Twelve years ago, we hired our very first female technician at our HVAC company. She had applied for a maintenance technician position, and to our surprise, her husband had also applied for the same job. They were going through HVAC tech school at the same time. I learned later that she was completing the program in an effort to support him and help him complete his schooling. I don’t know if they were applying for all the same positions, but it was evident in her interview that she was the better candidate for the job. She was humble, coachable, and eager to learn and develop in this position. And that is exactly what she did.

We loved her attitude, her desire to learn, and her willingness to work in a predominantly male industry. Her previous work had also been in a variety of industries in which men held most of the positions, such as truck driving and bus driving. She was used to working in this type of environment.

She exuded potential and humility and demonstrated values that aligned with our company culture and goals. We quickly hired her, and we did not hire her husband. We only had one position available. It was an entry-level maintenance job. We were looking to hire someone who could quickly learn and step into the role. This woman had the same experience and education level as her husband. We were attracted to her positive attitude, humility, and desire to learn, which her spouse did not demonstrate. We also felt that she had a better technical understanding of the job and its requirements. 

As the first female technician in our small but growing HVAC company, she quickly discovered that the male technicians were not in favor of her working at our company. Throughout her initial training period with the team, her male trainers often made her do the most difficult and strenuous tasks in an attempt to scare her away from HVAC. 

Because of her grit, determination, and past experiences as a perceived underdog, she took the challenge. She became just as good and, in many instances much better than our other technicians. As she continued to progress and learn the service side of HVAC, she began to outperform her team. 

Some of the male technicians felt threatened and continued to sabotage her work, her jobs, and we even found some scribbling on our bathroom wall, “For a good time call (name) at (phone #).”  It was horrifying and disgusting to me as the business owner, maybe even more so because I’m a FEMALE business owner. I couldn’t believe how immature and inappropriate some of our technicians were behaving. My company had to establish consequences.

Reflecting on that experience, I realize that as a business owner, I could and should have done a lot of things differently before I asked her to join my team. 

First, I could have prepared my team and adjusted our culture to be more welcoming and accepting of female technicians. At this point, none of our competitors had a female technician, and it wasn’t really even heard of in our area to have women working as technicians.  

In addition, I could have set clear expectations with our male technicians about the best ways to support her as a team member, just like they would support any other new technician. The fact that she was a woman shouldn’t bear any weight on her ability to perform her job. She would have the same expectations as they did. 

Not only should I have set clear expectations with my employees, but I could have also done the same with our customers. It was surprising to hear how many of our customers (older males in particular) were not comfortable with having a woman work on their HVAC equipment. In fact, she shared that these older male customers would typically stand right behind her back and critique her work. They would ask her question after question to make sure she was qualified and knowledgeable about the work she was performing. 

Interestingly enough, for as many men who were uncomfortable with her working on their equipment, we heard the same amount of positive feedback (if not more) from our female customers who felt so safe and comfortable with her in their homes. They expressed that it made them feel more comfortable having a woman work on their equipment. 

Long story short, this female technician excelled. She grew to be a service technician and then a top-performing comfort adviser who worked for our company for more than ten years, outlasting all of her counterparts who trained her. 

As an advocate for women in the trades, I have reached out to several female HVAC technicians to ask them what attracted them to the trades and specifically to their current place of employment. 

One technician from Pennsylvania said that she was attracted to the morals and values of the company owner. She said he contacted her immediately after she dropped off her resume and came across as straightforward, honest and trustworthy. He spoke not only of his interest and excitement in having a female technician but also about his reservations, which were personal health issues. She appreciated his transparency and openness.

Another female technician from North Carolina shared that her life situation meant she had to be the breadwinner for her family. After working in the dental field for some time, she decided it was not for her and wanted to join a trade where she had the potential to be paid very well. She selected her current company because they offered her very nice wages, which was a key factor. 

In a recent article published by Forbes, women in the trades make 95% of what men get paid, compared with an average 81% gender pay gap. The skilled trades also support a quicker educational path that is less expensive compared to the cost of a four-year degree. In some cases, contractors will even pay for their team’s education because the labor shortage is so real. 

As a past board member for Women in HVACR and a current adviser for Women in Plumbing and Piping, I know that there are many scholarships available for women entering the trades. Both of the above organizations offer scholarships, mentorship programs, and resources that help support women in the trades. Understanding what resources are available to women will also help contractors better support the female technicians in their business.

So, what advice do these female technicians want owners to know as they are looking to recruit more women to their team? Here are five tips to observe. 

First, don’t treat them differently from male technicians unless they come to you with a specific concern that you need to address due to their size, strength or physical limitations. In most cases, though, women know what they are getting themselves into and feel confident and competent in performing their duties. 

Second, create a culture that celebrates the individual, not the gender. Many of the women I interviewed for this article shared that the best companies have a culture that empowers every employee, male or female, to be their own advocate and to be a forever learner. Employees should be encouraged to share their experiences with each other, good and bad, so that they can learn from each other, since no experience is entirely the same. Such companies also celebrate and congratulate every individual and team win, which helps maintain a positive culture, even during the dog days of summer. 

Third, as a female technician, it’s essential to know that the contractor has their back. This is very important, specifically in situations where the customer feels the woman cannot perform the job strictly because they are female. 

The aforementioned Pennsylvania technician felt very grateful when her owner stood up to such a customer. He politely informed the customer that he had complete confidence in her technical abilities or he wouldn’t be sending her out to the field. The owner also told the customer that if he had any issues with that, he could hire another company to work with. Ironically (or maybe not), this female technician has now been servicing this very customer for the last five years upon the customer’s request.

Fourth, remember that women don’t think the same way as men. A female technician may view or see something completely differently, but it does not mean her way is incorrect. Women see things differently and often pay attention to details differently from men . 

Fifth and finally, don’t assume that women need extra help. The female technician from North Carolina shared that as a 5’3” skinny, blonde, blue-eyed girl, she gets a lot of stares on job sites. Some men ask her if she knows what she’s doing and if she needs help. Assertively, she let them know that if she needed help, she’d ask for it. When women can do the job and do it well without help, it’s very empowering and helps them grow as a person.

As contractors become more aware of the challenges that female technicians are facing in the field, with customers and with co-workers, they can be more proactive in finding solutions and developing a culture that nurtures, supports, and celebrates the women who are working in the field. 

If you’re looking to add more women to your team, the most important action you can take is to evaluate your culture. 

A female technician stated it best when she shared that the very thing that creates a great culture, regardless of gender, is respect. There is no tolerance for arrogance, which can have adverse effects on teamwork and learning capabilities. We all have room to grow and learn from each other, including leadership, which creates a great work environment and reputation. 

It’s also beneficial to showcase the women who are working for you. With their permission, use images of them working in the field and share evidence of their workmanship and talents in your marketing and content development. Create videos that highlight their expertise and experience on your social media, YouTube and website. Educate others and highlight women who are working in the trades.

As you strive to develop an inclusive culture that celebrates and respects the individual and not the gender, your team and customers will embrace your female technicians. This will not only help you retain your current female technicians, but it will be very attractive to future female prospects. 

For more information and guidance to help your team achieve a 7-star level of customer service, visit www.SnowBusinessCoaching.com or give her a call at (801) 477-0064. Follow Angie on LinkedIn for more great tips. https://www.linkedin.com/in/angiesnowsuccesscoach/.