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!
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Don’t even get me started. Things are bleak at best and I don’t see it getting better.
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..($$$)
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.
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.
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%
Man, you recruiters are ruthless.
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.
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.
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.
You bring up a good point, Tyler. A company supplied pickup and gas card is becoming a common benefit today.
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.
Yep. A company truck is an average $2K month benefit that the company can write off and the employee does not get taxed on. Win-win.
The Associated Equipment Distributors trade organization discovered through their annual workforce survey that a pickup truck does wonders for retention. It becomes less attractive to switch employers when you realize, you need to purchase transportation and gas for your next gig.
I've discussed the thought of a 2×2 with the soon to be wife I think we'd me ok if I did for a few years to get ahead of the game but we really arnt setting in to bad of a situation as it is its a maybe someday if need be idea
With a two and two , you could have two families in different states. Best of both worlds.
A good atmosphere and work environment go a long way.
I don't know if I'm mane enough
the next question is, do they even come back? All good suggestions BTW.
This is some entertaining bs to read.
Upvoting a place called Pizzaborg.
Around 13-14, Click Bishop left the OE302 Training center and became the Director of the Alaska DoL. Before becoming a Senator. He was familiar with the Tech shortage and had the idea to create a non-union, 5,000 hr, registered apprenticeship program for medium and heavy duty truck technicians and Bus Technicians. I was invited to sit on the committee. There was a big meeting with all the presidents of the trucking companies and dealerships. Everyone was on board. We decided to use the Alaska Vocational Technical Education Center in Seward. (AVTEC), as headquarters. We spent a year of sweat, money and hard work building the curriculum and getting the program approval with the Feds. Hired an instructor. It was an absolute failure. For so many reasons. Holland America Princess ( the cruise ship hospitality company) managed to complete one or two journeymen.
There were so many reasons why it failed. Sarah Palin’s ACES program gutted O&G development until it was repealed, sending our economy into a spiral. Putting the program at AVTEC, which is at the end of a road, over two mountain passes with no regular commuter air service didn’t help. The dealers didn’t sign anyone up or recruit. The instructor was new and had never taught before. The Dept of Labor doesn’t play well with the Dept of education. They act like adversaries. I’ll go on, later
I have a friend that I worked with in Charleston SC that left for Alaska 6 years ago and never looked back.. We talk once a month and he fills me in on his jobs.. He tells me about getting flown into these remote villages and has to stay until the job is done.. sometimes taking months to get the parts dropped in for an engine o/h.. Then the jobs he goes out on driving a snowmobile for hrs just to get to the jobsite, carrying 400 lbs of tools.. HE LOVES IT.!!!
It can be an adrenaline rush. The rush, the wilderness, travel, lifestyle and the money gets addictive.
I’m getting ready this morning and making plans to visit a new mine project on the Seward Peninsula to inspect a temporary 15k gallon tank farm. It supposedly has a SPCC plan. Fly to Nome on AK Air and then get on a helo for a beach landing. Camp in a tent under the midnight sun. Have some good camp chow. I’m looking forward to it.
Sign me up for some of this alaska ****.
It’s amazing to me, shocking, how fast the technician shortage is developing, post-covid. How quickly the situation is deteriorating. Industry was concerned and predicted this twenty years ago. Now, we are experiencing it in real time. I’m seeing quarterly raises going out on a quarterly basis to retain people. Pick-ups and other new benefits. It’s getting to the point where project success is dependent upon finding technicians to keep machines running.
THAT sounds fun.. What gets me about my buddy is, he went from 100* weather here in SC., to 10-15* below zero.. Personally I never thought he would have made it.. but boy was I wrong.!!
