Changing habits is one of the biggest challenges. Many technicians with years of experience have never tested a system in their lives. They are used to swapping boxes and moving on.

When we bring someone new into the fold, we look less at their resume and more at their willingness to learn. A technician with curiosity, humility, mechanical aptitude, and good communication skills is far more valuable than someone resistant to change.

We don’t maintain rigid, formal career ladders, but there is an informal progression that works for us very well. Technicians usually start with installation, where they learn the fundamentals.

From there they move into maintenance, and eventually they grow into service roles that require deeper diagnostic and high-performance thinking.

The growth is easy to see, especially when a technician finishes a new install, runs a commissioning report, and sees a measureQuick score above 90%. They light up. That sense of pride reinforces everything we’re trying to build.

Recruiting and Retaining the Right People

Recruiting the right people is essential to maintaining our culture. Our company has grown rapidly — from $1.2 million to $4.38 million in a single year. That kind of growth forces you to be intentional about who you bring onto the team. We hire people who are willing to buy into a performance mindset, who value honesty, and who want to be part of a team that holds itself accountable.

Our service manager Steve Jones, who has deep experience in both plumbing and HVAC, conducts most of the interviews. He is also an NCI guy! He asks questions that reveal whether candidates understand — or are at least open to understanding — performance testing.

One thing that’s even more important than technical knowledge is a candidate’s attitude. We watch for signs of genuine curiosity, a willingness to be coached, and the ability to communicate well with customers.

Many techs claim they do combustion testing or airflow diagnostics, but when questioned further, they often cannot interpret the numbers. That tells us everything we need to know.

Furthermore, we offer strong benefits, including 100% family medical coverage regardless of family size and a six percent 401(k) match.

Those benefits certainly help attract people, but they don’t guarantee a good cultural fit.

During on-boarding, the entire team observes new hires and provides feedback to leadership. It’s not about hazing — it’s about protecting an environment we’ve worked hard to build.

When someone resists accountability or isolates themselves, it quickly becomes clear that they’re not aligned with our values.
But when someone leans in, participates, asks questions, and embraces the testing mindset, they fit right in.

We truly have an amazing team.

Communication, Accountability and Leadership

High-Performance HVAC work requires constant communication. Before any installation job, I perform load calculations through Conduit Tech and run a measureQuick test to establish the baseline performance. I then share every detail with the installation team so they know exactly what they’re walking into.

Click Below for the Next Page: