The secret to a great plumbing business is finding and hiring great plumbing technicians. Since your customers will be face-to-face with your plumbers, you’ll want to make sure you’re staffing your team with the best you can find. Keep reading for 5 tips for hiring the best plumbing technicians.
After reading this article, you’ll know:
- Where to look for great plumbing technicians
- How to phrase your recruiting pitch to attract top talent
- How to introduce great plumbing techs to your business so they stay happy
Recruiting Great Plumbing Technicians
1. Go digital with job openings
Research and plan which platforms you’ll post openings to find the best candidates:
We recommend starting your search for the best plumbing technicians on Facebook.
There’s also a large field service presence on Facebook, which lends itself to candidates accessing the site to stay in contact with companies seeking to fill positions.
LinkedIn has blossomed into its own fully-formed social media site as well, and many of the same techniques for recruiting can find a home on this site as well.
You’ll likely find plenty of crossover in users between Facebook and LinkedIn, so feel free to use similar ad copy between the two.
Twitter works best with a short burst announcement seeking candidates, then embed a link to either the Facebook or LinkedIn recruitment ad for maximum reach.
2. Referral Programs
Referral programs work for employees as much as they do for customers!
You have likely already found success in offering incentives to your existing customers who refer new business to you.
Use this same tactic internally to promote an environment of excitement to find the best plumbing candidates.
Consider the perks of a referral candidate:
- Free swag to the incoming new hire
- Extra PTO days for the existing employee that referred them
- Even a bonus or spiff, if the business is able, makes a great incentive to offer up qualified candidates
Interviewing & Hiring Great Plumbing Technicians
3. Take a chance on apprentices
Being a great plumbing technician requires more than work experience. Sometimes greenhorns can surprise you, and you may find a diamond in the rough if you post open positions on bulletin boards at trade schools or in trade-focused social media groups.
We’ll discuss more about finding these hidden gems during the interview process below.
Aside from building a strong professional bond with younger, less experienced plumbing technicians. You’ll also be able to train an impressionable worker on your processes and way of doing things.
You’ll find less resistance to accepting policies and procedures unique to your company when you hire less experienced candidates.
4. Interview tips to discover hidden gems
Danny Meyer talks of the 51% quotient of any candidate. There’s the technical abilities all employees must have to successfully complete the tasks of the position. But then there’s the human aspect, the emotional intelligence and adaptability that’s impossible to teach.
He reveals the top five attributes that these “51-percenters” all share:
- Optimistic warmth
- Intelligence (including EQ, not just IQ)
- Work ethic
- Empathy
- Self-awareness / Integrity
This is the 51% of the pie that elevates a good candidate to a great one.
Interviewing is your opportunity to discover the depths of this 51% of the candidate that doesn’t quite reveal itself on a rundown of employment history or resume.
Other key soft skills include:
- Punctuality
- Presentation
- Personality
Don’t expect every candidate to come dressed in a finely tailored suit, but do take note of how they dress as an indicator of their respect level for prospective employers.
Have each candidate walk you through a common fix. Make sure they explain it to you as if you were a customer.
No deep jargon or tech lingo. Just basic explanations that help ease the customer’s mind that the fix is manageable and affordable.
As much as plumbers are skilled tradespeople, they are still the front lines of your sales force when they’re onsite. It helps to screen for that ability while assessing candidates.
Download our FREE Plumber Hiring Guide to SUPERCHARGE recruitment for your plumbing business!
5. Set your hires up for success
In order to have the best chance at retaining top talent. Make sure your people leaders understand the value in fully activating their direct reports.
Routinely check in on new hires during their first few months to make sure they feel fully engaged in their role. Regular 1-1 meetings are a great opportunity to get a pulse on employees.
Everyone wants to feel heard, and if a small irritant can be addressed and resolved early, you may save your best plumbing technicians from running for the hills, or worse, your competitors!
Find the Best Plumbing Technicians TODAY
Every business is hunting for the best plumbing technicians. Your competitors will just as quickly snap up qualified candidates, so it’s important to know:
- What to say
- Where to look
- How to interview
- How to lead a team
These tips should put your plumbing business on the course for growth and success. You’ll be able to build a team of great plumbing technicians to satisfy your growing customer base for years to come.