Do you have a preference on what you want to work on? Dealership Yellow iron, boats, mining, O&G, fleet, all of the above? Check out this place. My son worked for them. Very cool job. They normally hire mechanics from the 959 local Teamsters, but they don’t have anyone to dispatch, so this is an external opening . https://www.arctecalaska.com/ Here is the application https://www.arctecalaska.com/Employment/RLF%20Station%20Mechanic%20external.pdf
It doesn't matter what I repair to me. Im going to be 61 this fall though so age may count me out
This would be a fun way to finish your career. The ARCTEC gig would be a good fit. These facilities are in some of the most remote parts of the state, have a large variety of equipment and you get to fly charters everywhere. Great food and people. You can hunt and fish on-site.
That position has been open for about three years. I’ve seriously considered it, myself. It’s probably a $175k gig depending on how much time you took off. Food, tools, lodging, transportation. Everything is supplied, but work clothes. But, my little tank business is taking off and I’m going to see how this plays out. Can you fit through a 16” hole, BTW? Do you like confined spaces?
Here in Aus, getting interest from new people doesn't seem to be a problem. Our local yellow & black stripe dealership just closed the applications for this year's apprentice intake. Over 1600 applicants for around 50 apprenticeship places.
Any idea of pay range. Me and the wife have always wanted to be up there.....she says I can't go without her
I’m guessing that ARCTEC job is $150k-180k. From talking to my son, who is under an IBEW contract and his buddy who works there. It does require a security clearance and extensive background check because those are top secret, secret squirrel facilities with dudes in black suits and sunglasses. Keeping track of those sneaky Russian’s trying to test our air space.
Your wife could work, too. Every radar station has a cook/host that prepares meals, makes beds and orders supplies. Those are high paying positions, considering.
That’s realy interesting and brings up a good point. I wonder if H-1B visas may be a partial solution ? It’s the main reason the tourism and fish processing industries stay open in Alaska.
What? She is a machinist. I'm sure then need them as well.
I'm thinking he assumed your wife was not a machinist as most are not. I'm sure she can find very good work up there
Lots of mediocre jobs. I want to hook him up with a premier opportunity. Worth his while. Life changing
How bout’ you, Tyler. Can you fit through a 16” manway? Not afraid of heights? Enjoy dirty, confined spaces ? Want to join me on the Dank Tank Tour, Clown World Twenty-Fo? You can stack the bank, in the tank! Confined Space, Confined Space Rescue, 24hr HAZWOPER, TWIC, no felonies, clean driving record. ?? NDT level 1 certification? R-stamp welder ? CDL? Any of the above? Because, if the Hazmat is drippin’, don’t be trippin’. Petroleum storage big or small, we fix them all.
Not a height fan but I do fine just not my favorite class no felonies best driving record of anyone sure I could pass the weld test the rest I never heard of. Do i pass
How about "NO"
I'll fit thought the hole too
That’s what I’m struggling with, regarding expanding. It would take about $30g’s min to get a fella certed, out the gate, and ready to rock. I’m putting together another service van and outfitting it. That’s going to be about $65k. I got a good deal on a pristine 2021 Chevy 2500. About $50hr starting wage, insurance, p-card, company supplied vehicle, gas, tools, Alaska Air Lounge membership, Air med membership, phone, paid training. That’s what I’m looking at, so far.
Boom town bust. * The world has changed--the younger crowd look at us torn up worn out pieces and say-- there's better ways to make a living--they've been watching the aging process in their families. * Drivers---Zero incentive--for young people to have no life, working ****** hours, in some cases responsible for truck & cargo entire time only paid for driving, constantly delivering in the bad part of towns, crummy benefits, constantly behind the 8 ball, eating food with poor nutritional value, dealing day in and out with traffic. And the industry wonders why 64,000 short for drivers. Setting behind a steering wheel while life passes them by.
I think it'd be tough with young kids or a needy wife.
I had to lookup what the air longue was. It's like people going crazy over $8 beers on the 1.5hr flight outta here. Yeah. No. I'll save my $$.
I thought that too. But, they serve a good meal and it’s much nicer than hanging out in the main terminal with the commoners. When traveling all the time. It’s a write off. The company pays for it. Fairly reasonable once you hit Gold 75K status.
