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by MEP Jobs
When it comes to hiring new talent, many HVAC business owners value
experience over all other qualifications on a prospective employee’s
resume. Not only does employing a veteran of the industry improve the
quality of the company’s craftsmanship and reputation, it requires less
investment in training.
However, senior-level prospects bring a bit of baggage to the interview
process, as they are often accustomed to the hefty benefits package of
yesterday. And for a lot of employers, offering these kinds of packages
is no longer a possibility.
But there’s good news for employers who find themselves torn between the
affordable worker and the practiced employee. As it turns out, many
HVAC-industry job seekers are coming to understand the effects of rising
healthcare costs. The result is that they are placing more emphasis on
qualitative benefits, such as enjoyment of their work, than on the more
traditional, financial benefits.
From the Horse’s Mouth
Earlier this spring, MEP Jobs, the online job website for HVAC
professionals, polled its users, asking them to identify the best
incentives an employer could offer them. Surprisingly, survey
respondents chose “Interesting Work” as often as “Full Health Benefits.”
Together, the two factors accounted for 41 percent of the votes (20
percent for health benefits; 21 percent for interesting work),
surpassing “A Fat Paycheck” by five percentage points.
Although “A Fat Paycheck” ranked highest in responses, the survey
results clearly indicate that employees are placing more emphasis on
enjoyment of their work than in previous years.
While the survey responders were anonymous, they are most likely senior
workers. That’s because most MEP Jobs users are experienced. More than
80 percent have worked in their field for more than 10 years; nearly 40
percent have more than 15 years in the industry.
Conduct Your Own Employee Survey
There are several ways HVAC employers can leverage this shift in
priorities among job seekers, especially veteran prospects.
First, every effort should be made to provide employees with access to
stimulating projects. Because each employee may have a different idea of
what makes a job exciting, business owners should create a culture that
encourages team members to share their ideas.
Opening up the lines of communications with employees is key to
providing team members with a rewarding career. Employers often guess at
what employees are looking for because it's easier than engaging them in
a brainstorming process. Not only does surveying employees take more
time, it may also, employers fear, reveal more than they want to know.
In addition to asking employees for their ideal project recommendations,
employers should get their teams’ opinions on tools and processes. After
all, it is often the employees who are most tapped in to the latest
materials and gear, methods and practices. Providing them with such
contemporary tools of the trade will not only improve the work product,
but the employees’ pride in the results of their labor.
Gratitude is Contagious
Beyond access to modern tools and stimulating projects, business owners
should consider the value of communicating client gratitude to the
entire team. When a customer is pleased, he typically thanks only the
person with whom he’s had contact from the start, and this may not be
the employee who completed the physical labor on the job. Sharing the
customer’s kind words with the entire crew can go a long way in the
fight to keep a senior employee satisfied with his job.
Happiness on the job often has a lot to do with happiness off the job.
We hear a lot about work-life balance, and employers need to pay
attention to American workers’ call for more flexibility in their
schedules. Consider offering flex hours or surprise employees who have
worked overtime (even if they are being paid for those extra hours) with
an afternoon off.
Getting Creative with Incentives
Another alternative to a hefty benefits package is employee-recognition
incentives. Personalized, non-cash awards, such as gift certificates,
trips, golf clubs or home electronics, have a great impact in the mind
of the employee.
Incentive programs can also be designed to achieve greater results for
the company as a whole. All employees should have an opportunity to
participate, as each person plays an integral role in contributing to
the success of a company.
Loyal employees who are recognized for their contributions feel valued
by their employer, which builds a stable foundation for a company’s
success.
Show Me the Money!
While our research indicates an increase in the emphasis employees place
on qualitative benefits, workers still need to feel adequately
compensated. Although employers may not be able to offer the health
benefits they once could, they can compensate in other fiscal areas.
Take retirement benefits for example. Particularly appealing to the
senior-level prospects HVAC employers want on their teams, a vigorous
retirement package can be a satisfactory supplement for
less-than-stellar health plans.
According to the eighth annual Transamerica Retirement Survey reported
on in February, 62 percent of employees surveyed said they would leave
their job for a similar position with an employer that offered a
retirement plan.
Instead of dwelling on what we can’t offer and getting creative about
what we can, we improve our chances for attracting a happy and
productive work force. Satisfied employees are a company’s best asset
when it comes to recruiting the kinds of employees who make for a
successful business.
Jeff Dickey-Chasins is Vice President of Marketing for MEP Jobs, the
leading job website serving the HVAC, electrical, plumbing and general
construction industries.
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