Topic: Where do you find good maintenance techs?

We've been having trouble finding good maintenance techs, so I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share their thoughts or advise?

• Where/how do you advertise or find them?
• How do you evaluate their skills & work ethic before hiring?

Thanks in advance for any feedback

I am really looking forward to seeing feedback on this topic. It seems like alot of people are superstars for the first few weeks/months and then the change happens. I am not saying that happens with all maintenance staff because I have had some great ones BUT I have also had ones that there is NO WAY their references could have been telling the truth!

We have done working interviews, and even then you can't always tell if they are truly capable or just able to fake their way thru a few hours. Craigslist, Indeed, Monster, Staffing agencies...... I have tried them all.

It seems this is an issue across the states. If your having issues using venues like craigslist you might want to try an employment agency. They'll have techs that have been working for them on temp assignments that they'll know their skills and work habits. Some that specialize in apartments are BG Staffing and Liberty Staffing. I've been a property manager for over 13 years and know the challenges of finding an amazing staff. Hang in there you'll find the right people for your community!

Craigslist can be a good choice, but many techs are not online looking for jobs. Try posting ads in your local newspapers; believe it or not, techs are still reading want ads for jobs. We have also established a good relationship with the local tech colleges to get recent graduates. Finally, go hit your local hardware stores; Home Depot, Lowes, and Ace Hardware all have collections of business cards for local handymen, and many of those guys are more than willing to come to work in our business rather than be on their own. As an industry, we can offer these guys all kinds of benefits that they are currently missing out on.

As for evaluating their skills, you need to be asking the right questions during the interview process. Don't just ask them if they have their own tools, ask what their favorite tool is and why. Ask which is their least favorite and why. Ask if their is something they wish they had and why. These answers will give you insight into their skill set; for instance whether they prefer carpentry over plumbing. Then pair them up with a Supervisor for the day. In some markets, we actually just pay them for the day, as sort of a "try-out" for the position. Finally, if you don't have a super that can help you through the process, a company like Chadwell or HD Supply is more than willing to help you "test" a tech's knowledge.

I just opened a new property and have 2 more opening up in the next year or so. I head hunted 1 guy from my previous employer but was spending more time interviewing than I had for the rest. I resorted to calling a temp agency for Maintenance Techs. It both gave me the help I needed at the time and allowed me to evaluate their skills on the job without going through the hiring process.... When I found the one I wanted I had 2 choices, pay a hiring fee or let them work for 3 months (paying the temp agency) then hire them on permanently without the fee.

A few down sides were I couldn't let them run service calls until I found the guy I wanted and get him uniforms. Most of the Temps are Temps for a reason so the quality isn't there (I went through 4 techs in 2 weeks before I got a quality tech). Cost of a Temp is usually higher than hiring outright per hour.

Other places I started to look were local trade schools, if you can find a Tech graduating or in HVAC classes chances are you will be able to teach them to do plumbing, painting, ect. Same with Plumbing classes and electrical. There is a huge skills gap and to find a good all around Maintenance Tech is either hard to find or cost beyond what most Property's are willing to pay (A good HVAC tech can make $25-30hr in the field, why would they come work for minimum wage or just above at an apartment community?). I'm in the DC market so our wages are a little different than most but I can't get Techs in for interviews unless we are in the $16-20.00hr rage... and that's for entry level Techs.

We have the same issue here in North West Arkansas. They are putting up properties faster than you can find techs. All of my techs over the last three years I have hired has been with NO experience. I have had to train them all.

I find temp services not affiliated with the multifamily industry to be a waste of time and money. The agencies tell the workers they'll be hired and when you as an employer find they lack the real skills to work on your property, many last a day or two and were not worth the effort on your part. What would be ideal is if the technical schools and community colleges would create a Multifamily Tech Certificate Program that trains the tech in all aspects of the job, including customer service, fair housing and all those online training classes companies require through Grace Hill. It could be a 12-month program. I never understand why this hasn't happened.

Second, because construction is booming, so many of our techs simply feel underpaid and underappreciated so they leave to either work construction or open their own "Handyman Service." If the techs are paid better and felt better appreciated, perhaps this wouldn't happen.

Third, if you are in a small area (and it IS a small world) techs are like bumblebees buzzing to the next community when they feel bored or want more money. So, make sure if this is happens and you hire someone from another property, they don't leave after the next best offer comes in. Word of mouth, networking, and putting out the word through social media seem to be the way I find those I want to hire.

Trying to find a technician that is already skilled can be a challenge. If the property is looking, don't hang your requirements on only 1 skill or qualification and be ready to be a little flexible. Here are some possible suggestions I've seen work in my travels:

Consider the pay scale offered. Technicians are currently repeating "you get what you pay for". The reverse side of that is: "If the employer is only willing to pay $, and expect $$$$ work, what's in it for me? (How much value will they place on me as a person?)That can work as a disadvantage as well. If an employee is being paid $$$$ and is only challenged $, they can get bored and look for new challenges or opportunities that another community can offer.

Apartment maintenance has more to offer technicians than just money. Differences from construction or contractor work are things like: Year round constant employment (Contractors can hire seasonally and at the end of the season, let their workforce go till their next busy time.) Benefits, Insurance, Stability (same work location, conditions), Training, Opportunities for advancement, Technology, etc... Market these differences in the interviewing process.

Insurance: If the property is looking for stability, consider offering a insurance plan that has benefits beyond the employee, such as spouse and/or children benefits. Studies show that employees with families are more stable.