You and I see that same world, the kids today see us old and broken hard workers think 'Not for me' yet they want all the stuff we accumulated and developed or built, fat chance sitting in front of a PC all day writing the codes to make machines work that are fewer youth entering into those machines. Is a Magic invisible line in that sand box, continue to play step across and get hands dirty, watch it all cascade into chaos stand on the loser side of the line expecting the world to feed you. Jaded is a Pleasant Word to note those that have been told it will all continue unabated, just sit on hands and wait. Soviet Union found out the hard way why that does NOT work.
I'll be 47 in a month or so... Kids almost out of the house. I wish I had skills because I'd be inclined to truck the wife an I up to get into some work like that. Playing your cards right, living cheap, while investing well, that could be some easy early retirement money.
looks down at Mah Belly . I'm struggling with expanding too.
When does a guy start getting beaten up and broken in this career path? I feel better now in my 30s than I ever felt in my 20s.
Patience grasshopper, it'll sneak up on you before you know it.
Don't know about the Alaska Air lounge but our Amex and Skymiles account get us into the Delta Sky Club. Way better than waiting in gen pop at ATL. If you live in the southeast even when you die you have to go through Atlanta..
Oh look a cute puppy.
OOOHHHHHHHhhhhh Squirrel.....
I'm not joking. In my 20s everything hurt all the time. Used to have a hard time even just crawling out of bed in the morning. Once I smartened up in my late 20s/early 30s and started looking after myself its rare I ever have aches and pains.
I don't wanna jynx you. The reality is that any one of us is a minor injury away from constant irritating pain for life. Tendinitis, a rolled ankle, tinnitus, torn rotator or blown hip. It only takes one moment, one misstep, and you're part of the club.
When I was a kid, we rode bikes. We broke our bikes. we learned how to fix our bikes. we, or our buddy got a dirt bike or a 3 wheeler for Christmas. We messed around with it. We bought old cars, and learned to work on them, and our buddies cars. We took shop in school, and learned to work with our hands with wood, steel, and grease. No one does that anymore. My dad pulled wrenches all his life, and he put food on the table and put clothes on my brother and I, and my 3 sisters. One thing that my father wanted, was for me not to have to pull wrenches for a living. His brother, also a mechanic, turned his 2 sons away from the trade. I think a lot of us turn our kids towards something else if we can. Kids today play video games, watch tick tac. My brother's wife's sister. Her son is 18. Can't cook, do laundry, make change, Nothing for himself. Informed his mother one day that he might get an apartment, but doesn't want to get a job, mom and dad can pay for it. We hire young operators, and mechanics. They always leave for big money. They hire wet behind the ears operators, and offer them year round work, pissing off older operators that get the sack every fall.
I spent the better part of my life walking on concrete, starting as a kid in the milk barn. Hips and knees then shoulder issues will start. Normally most spend an average of 35 years in the trade, the 35 year mark is when bones-joints start acting up. Most if any good move into service manager/writer position if they have the aptitude for dealing with the public, which in it's self is a acquired skill. Most don't want to deal with people so they stay at it till body says no or find something of other interest. I'm at 50 years, ran my own two businesses and managed three different shop while still working the floor. Most likely this winter my right hip will be under the knife, then the left later on. knees still work well but since retiring shoulders have recovered {somewhat}. It's all about time and in this line of work time is not friendly 95% of the time. Would I do it again--who knows, that's a unanswerable question. Looking back it was a ok life, I never expected to get rich. The job was what you made it--but reality is it's damn hard on the body, only takes one incident to change a persons view. * It's all behind me now--I just deal with the aches & pains, it was the hidden befit no one told you about while straining to reach those bell bolts. It was a job.
Boomers will be the last generation to know what it was like before computers & social media.
I'm at 41 and am in better shape than I ever was in my 20s and 30s. All my back pain went away with the gut/weight loss. It'll all fall off eventually (I'm in one hernia surgery in so far), but still WAY ahead of most of the guys I've worked with that are half my age and twice as broken.
So the OP, one post and gone. I guess HR couldn't handle the facts too well. Now we see why they have so much trouble finding people.
