here in General Industry Questions, because it really does seem to be an issue industry wide.

 

[funwithfuel]

Posting the same question in multiple forums can create confusion. I've merged the two threads and left the discussion here in General Industry Questions, because it really does seem to be an issue industry wide.

We've had this exact discussion year over year it seems. I had to look to make sure someone didn't resurrect a zombie thread.

 

[Coaldust]

I was in your boat, as a recruiter and training manager, for a large, five state, heavy equipment dealer with approximately 600 technicians. I was very successful.

I was part of a few local, state and national committees dedicated to the subject of technician recruitment. Even paid by a high profile trade associations to speak at national conferences.

I could write a book on the subject. I can certainly provide a couple tips, we could chat on the phone, or you can hire me as a consultant and I’ll find you Techs.

Tip 1. Retain the Techs you already have

Tip 2. Steal Techs from your competitors

 

[Coaldust]

For all practical purposes, it’s too late. The ship has sailed. The proactive companies have already formed partnerships with the community colleges, Universities and state colleges. The big OEM’s have gobbled up the good schools with ThinkBig programs and similar.

They are spending millions to make these programs successful.

The ship has sailed because there are not enough young people who want to work like that. Or, can pass a UA or background check.
Something has changed, in this post-Covid economy.

 

[Coaldust]

You certainly won’t recruit successfully working a 40 hour week. It takes 80 hour weeks and a lot of travel and weekends. The recruiter has to be empowered to be able to make promises and keep them.

On spot provisional job offers. The recruiter has to be able to get along with the shop manager and even over-ride their biases.

Or, whatever. You can go to your monthly SHRM meeting with your peers and bitch about the technician shortage and watch powerpoints on SHRM best practices. Clock out at 4:00 and head to softball practice.

 

[Vetech63]

Don’t even get me started. Things are bleak at best and I don’t see it getting better.

 

[thepumpguysc]

IDK if u were serious or not CD.. but I’ve witnessed the backlash of “stealing” competitors techs 1st hand..
Had 1 guy (competitors shop foreman) show up 2-3 different times in 1 month, unload his toolbox and pack it back up.. only to return a week or two later.. stay for MAYBE a week and pack it up again..
Rinse and repeat..
The only one who made out was the tech..($$$)

 

[Coaldust]

Don’t even get me started. Things are bleak at best and I don’t see it getting better.

It’s going to get worse, before it gets worse. It’s a fools errand to attempt to train in-house, in clown-world twenty four.

The time, mistakes, stress and effort will be a total waste. When the new guy is ready to work on his own and be profitable, he will get a DUI, or catch a DV charge. You’ll have to let him go.

 

[Coaldust]

IDK if u were serious or not CD.. but I’ve witnessed the backlash of “stealing” competitors techs 1st hand..
Had 1 guy (competitors shop foreman) show up 2-3 different times in 1 month, unload his toolbox and pack it back up.. only to return a week or two later.. stay for MAYBE a week and pack it up again..
Rinse and repeat..
The only one who made out was the tech..($$$)

I hear ya. It can backfire.

It can work too, if done correctly. Maybe not from the neighbor across the street, but from a competitive dealer in the next county or state. Especially, if you can steal a field tech or specialist. Now, your competition has less ability to provide product support and you have more profits after directs.

 

[DDoug]

PIA avionics school in Pizzaborg,
they paid a person to sell the school, and get the students hired.

He travelled all over, was really never at the school.

40 years ago IIRC this person made $40k, and the school
provided offices for the hiring mangers at the airlines when they came to
pizzaborg to hire.

The schools hiring rate was pretty much the whole class, 100%

 

[funwithfuel]

I hear ya. It can backfire.

It can work too, if done correctly. Maybe not from the neighbor across the street, but from a competitive dealer in the next county or state. Especially, if you can steal a field tech or specialist. Now, your competition has less ability to provide product support and you have more profits after directs.

Man, you recruiters are ruthless.

 

[Coaldust]

A full time recruiter becomes a necessity today. If a company is serious about recruiting.

But, you can’t take a young, female HR generalist, who is familiar with hiring. Let’s say, allied health professionals or cubicle dwellers and send her out to hire the best technicians. It never works.

 

[Coaldust]

Man, you recruiters are ruthless.

It was a fun gig. It was a very intense, action packed and busy part of my career. I had the best boss in the world, a new SUV and P-card. Box seats with season pass for ECHL Steelhead hockey and an corner office.

I hired over 300 Techs in two years, helped start the ThinkBig program at Portland Community College and created a dealership Tech training and development program from scratch. Along with a full-on LMS system. Traveled all over the Caterpillar NACD and met a lot of dealer principles and other very cool people.

Our very own Nige and I share mutual acquaintances from around the world from people I met during this phase of my career.

 

[Tyler d4c]

In my veiw of being the young hireable wrench puller.
I strive to get 40 hours a week no more no less. I have other aspects of life to deal time too currently. The hitching is in August I have a line out the door of work to do at the family excavating shop/ my side work witch is just helping out people I'm freinds with very rarely take on anything other then the few I do work for.

With that being said I can make decent wages doing that I could get more work.
It would take good pay and benefits to get me to wrench for someone else 40 a week currently.
The job I day job to supplys a truck that goes home and a day off if needed is a phone call away.
Any other reasonable thing I need is a phone call away.
Sure if there's a major malfunction I'll say or work Saturday to sort it. But if it happens every week it's not a emergency because at that point it's unplanned madness in my eye

In a nut shell a good wage and benefits and a truck with a reasonable work schedule is all it takes for me.
And don't even begin to try to tell me that I can't do work on my own accord off of your time clock.

A 2 on 2 off work detail would be wonderful but in pennsylvania or anywhere in the US is not really to findable.

 

[Coaldust]

You bring up a good point, Tyler. A company supplied pickup and gas card is becoming a common benefit today.

 

[Coaldust]

In my veiw of being the young hireable wrench puller.
I strive to get 40 hours a week no more no less. I have other aspects of life to deal time too currently. The hitching is in August I have a line out the door of work to do at the family excavating shop/ my side work witch is just helping out people I'm freinds with very rarely take on anything other then the few I do work for.

With that being said I can make decent wages doing that I could get more work.
It would take good pay and benefits to get me to wrench for someone else 40 a week currently.
The job I day job to supplys a truck that goes home and a day off if needed is a phone call away.
Any other reasonable thing I need is a phone call away.
Sure if there's a major malfunction I'll say or work Saturday to sort it. But if it happens every week it's not a emergency because at that point it's unplanned madness in my eye

In a nut shell a good wage and benefits and a truck with a reasonable work schedule is all it takes for me.
And don't even begin to try to tell me that I can't do work on my own accord off of your time clock.

A 2 on 2 off work detail would be wonderful but in pennsylvania or anywhere in the US is not really to findable.

The 2x2 or 3x3 is becoming a popular shift in my AO. Or, some guys go all out for six months and then shack up with their Pilipino mistress or Panamanian Princess on the farm and grass hut they paid cash for.