What technicians want, whether they say it or not

We all know some of the baselines to keep employees 'happy'. Good pay. Safe and flexible work environment. Clear expectations and respect.

If that's just the baseline for any employee, what makes your business one that the best technicians love working at? Mark Miller, one of our favorite leaders, found that top talent wants three things beyond these basics. Without these, a workplace might be fine... but top talent aren't going to stick around. They want:

A boss that genuinely cares about them, coaches them, and invests in their development.

A future with opportunity, where working at your company will make them more capable than they are today.

To make an impact with their work, where they aren't just working for a paycheck.

Thomas Agnew, co-founder of Sunwave Plumbing, discovered investment in high-quality and efficient mobile workspaces was one way to give technicians all of these at once. As a result, they have multiple technicians who say their vans are why they chose Sunwave.

As a result, they have multiple technicians who say their vans are why they chose Sunwave.

One of they ways they show genuine care for their technicians is by going the extra mile to provide a workspace that is a pleasure to work from. One that allows them to spend more time doing the fun problem solving of plumbing and less time driving to the supply house or looking for parts.

They provide a system for plumbing service that gets out of the way, so technicians have the opportunity to work as efficiently as possible, accomplishing better work in less time as they grow in plumbing skill.

Their mission to 'transform the plumbing industry by creating and giving value wherever they go' gives plumbers a vision for where they're going and the impact they are having, and it is only possible because they have streamlined plumbing systems that allow them to give more value than they take.

Good pay might get technicians through the door, but care, growth, and purpose keep the best technicians motivated.

Giving that to your technicians doesn't have to look like some grand gesture or a generic corporate pep-talk. It can be as practical as investing in the environment your technicians live in every single day, so you prove that you value their craft just as much as they do.

Take a hard look at your fleet this week. Ask your technicians what’s frustrating them on the job, and see where you can start clearing the way.