I called that on post #27.
HR person is expected to find dynamically positive solutions and circle back back to the huddle with a report chock-full of corporate buzz words, and a recruitment strategy. HR person realizes it’s a losing battle. The principle will not commit the resources. HR person is now updating their Indead profile and is considering a career in the trades.
Dropping about 80 lbs of unnecessary weight was what cured pretty much all my aches and pains. I could hardly get out of bed and walk across the bedroom in the mornings without terrible ankle and knee pain.
IDE like that Alaska gig if it were just me and the wife. We both are private people and love solitude. We both are nature lovers and prepares of sorts, but not survivalists. The bad thing is I’ve gotten to where the extreme heat and cold locks my body up something fierce. That alone would knock me out of any consideration
Carl's Jr. *
Forget productivity they need quality training and mentoring. You simply aren’t going to be productive during this process. You need to be far more worried they are learning to do the job right, learn the background classes that will teach them how the system operates, and learning good safe work habits The efficiency and productivity comes later. The #1 thing that pisses me off to hear from our managers is that they are more worried about productivity numbers of new techs than the techs learning their jobs. This 100% leads to the new apprentice tech getting stuck on PDIs and rental turns and never getting the bigger jobs.
Hurtin now. Our T&T guy had a heart attack last year. In his 50s. Went in last week for a check up, and put him in to install a defib. Took his truck license, and not getting them back, and might be off for another month. We don't have a lot of trucks, but they go steady, and need repairs, and service. Heavy equipment guys are trying to take the slack up, and it seems to be a bad week for that.
Both times when I started at a dealer (deere ag and cat) I was thrown to the wolves so to speak. After a week at each I was in to big jobs. Not saying I was a typical case. At the cat shop I never once heard about there numbers at deere it was a constant wining of get it done faster. Tho the shop I worked in at yellow was 99 percent power train rebuilds. Talk about over repetitive atleast to me.
All the promises of "factory training" and "investing in your future" during the interview go out the window for "productivity and "profitability" the minute you finish your week of (death by Powerpoint) online safety and harassment training.
The winters are rough and long. At the present time, it’s paradise. But, the days are getting shorter,…..
If he wasn't so white I'd think Truck Shop had found Vtech's lube man.
Hi there, Thanks for the suggestion! Partnering with the local Operating Engineer Union sounds like a fantastic idea, especially given the robust training programs they offer. The give-and-take relationship you described could definitely benefit both parties, providing us with well-trained apprentices and giving them valuable working experience. I understand the caveat about needing to unionize and the potential impact on pay rates and benefits packages. We'll need to carefully consider if this approach aligns with our long-term goals and regional specifics. It's great to hear that it can be a one-stop shop for skilled labor. Your advice is very helpful, and we'll explore this option further. Thanks again!
Hi there, Thank you for sharing your perspective! I completely understand where you're coming from. Balancing work and personal time is crucial, and providing flexible hours could indeed make a big difference in attracting and retaining employees. We’re exploring how to offer more flexibility in scheduling, especially for roles that might be less appealing. Your point about making sure the work environment is positive and respectful is spot on. A supportive, family-like atmosphere can go a long way in keeping employees happy and engaged. We’re also rethinking some of our policies to ensure they’re fair and accommodating. It’s clear that outdated practices need to be left behind if we want to build a motivated and loyal workforce. Thanks for your honest feedback and suggestions. They’re much appreciated!
Thanks for your insight! You’re right—paying more isn’t always a guarantee of attracting the best quality personnel. The idea of using sign-on bonuses with specific stipulations, like a year's service and no tardiness, is a smart approach. We’re definitely considering adding more structured incentives like this to our recruitment strategy. Your feedback is very helpful, and we appreciate the well-wishes! Thanks again!
