There’s a trend that’s affecting the essential service industry — the stream of new talent for recruitment is beginning to trickle. Interest in education concerning trade services is slowly declining due to the popularity of other avenues of continued education.

Fear not, however, for there are ways to recruit new and quality talent.

Start from the Beginning

High school is the time that young men and women begin to mold and share the interests that follow them into the future. The ability to play a part during this developmental period is a great way to establish a relationship with incoming talent, early.

Many high schools provide the opportunity to dabble in the trades such as welding and automotive class and this is the perfect time to start introducing students to trade focused problem solving skills and what kind of living they can make off of it.

Trade classes quickly become student favorites, where they learn skills outside of academia. Using this as a time to introduce trade occupations as an option, explaining potential pay rates and opportunities for advancement can prove beneficial in your company’s recruitment efforts.

Get involved with your local high schools’ career centers and make an effort to volunteer for career days or job fairs that are hosted among students.

This presents opportunity to become a guest speaker, mentor, or source of information for students to go to should they find interest in refrigeration, heating and HVACR services.

Similarly, many universities have student-run organizations that are created solely for those pursuing trade specific employment. Make your company available to provide internships, apprenticeship, mentorship and other useful assets to these students, if possible.

Veterans

One of the most deserving groups of jobseekers out there is veterans. Not only do veterans usually have core values including discipline and ethics, but also their willingness to learn and work is first rate.

Many veterans went straight into the military from high school and are looking for an opportunity to work hard and continue providing for the community. The good news is that there are many individual organizations, jobs boards and media that are dedicated solely to the military community.

Post job openings to military community and job boards, offer complimentary training classes to veterans interested in HVACR, or provide services at a discounted rate. By doing what we can to repay our veteran community, even if the gesture is small, we help to create a good relationship with a group that has the potential to provide quality talent and leadership.

Getting involved with the veteran community builds goodwill and raises morale within your company and the community at large. Always keep these military men and women in mind when searching for talent.

Mass Communication

There are so many recruitments sites and even specialized job sites just for refrigeration, heating and HVACR jobs. Sites such as hvacagent.com are specialized to the industry, but other sites such as indeed.com and monster.com have a massive reach.

On a job posting you can tell the applicant upfront what they will be expected to do and you can convey how a novice can get started.

Social media platforms are also a valuable place to post about open positions at your company. For example, Facebook groups are an incredibly valuable tool in finding talent. Some job searching groups in larger cities have upwards of 40 thousand members in a single group. By posting your opening in one of these groups, you have a larger chance of getting your message to the right person.

Get Started

Opportunity is flowing from all directions; you just need to focus on the right spots. Try out the strategies mentioned in this article and get hiring today.