Think outside the box in regards to certification/certificate requirements. An example is the EPA certification for refrigerants. If a community is looking for a technician, and they want that certification, make one of the terms of employment that they tech will become certified within 90 days (or a reasonable time period). There are many tasks that a tech can perform without the credential that can be of benefit. If the tech can't even get in the door without the credential, they could move to a different trade or career path.

Consider flexible or non-traditional hours for positions: If a non-resident facing position is having difficulty finding candidates, maybe someone looking to moonlight in evening or early morning work can fill the role. Tasks such as painting, turning apartments, or policing the grounds could be performed during this time. This could have the side benefit as these part time techs could respond "on site" to emergencies faster than the normal tech position as they are already at the property when the service technician is at home.

If a community has a "rotating door" technician position, review the opportunities that the maintenance staff has had for personal growth. If your office staff is seen by the maintenance staff as continually being able to go to classes/education opportunities, and the techs can not leave or the office staff is able to leave at lunchtime and maintenance must (or has the impression that they must) stay to handle emergencies; resentment can form.

In addition to multifamily employment agencies already mentioned, try local religious organizations/civic groups. Many of these have "job boards" or "career opportunities" that can spread the word of an opening.

May I send you my resume? I've been out of work for over a year and you folks are saying that you're having a hard time finding people like me. Huh????

The reason that apartment managers can't find a good maintenance person is because third party managers can't tell a good one from a bad one, and they won't admit it.

How many apartment mangers (who may just as well have been fluffy bunnies for all they knew about maintenance) have I interviewed with? And I'm still out of work. Forgive me for venting here but, Jeeze!

In my home state of Washington there is a law which says that in order to be a third party management company someone in the firm has to have a Real Estate Broker's license. It takes at least two years to get that license and so not a lot of people bother. Real estate people already have the license, so why not. That leaves real estate sales people in sole charge of running apartments not because they know anything but because they are the only ones allowed to. What does real estate sales have to do with running an apartment complex? Well, if you know please tell me.

As a result we have folks who know absolutely nothing about apartments (Apartments: those big things that people live in) who are the only ones allowed to be in charge. That's why they can't hire a good maintenance person. It takes a good maintenance professional to hire a good maintenance professional. If your state has a similar law you're probably in the same boat.

Doesn't that explain everything?

Paul wrote:

Think outside the box in regards to certification/certificate requirements. An example is the EPA certification for refrigerants.

Good call, except there are four different EPA certifications under EPA 608. Type I, II, III and Universal. Universal can work on anything. Type I is small appliances with under 5 lbs. of refrigerant such as refrigerators and window air conditioners. Type II is for bigger things such as Heat Pumps but does not include small appliances and also requires that you have some rather expensive machines available to the tech. Type III is for big chillers and such found in office buildings. If he/she needs to have such certification within 90 days of hire, the tech is reasonably going to expect the employer to pay for the training not to mention the spendy machine.

You can't depend on a resume. The building(s) that the potential new hire was working in before may have nothing in common with your building. In general, the older the building the smarter and more creative the maintenance person has to be. There aren't a lot of replacement parts for something made in the 1940's. He/she will have to Make-do and improvise. That's not going to show up on a resume. Don't look for a "Team" player, maintenance people spend the vast majority of their time alone.

The maintenance person is the face of your company that the tenants most often see. Management is something that they would rather not deal with and just gets in the way. Most of them are mad at the office for promising or seeming to promise something at lease signing that was never delivered, or about an evil clause that was buried somewhere in the gigantic lease document that a leasing consultant "Walked them through" rather than allowing them to read. Anyway, they likely feel cheated. Well they do! They need a maintenance person that they can like, not necessarily one that you like.

If you have a new and well built apartment complex (I saw that in a dream once) you may have very specific needs and only those needs. In that case you might be well off with a "dim bulb" type person who can paint and pick up around the dumpsters. Anything outside of those parameters you'll need to call a vendor. If that's what is needed, then that's what you should hire. A "dim bulb" person will be happy with any job and not aspire further, guaranteeing longevity in the job.

If you need a non-"dim bulb" person, forget the resume. Ask them about their hobbies. They should have artistic and scientific interests if you need a go-to guy/gal. A few basic plumbing questions such as "In general what is the minimum slope of a waste pipe?" or "Could you compare and contrast traditional copper soldering with Shark-Bite type fittings?" If that doesn't throw him/her for a loop then he/she probably knows his/her stuff.

As for electrical knowledge, that seems to have been taken out of the hands of maintenance. Check with your own jurisdiction. In my home state of Washington, it seems that maintenance people working for third party managements are not allowed to touch wires. Replacing a fifty five cent light switch now calls for a licensed electrician at huge expense. If you live in a less stupid state, you might ask the potential employee why you shouldn't use the push connectors on the back of the switch or receptacle.

How do you keep a maintenance person? A little respect wouldn't hurt. Recognize that they are not the Genie of the lamp at your command but people with limitations. As a manager, think it through first. Don't insist that they do something that is obviously stupid. E.g. Ask them put in a bed of beauty-bark in a desert area that has 70 mph winds. Don't treat them like an easily replaceable cog in a machine. It takes a long time to acquire the many skill sets in the many trades necessary to their job. Acknowledge their value. Mention the outstanding job that they are doing to upper management. Offer job incentives such as possible promotion into management after 3 years of service or the like. An unexpected little bonus for service above and beyond might be a good thing.