Hi there, Thank you for sharing your experience and offering to help! It sounds like you have a wealth of knowledge in technician recruitment, which is exactly what we need. Your first tip on retaining the techs we already have is crucial and something we're actively working on. Improving our current employees' work environment and satisfaction is definitely a priority. As for your second tip, we hadn't considered actively recruiting from competitors, but it's an interesting strategy. We’d love to hear more about how you successfully implemented these tactics. Would it be possible to set up a time for a quick chat? Your insights could be invaluable for us. Thank you again for reaching out and offering your expertise! Looking forward to connecting.
It’s true that many proactive companies have established strong partnerships with educational institutions, and we’re aware that significant investments have been made to create successful programs like ThinkBig. We recognize the challenges of attracting young people to the industry, especially in the current post-Covid economy where the landscape has shifted. The issues with UA and background checks are also hurdles we need to address. While it may feel like the ship has sailed, we’re determined to find innovative ways to adapt and remain competitive. If you have any specific suggestions or insights on how we can navigate these changes, we’d love to hear them. Thanks again for your candid perspective.
We understand that it demands long hours, travel, and weekend work to truly connect with potential hires and make immediate, compelling offers. Empowering our recruiters to make on-the-spot provisional job offers and ensuring they can work effectively with shop managers, even overcoming biases, is something we’ll need to prioritize. Your practical advice is a valuable reminder that we need to be both proactive and flexible in our approach. We appreciate your candidness and your suggestions. If you have any additional tips or are open to further discussion, we’d love to continue this conversation. Thanks again for your time and expertise!
I understand your frustration, and it’s clear that the current situation is challenging. We’re aware of the difficulties and are committed to finding solutions, even if the outlook seems bleak. If you have any further insights or strategies that you think could help us navigate these tough times, we’re all ears.
Hi there, Thanks for sharing your experience. It's definitely a valid concern—recruiting from competitors can have its downsides. The situation you described, with a tech moving back and forth, shows how this strategy can sometimes backfire, leading to instability and frustration for everyone involved. We’ll take this into consideration and tread carefully if we decide to pursue this approach. Your firsthand account is a valuable reminder that while attracting skilled workers is important, stability and long-term commitment are equally crucial. Appreciate your input and the real-world example. It helps us understand the potential pitfalls better. Thanks again!
I hear you both, and it’s hard not to feel discouraged with the current state of things. The challenges of training new hires only to face legal or personal issues down the line can make it seem like a losing battle. It’s incredibly frustrating to invest time and resources only to see it potentially wasted. That said, I still believe there's a way forward. Maybe focusing on more comprehensive background checks, offering support programs for personal issues, or even partnering with external training providers could help mitigate some of these risks. It’s not a perfect solution, but every little bit helps. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It’s a tough reality, but having these conversations is a step in the right direction. Hang in there, and let's keep brainstorming solutions together.
That sounds like a really effective approach from PIA Avionics School back then. Having someone dedicated to selling the school and facilitating job placements was clearly a smart strategy. It's impressive that they managed to achieve a hiring rate of 100% for their graduates. Times have certainly changed, but there’s still a lot we can learn from such success stories. Thanks for sharing this piece of history—it’s inspiring to hear how things were done in the past to ensure such high success rates.
I totally get where you're coming from. Recruiting technicians is a whole different ballgame that requires someone who really knows the ropes. It’s not just about familiarity with hiring in general—it’s about understanding the specific skills and traits that make a great technician.
Wow, that sounds like an incredible journey! It must have been so fulfilling to be part of such impactful initiatives and meet so many interesting people along the way. Having a supportive boss, perks like box seats at ECHL Steelhead games, and a corner office definitely add to the experience. Hiring over 300 techs in just two years and pioneering programs like ThinkBig and a dealership tech training system is truly impressive. It sounds like you made a significant mark in your career during that time.
Hey, it sounds like you’ve really got your priorities sorted out. Balancing your day job with your family’s excavating shop and side gigs shows your dedication and commitment. Having a job that offers decent pay, benefits, and a truck, along with a reasonable schedule, makes total sense. Flexibility for those occasional emergencies without making every week chaotic is key to keeping a good work-life balance. Finding that perfect 2 on 2 off schedule might be a challenge, but knowing what works best for you is half the battle. Here’s hoping you find a job that ticks all those boxes! Thanks for sharing your thoughts—it’s refreshing to hear someone who knows what they want and isn’t afraid to say it.
