He says that as a building science nerd who has successfully integrated that into his HVAC company, he has seen success in attracting people. Worley Home Services currently has between 80 and 85 employees and is on track to hit around $14 million in gross sales.
Chuck attributes much of that to his marketing (for customers and employees) and providing home services customers need, from HVAC to plumbing and electrical, to geothermal, space encapsulation, spray foam insulation, and more.
Attracting the Next Generation
The panel agreed that recruiting fresh talent into the HVAC industry requires a proactive approach. Chad Simpson of Simpson Salute says his company grew rapidly from $3.5 million to a projected $29 million in just a few years. One of his secrets? “Thinking beyond traditional recruiting methods.”
Simpson explains, “We’ve had success recruiting from trade schools and companies like Xerox and Spectrum. The people from these industries are already trained in technical skills and customer service. We provide the HVAC-specific training.”
Simpson’s company started as a one-person shop and today has around 100 employees.
Worley takes a different approach, focusing on high school outreach. “I go to all the high schools and their shop classes wearing these crazy outfits so the kids remember me. I want them thinking about our industry when they graduate.”
Bryan Orr pointed out the need to show young people the financial benefits of working in the trades. “I tell them how some of our techs earn $100,000 annually. Suddenly, their ears perk up. They realize there’s a real career path here.”
Panelist Tom Hearn, a third-generation owner and general manager of a smaller HVAC company, says they emphasize looking beyond traditional trade-school pipelines.
“We recruit people from outside the industry and develop them,” he says. “About 20-25% of our staff at any time are apprentices. With the right training and onboarding, they become highly skilled techs in a short amount of time.”
The Technology Factor
Another factor that helps bring young people into HVAC is technology. Simpson says a lot of that includes tools like measureQuick™, The Energy Conservatory’s TrueFlow® Grid, and even manifold gauges, which young people see as cool. It attracts them and helps keep them engaged.”
And then there is the idea that you must always be recruiting. Tom Hearn talked about having a recruiter who goes out to meet people in different industries.
“There are so many similarities between mechanics and welders and all the different types of technicians. It is very relevant to bring them into the HVAC industry, help them learn the tech and your culture, and set them up to meet your standards quickly.”
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