Looking for incredibly talented heavy equipment managers can be very competitive. You’ll have to use every advantage you can get when hiring for your dealership, rental company, or OEM. It is estimated that a bad hire can cost upwards of 30% of the employee’s first-year salary, so you don’t want to choose incorrectly. Heavy equipment companies are always looking for top-tier talent in service management, sales leadership, parts operations, and operations roles.
Here are some proven tips on recruiting your next new hire in the heavy equipment industry:
1) Work With A Specialty Recruitment Firm for Heavy Equipment Expertise
Highly effective recruiting requires a lot of elbow grease and takes up a large portion of time and effort. We’d recommend hiring a recruitment firm that specializes in recognizing heavy equipment talent, so you can focus your attention where it needs to be. A recruiter with deep roots in the heavy machinery industry is going to present better potential candidates than a generalist recruiter. A specialized heavy equipment recruiter will know what skills you are looking for and help you with hard-to-fill roles that require a great deal of knowledge and experience, such as service managers, branch managers, or product support directors.
You’ll also be able to hand off a lot of the leg work of hiring, such as finding passive candidates, sifting through resumes, and doing the initial screenings. Most firms have a hiring guarantee that ensures their candidate will work out or they’ll refill the position without a fee. Specialized heavy equipment recruiters can save you a lot of time and money while delivering better quality candidates for your operation.
2) Focus On Talent Acquisition, Not Just Filling Empty Jobs
By partnering with a specialized heavy equipment recruiting firm, you won’t be waiting or scrambling to fill empty positions. A heavy equipment recruiting agency will build a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy. Talent acquisition goes beyond filling a role when someone leaves. It’s more about keeping tabs on top talent all the time. You want to continually be seeking out talent and promoting your company as a great option to work for.
We have found that most often, the best candidates are people that are gainfully employed, which we call “passive job seekers”. These candidates are not applying to job advertisements, so if posting jobs is your primary talent acquisition strategy you’ll be missing out on these top candidates. While they may not be actively looking, “passive job seekers” are generally willing to consider making a change for the right opportunity at a strong dealership, rental company, or OEM.
3) Improve Your Interview Process
Have you ever had a great feeling about a candidate and then were surprised when they turned you down for another company? If your company already offers a competitive salary and benefits, then the problem may be your interview process. Many candidates report back to their recruiters with frustrations or concerns that won’t likely be shared with the company directly.
We find it helps to have an efficient interview process that reduces the number of interviews. An initial interview plus a higher level or skills interview isn’t too much, but having to come back repeatedly to meet different people can make a candidate lose interest. Make sure to have great follow-up communication with candidates. Even if you don’t choose them this time around, they could be suitable for another role down the line.
4) Improve Your Candidate Experience
Word travels fast across job boards and social media (like Glassdoor and LinkedIn). If candidates aren’t enjoying your interview process, then it’s possible other potential candidates will be turned off before they even meet with you. It could also prevent them from referring other heavy equipment talent to your company. This is another reason why having a great interview experience and follow-up communication is a must. These days candidate experience is critical for hiring success in the competitive heavy equipment industry.
5) Talk About Career Growth
Top talent in the heavy equipment industry is more attracted to companies where they feel they have growth potential. Make sure to mention any programs you have for promoting from within or helping people achieve the next level in their careers within your dealership, rental company, or OEM. Employees also want to see educational opportunities that are being offered as an investment in their future. These opportunities can come in the form of tuition reimbursement, formal on-the-job training programs, as well as seminars, or specialized training and certification programs.
6) Offer Competitive Compensation
You need to do your research and make sure that your salary and benefits are competitive with similar companies in the heavy equipment industry. Often when faced with similar job opportunities, the deciding factor can come down to the smallest details in the benefits package, a transparent bonus program, or competitive pay. That’s not to say that salary is everything. Sometimes a robust benefits package, flexible work hours, future opportunities, geographic convenience, or company culture is also a big lure for heavy equipment professionals.
7) Use Updated Technology
It’s time to embrace the latest digital technology, such as texting, collaboration platforms, video platforms, cloud (SaaS) technology, and remote work options. Millennials are now in their 30s and 40s, prime ages for future heavy equipment leaders. These individuals grew up with technology, and they expect any company they work for to keep up to date. The best heavy equipment companies embrace the latest digital technology for operations, customer service, and internal communication.
Key Takeaways
Between working with an experienced heavy equipment recruiting firm and ensuring that your dealership, rental company, or OEM is competitive and keeps a great employment brand among candidates, you should have no trouble filling your key management positions. Focus on these seven strategies to attract and hire the service managers, branch managers, sales leaders, and operations professionals who will drive your heavy equipment business forward.