Hey everyone! we came across something called Vizalogix ( https://www.vizalogix.com/ ) . It’s supposed to help with parts browsing, service scheduling, and technician selection through an app i think that's called Technician Now. Has anyone here had any experience with Vizalogix? We’re curious to hear if it’s helped streamline operations or improve service request management and technician dispatch. Any feedback or insights would be really helpful as we consider our options. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts!
Thanks for some details on this. Very interesting, and also a disappointment to hear about.
The program is still on the books and available for any company who wants to use it. I’m probably the only person left in Alaska that is familiar with it. Everyone else involved has retired or left the state. On the other side of the coin, why get the state and Feds involved with your technician development? There was an incentive when we began the program. The state was paying 1/2 of the salary for the first year of the apprenticeship. And a tool stipend. Even with the incentives, nobody was interested, except the few exceptions I mentioned before.
Here is another trick for recruiting high quality, young people who are serious about a Technician career: Get involved with your local FFA chapter with an Agricultural Mechanic program and the post-secondary equivalent. Also, get involved with your state and local SkilksUSA secondary and post-secondary chapters. Attend the awards ceremony at both the regional, state and national competitions. I would provide provisional job offers to every Bronze, Silver and Gold medal, a scholarship and a slot in the ThinkBig program. The best of the best. But, then again. We are talking about a five to seven year investment. Tens of thousands of dollars of technician development. Can your organization absorb that? Will the young technician stay? Or, will the contractor down the street, maybe your customer?, offer them a $7 dollar raise and a new F-150? Can you retain them? I’ll stay in contact with the Tech and poach them after you get them profitable.
ThinkBig Groupies. It’s a thing. I’ve seen contractors use young women to lure ThinkBig graduates away from dealerships.
I’ve been following along as this thread developed and before I ask this, forgive me if it’s already been asked and answered. Say there’s a tech in Oklahoma, 30 or so years of mixed experience with trucks, cranes, heavy equipment, drill rigs and compact equipment. What’s an offer look like for somebody like that? On the flip side, what’s an offer for a good apprentice to work alongside a journeyman mechanic? By offer I mean wages, benefits (traditional medical etc), other benefits like tool allowance company truck etc. For the sake of this example let’s assume clean background, clean CDL, good people skills etc.
Around here, on the road system, probably $50 to $67hr, health/dental insurance, 401k, FSA, tool allowance, uniforms, a pair of boots, maybe a pickup, $5-10k relocation package. 2 weeks vaca the first year. 9-11 holidays. Off the road system, close to the same. Maybe a lesser wage, more O\T and double time. Three hots and a cot. Transportation from ANC or FAI. Tools may be supplied. If housing costs keeps skyrocketing. Which they will. And the housing shortage continues. Nobody will be able to move here. We will see company supplied housing. North Dakota man camp style. And a non-indigenous, transit work force. Like the last time this happened. I know three companies planning ahead and assembling man camps in my immediate location.
I’m curious to see what their expectations are wage vs experience. I’m not necessarily looking but I wouldn’t turn down a great deal. Tx is a lot closer than AK but sometimes $ talks!
Recruiting is every where--head hunters, even my old company, $500 to any driver that lassos anyone. One driver made 2k extra in one month during 2022.
Start applying and negotiating. You could commute. Do a 2x2 or 3x3. For example, the Cat dealer would put you at a mine. Greens creek, Red Dog, Ft. Knox. Or, the oil patch. Or, a power-systems guy could go to Dutch Harbor.
They’re everywhere for sure. I wouldn’t spend 5 minutes with one that didn’t understand what they’re hiring. Been through that. They either work from a cheat sheet of wages that aren’t even close to right and can’t budge. Or they promise the world and don’t deliver ****. I’m at the age if I made a change I want to make some real $ and remove a lot of extra stuff from life.
