Remember the good ol’ days when all you had to do was put an ad in the local paper and hordes of qualified candidates would practically beat your door down?

OK, that may be a slight exaggeration but the facts are that it has become increasingly difficult to find qualified or even trainable applicants. Sadly, over the last few decades society has changed. The academics were able to convince generations of young people the only way to do more in life than flip burgers is to go to college. This has led to a glut of unemployed people with bachelor’s degrees and an almost comical requirement for a degree in jobs that shouldn’t require one. It has also diverted a lot of people out of the trades and into other fields which is why we have such a difficult time finding qualified people.

We must have qualified people for our businesses to be successful, and to find them we are going to have to accept some hard truths and change the way we have been hiring.

You can’t wait until it’s busy.

So you don’t want to hire someone until you have enough work to pay for them? It makes perfect sense. The only problem is when you’re busy, so is everyone else. Companies with good people work harder at keeping those people. This means there are fewer people looking for work. Out of desperation, companies start lowering their standards eventually considering anyone with a heartbeat and a driver’s license. The few people who are looking for work are usually job hoppers trying to find the best deal they can.

The best time to hire people is when work is slow for everyone. People who wouldn’t normally be open to the idea of changing jobs will consider it when they are not getting as many hours at their current job. Hiring when it’s slow means you have an opportunity to train new people to do the job the way you want it done. Demonstrating that you are willing to invest in a person shows prospective employees you are a quality company that cares about its employees.

Technical colleges don’t graduate qualified candidates.

Not all technical colleges and trade schools are created equal. Some are more concerned with collecting payments from federal loans and grants than they are about teaching young people a trade. Look at their advertisements. A lot of these schools focus more on the “hands-on” portion and not enough on the theory behind it.

Then there is the fact that, like every other college, there are people who apply themselves and graduate at the top of the class and others who simply just show up. It would not be wise to hire a person a week after graduation and hand them the keys to a service truck.

This doesn’t mean you can’t find graduates who will become qualified employees; technical colleges can be a source of the raw material that will make qualified employees. But visit the school before you start hiring its graduates, and get to know the instructors and curriculum. Let the placement office know that you are only interested in the top 5 percent of the class. Also, since GPA at these schools is not always an accurate indicator of a graduate’s skill level, ask if they have passed any certifications from organizations like HVAC Excellence. Ask if you can speak to the students and sit in on some of their classes.

Like it or not, you have to be a salesperson.

Gone are the days where applicants in the trades are more interested in you than you are in them. It used to be that an applicant had to sell the company on why they should be hired. With the shortage of qualified people it is now up to the company to sell qualified applicants on why they should come to work for them.

The sales process starts before you ever meet the applicant. When advertising for new people be sure you paint your company in the right light. Security and stability are the things perspective applicants are most interested in.

Once you have met the applicant, and they are the one you want, it’s time for you to sell them on your company. Talk about your history and why your customers like you. Discuss your plans for the future and how they can be part of it. Tell them about how your company can help them have a successful and profitable career.

Hiring the right people can be a daunting task. If you plan — and do a little self-imposed reality check — you’ll find the people you need to make your company an even bigger success.

About the Author

Jim Hughes has over 35 years experience in the plumbing, heating and air conditioning industries. He has developed apprenticeship schools, created sales and management training programs and helped struggling companies reach their goals. He has studied Human Performance Improvement (HPI), is a Six Sigma Green Belt and was certified as a Master Trainer by NCCER. During his career, Hughes has served as a technician, service manager, salesperson, regional training manager, national technical adviser, and director of training and development.

Hughes has worked with some of the largest plumbing, drain cleaning, and HVAC companies in the country. He continues to work with small businesses helping them improve their operations to earn the profits they deserve. You can contact Hughes at www.profitassist.com.