Owners advise on interview

[koolkahuna]

Congrats on the new position JoeH!
Every job that I quit was Suuhweeet telling the boss!
Then came the offers of more money, what can we do to change your mind, and so on.
Well, go back in time and treat me better before I made up my mind!
As the owner of my own business now, I keep that in mind with my employees.
Regular meetings for airing complaints and keeping everybody one big happy family. I haven't forgotten that the employees are the "wheels" on the ground. The company goes nowhere without them and you can't afford flats.

I just started watching Undercover Boss where the CEO goes into the ranks dressed like an entry level worker and the common theme is that the top brass don't know the jobs of everyone beneath them.
Most of them look like idiots trying to do the lower jobs. Too weak, can't handle the heat, too slow, don't listen, etc.
Check it out!

[Ammonianite]

I wonder why employers do that- wait until someone is going to quit before they start thinking about giving them a raise? If you value a trusted and competent worker, why wait until he or she is ready to walk out the door before you recognize their efforts? Happened to me once with a large HVAC company. A gentleman that was the head of operations said the same thing- "What's it going to take to keep you here?" Then he kept raising aloud the rate of my hourly wage but I kept refusing as I did not like the direction the company was headed and some of their unscrupulous practices. Crap, he ended up going as high as 8 dollars per hour more than my present wage. But it wasn't about the money for me. I like to be able to go to bed at night with a clean conscience. Glad I didn't take him up on it as the company pretty much went down in flames a couple of years after I left.

[koolkahuna]

'Cuz they're stupid...

[Joehvac25]

I'm going to sleep well knowing I'm working for a high quality and very well established company. I already feel less stress.

[ryan1088]

So you referred to your last day as your "parole" date too?

[Joehvac25]

So you referred to your last day as your "parole" date too?

Exactly, this is by far the longest 2 weeks of my life!

[ryan1088]

How much longer until you're paroled?

[Joehvac25]

Next Monday will be my first day. I was going to just drop my van off and try to start today but I wouldn't be able to work Friday so I said screw it. I'm going to still drop my van off and maybe take a couple days off.

[ryan1088]

So did you get to work the rest of last week? Got busy and didn't get back to ya!

[Joehvac25]

No I think I'm done, they asked for the van back but want me to show the new guy how to use our layout table to make duck work. It's fine with me I'm guessing I will be busy as hell next week especially since we got a foot of snow last nite. You staying busy?

[4 State H & A]

im sure im too late for this but i thought i would jump in anyways. when i have to hire guys i choose guys that are upfront and honest. when i ask them if they have experiance in commercial work and they go on and on about this and that trying to impress me i ignor it and move to the next guy i would rather have an honest answer like no sir ive never done commercial but there is nothing about commercial that scares me i would love to give it a try and do my best for you. i take that guy over the guy that clearly is talking out of his back end.

[ryan1088]

No I think I'm done, they asked for the van back but want me to show the new guy how to use our layout table to make duck work. It's fine with me I'm guessing I will be busy as hell next week especially since we got a foot of snow last nite. You staying busy?

Train your replacement? Now this is gonna be fun! Haha!!! Left handed tape? Duct stretcher?

[Joehvac25]

Train your replacement? Now this is gonna be fun! Haha!!! Left handed tape? Duct stretcher?

I know right, hell know one trained me. It's funny every new person I saw come in got trained for months and quit, I just got sent to jobs and learned on the customers time, then my boss made a comment how I'm leaving after Im all trained in, I had to laugh at that.

[Jigjoe]

On the topic of interviews, why don't employers offer any kind of test to applicants before or after an interview? Wouldn't that somewhat help filter out those that are all talk vs those that actually know something? I'm not talking about questions which refer to Dalton's law or anything like that.. I'm talking about some basic refrigeration / electrical / parts identification type questions. I think if an applicant takes a test before an interview, it will give the interviewer something to reflect on while asking questions.

[Thermodynamics]

I very recently received a new job as a service tech (just finished my first week there). During the interview, the service manager grilled me on gas furnaces and heat pumps for an hour an a half. Then I rode around with him for a day to take the lead on some service calls. It was really nerve racking, and I thought I had failed. After the last call of the day, he offered to bring me on as a full service technician.

This is my first job as a service tech with my own cell phone and a work van I drive home. It's very exciting as I'm new to this field (graduated tech school last may).

It was this thread that helped me get through that interview, and get this job.

I thank everyone here for their comments and advice on the interview process, this thread has been invaluable.

[bearfromobx]

Are you working in Durham or having to commute to Raleigh or Chapel Hill? Commercial or residential?

[bearfromobx]

Easy answer?!? Out of sight, out of mind... Until we squeak about compensation, nothing's going to get greased!

I wonder why employers do that- wait until someone is going to quit before they start thinking about giving them a raise? If you value a trusted and competent worker, why wait until he or she is ready to walk out the door before you recognize their efforts? Happened to me once with a large HVAC company. A gentleman that was the head of operations said the same thing- "What's it going to take to keep you here?" Then he kept raising aloud the rate of my hourly wage but I kept refusing as I did not like the direction the company was headed and some of their unscrupulous practices. Crap, he ended up going as high as 8 dollars per hour more than my present wage. But it wasn't about the money for me. I like to be able to go to bed at night with a clean conscience. Glad I didn't take him up on it as the company pretty much went down in flames a couple of years after I left.

[Thermodynamics]

Are you working in Durham or having to commute to Raleigh or Chapel Hill? Commercial or residential?

I work in Durham

[hurtinhvac]

How's it goin' after a couple weeks, Joe?

[Joehvac25]

Things seem to be going pretty good, customers are asking for me and saying good things. It's way busier than the last company. I feel like I'm starting to get my bearings anyways, all in all I like it better so far.