I wouldn’t mind something like that. Know when you’re workin and know when you aren’t so you could relax. Workin for the drilling company I never could. Phone rang all the time, Sunday included. Now that I’m on my own I have some control but I’m also friendly with the guys so I cant’t always say no. Planned 40 hour weeks end up being 60 before you know it.
Check out Alaska-Santos. Their project is the largest domestic oil field development in the last 30 years. I don’t have the inside scoop on wages, but Ziprecruiter states the average Alaska-Santos wage and benefit package is $186,548 /year. You will make more money at a dealer, IBEW contract or a Teamsters 959 bacon gig, vs a producer. But, a Santos, Hicorp or ConocoPhillips gig has advantages. AT&T has some good mechanic jobs.
From what I looked at the Cat dealer up there shows the highest potential hourly, some aren’t any better than down here and some don’t show anything. It’s interesting to look into. Do you have any connections up there that would get me talking to somebody that could tell me what to really expect?
Few years ago I had a recruiter contact me Wanted me to be the sole mechanic for a ground stabilization crew, working on the drills like you do and their other stuff One of the requirements was to be able to rig stuff until parts got in Ok, sounds good. They said what’s your wage requirement, I named $35/hr, was making $28. This was right before it all went nuts in costs so $35 was good money. They wanted to pay me the same. But by god they needed somebody yesterday and were desperate. The recruiter did NOT appreciate me telling her that $35/hr was chump change for the skills they wanted and that expecting me to lateral away from my dealership position where I didn’t have to rig stuff until parts showed up was laughable.
A company came to were i lived and did a 4 month job. I worked for them while they were here. They ask if i wanted to go to another job some where . I thought i would try it. I never heard back from them. One day i heard on the radio they were hiring i called . The person said i dont know why they didnt set you up with another job and would call me back. They called back with a job several hours away and i needed to be there tomorrow ? I told them i would need a day or so. They got all upset and ask if i need a job or not? I told them i guess not.
Depending on what sort of jobs that need to be done. If say it is an operator, maybe some would like to be an owner operator of said type of machine? I would have jumped at that in the day. If there is a need to fill a mechanic job of sorts, like jobs scheduled out say a month or more, consider older retired sorts that would like to work at home, on components, like engines, transmissions etc. Some what similar to what Truck Shop does. Like I said things need to change in all the industry's. In this day and age, in some areas of the country commuting to a place of work can be a very dangerous thing.
I think that at it's core this industry isn't much different than any other industry. Leadership is the number one reason people leave their jobs. I've been in this industry for 24 years in various capacities at the manufacturers, dealers and end user levels. All but one job I left has been because of leadership. Company culture is huge in any industry, but I feel like it's even more so in the construction industry. This is a 24/7 industry, but my commitment to it as an employee shouldn't be required to be 24/7. I've worked places where I would work 60-70hrs in a 5 day week then my employer expected me to be be on call for the weekends without any kind of compensation for it. I have also worked places where we were expected to be there at 7 then we would wait around to get dispatched until like 10. Now my day is 3 hours behind from the get go. You are already at work more then you are with your family and not having a "solid " schedule puts a huge strain on trying to have any kind of life outside of work. There's some kind of ideology that if you aren't working 30 hours a day you're wrong. If you add bad leadership on top of that you're going to have a hard time keeping people. Reputations get around in this industry. If I'm looking for a new job and I see the same company constantly hiring, I going to assume they are a bad place to work. That's going to keep anyone that's even remotely qualified from applying. As far as trying to hire people I would say that you need to focus on creating a great place to work. Good leadership. Invest in the employees and the tools they need to do their job. Respect them and their time. It's something you'll never get back. In this everchanging (for the worst) labor market you have to show you're serious from the get go. There was a company offering $10k hiring bonuses plus above all the "industry standard" perks in the area. This was even before the market went wacky. I haven't seen that they have been hiring very often since. I went to a large brand dealership the other day to get some parts. They had a sign on the door showing their new service rates. $210 an hour. There's also been a permanent "Hiring Techs" sign that has been up as long as I can remember. Their job posting has the pay range and $25-30 an hour, and a perks list from like 10 years ago. The local market is getting close to double that. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that they aren't getting any quality applicants. They don't seem very serious about what there employees. Create a great company culture and it will keep your current employees and give you the reputation of a great place to work. That reputation and culture will bring quality applicants in the future. One of the things I've seen in many different types of industries is companies want to be serious about what they do until they find out what it actually takes to be serious, then it's "well we'll make do with the way it is." It's not cheap, but it's worth the cost if you do it right. Company culture and leadership is something that I am very passionate about and can talk a long time about, I'll leave it there.
