When hiring utility contracting employees, most business owners look for skills or experience during the hiring process. 

These are critical and important things to consider, obviously. However, there are equally important traits, often overlooked, that can impact the success of your company. 

Here are three traits you should always take into consideration when hiring new technicians for your pumping or plumbing company so you can find quality workers who will become long-lasting members of your team.

Adaptability

Unexpected issues and challenges occur on the job site. What starts out simple may turn into a more complex issue requiring extensive repairs. Employees must have the flexibility to work within these conditions and know what to do on the spot. Those who show the ability to adapt and are flexible in difficult situations make sure the job isn’t just a patch job, but the full issue gets fixed no matter the cause or issue.

Being adaptable on the job includes quick thinking, and the ability to adjust plans on the fly without sacrificing safety or the quality of work your company provides. Being adaptable to the situation allows an employee to move and swerve like a boxer on the job and find a way to communicate the issue with the customer and their boss to create a plan to repair everything accordingly. 

Those who are quick to adapt to new situations are also easier to teach the ways of the company. This means how things are done within the business and are open to learning new techniques to fix issues. 

The willingness of employees to adapt can also help you stay on top of modern technology and stay competitive in your market by providing the most effective and innovative techniques to fix issues. Hiring employees who are willing to change and adapt to new tech and new situations provides your company flexibility to navigate the unexpected challenges so you can embrace what may arrive even more in the future. 

Communication skills

Technical expertise is always the first thing to look for when hiring a service tech or driver to join your team. However, just being able to do the job doesn’t cut it anymore. Employees working in residential areas need to know how to speak to customers and provide peace of mind that no matter their issue your company is up to the task of fixing it for them. 

Someone who has strong communication skills will be able to speak with a customer and explain complex situations in layman’s terms so they can really understand what is going on. This is very important. A customer will always want to know what is happening or taking place when major issues occur. Being able to speak to and explain issues will help ease the customers mind and once you finish the job correctly, they will be more likely to recommend you to others because of the great service your team provided. Remember, good, clear and honest communication garners trust between your company and the client. Hiring someone with good communication skills only helps your business. An employee with good communication skills will always help with those difficult customers as they will know how to calm the situation, get the job done on time correctly and make sure the customer is happy. 

Good communication skills are also key for internal communication situations. Your employees work closely with each other, so team dynamics within a company are paramount. Prospective employees must be able to discuss issues with their colleagues as well as contractors, and sometimes even suppliers of equipment. Having good communication skills makes sure nothing gets left in translation and everyone knows what is going on at any given time. Always look for good communicators. They can greatly benefit your team and may lead to helping you fix areas you haven’t thought about when it comes to team dynamics and customer service. 

Customer service skills

Hiring someone who understands the importance of customer service is key when working with residential customers. Many times, these people are at their wit's end and just don’t know what to do and want the problem fixed. Working directly with customers means bringing a smiling face and a happy voice to each job. Even if your employee came off the worst job ever and was getting yelled at by the homeowner 20 minutes ago, they need to wipe that away and focus on the new job. 

Hiring someone with good customer service skills means they know how to speak to customers. During the hiring process, ask them about their approach to customer service and how they may handle different difficult situations. Create a hypothetical difficult situation and ask them how they would go about the job. Those who focus on getting the job done while also making sure the customer is aware of every aspect of the job; speak with them calmly, no matter how rambunctious the homeowner gets; and keep the situation professional is who you want on your team. 

If and most likely when that same situation comes up in the field, your technician will know how to handle the situation properly and the customer, after the job gets done will most likely realize they were wrong for being angry in the first place because your team got the job done right the first time and with great customer care. Remember you want your team members who are out in the field interacting with your customers daily to always stay calm and respectful. The technicians must always be able to express the problem and how they will fix it clearly in layman’s terms, and then get the job done right in a timely manner. If you hire people who can do these steps and send them out in the field your customers will be happy with the services your company provides. 

Technical skills are key, but so much more goes into building a business. You want workers who get the job done, know how to speak with customers and be able to adapt to ever-evolving situations. These qualities don’t come easy. Finding employees who fit these requirements means you know what to look for in an individual. Identifying these traits will ensure you hire the right people to fill any voids in your workforce, get the job done the right way and provide the best customer service possible. 

About the author: John Waters is the principal of Waters Business Consulting Group in Scottsdale, Arizona. Waters is an expert in helping business owners, management and executives achieve their goals and grow their businesses.