RWC is spending some dollars on recruitment. I haven’t seen qualitative data that digital adds work. It’s more an act of desperation. One trick that does work is determine what the popular morning radio show is. Then, saturate the morning commute with advertising for 3-5 days. Invite the advertising manager to visit your facility and a DJ. Pay the DJ to talk about the cool stuff your business does. ( Except, if your shop is a dirty, dark, greasy dungeon and your equipment came over on the Mayflower. Then, this won’t work). I’ve done it twice in Boise and once in Anchorage and successfully recruited 5-6 journey-level techs, combined. There was some chaff to separate.
The permanent help wanted sign is a red flag. Especially, the sun faded banners hanging on the fence. 7-11 days max, then take it down.
One particular outfit I’m aware of that appears to have a handle on recruitment is aggreko. I considered a career change into EPG in 2014. They needed a local guy and I was very impressed with their recruitment process. Of course, as you all know, I decided to become a full -time rabbit grower, instead. Funny where life takes you,….. Watch their recruitment videos and look at their processes. I think an energetic HR professional could learn some tricks from aggreko.
Well (rolls eyes, kicks rocks, looks at the sky), what works if I hypothetically know about someone who might have a situation, which may resemble this?
My goodness.
WHAT!?!?!?! Why is everyone looking at ME now......
EPG, no thanks not in the field anyway. I've seen some bad places those things can be installed at. Some places you wouldn't want to be alone at. Then saying nothing about being alone and touching the wrong thing, getting hooked up, and sparks flying.
Haha, welcome to my world. Worked at mountaintop sites in MT looking over my shoulder for bears or cats, worked in the desert in UT and NV watching for snakes (and the rodents hiding from them), and worked in the cities looking over my shoulder for crackheads and watching for needles and/or human ****. Honestly the electricity becomes the least of your worries.
That Alaska gig sounds pretty sweet. I'd have been all over that a couple years ago. Hard to do the shift work lifestyle when you've put down roots somewhere.
Crackheads scare me more than wildlife.
X2. Without a doubt.
I was up in glacier national Park years ago, when some rangers started to run around with shotguns, after a too friendly grizzly showed up. Was talking to a ranger afterwards, and asked him if we should be worried about grizzlies. He turned and with a straight face: " I wouldn't worry about bears, I worry about mountain lions..." I started whistling when I walked that very day
I am looking at a picture of a grizzly I took yrs ago that is framed on our wall. I was about 200 feet away from him. I have been equally close to to a mountain lion though we never saw it. We saw the tracks in the snow when we came down the hill about 5 minutes after we went up. That was one of the few times the hair on my neck stood up. We spent a lot of time in the last few months in downtown Vancouver on the skid row end of town. I am wary of the crackheads but my neck hair doesn’t react like it did for the mountain lion. Cam
The only cougars I'll mess with are the ones with money and mansions in the suburbs.
Here is the answer to the recruitment issue. This photo is from a buddy of mine in Maine. That’s actually kinda smart and tacky at the same time.
The culture and the administration of this country has made most of the younger generation feel like the only work they should do is go to the mailbox for a check. But we always paid about 30 to 40% more than any other logging company around. By doing that, when a good one came along they would stay long-term. There is a truck driver that dad hired before I started working in the woods over 35 years ago.