There are many misconceptions about recruiting employees that leave both hiring managers and candidates frustrated and unsatisfied. The job market is hotter than ever, and the contractors that don't adapt will die. In this session, I will de-mystify the recruitment process by drawing on the parallels between the recruitment process and the sales process in the HVAC world. This will empower attendees to revolutionize their recruitment process by utilizing skills they already have to recruit higher-quality candidates faster. By using the same terminology, KPIs, and mindset as a salesperson, the recruiters in any organization can be transformed into efficient hiring machines. I will compare the installation sales pipeline to the recruitment pipeline, sales leads to applicants, close rates to hire rates, and more. By exposing the key metrics to a successful recruiter in an easy-to-understand way, owners and managers will be able to easily diagnose shortcomings in their recruitment funnel as easily as they can with their sales funnel.

Mark Mullane
Marketing Manager, TR Miller Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing

Mullane is a marketing and recruiting manager who has been marketing in the HVAC world for four years and took on the recruiter role out of necessity during the COVID pandemic. He holds degrees in history and marketing, specializing in statistics, and uses numbers to explain behavior. With a decade of marketing experience, he was able to translate his skills in customer acquisition to candidate acquisition. In just three years, he has completed countless phone screens and hundreds of interviews and has overseen hiring over 150 employees. Mullane has a passion for creating people-powered processes that drive efficient results and is an analytics nut who believes in letting the data make the decisions.

Generation Z, also known as Gen Z, is the demographic cohort that comes after Millennials and was born between the mid-1990s and the early 2010s. This generation grew up in a world shaped by technology, social media, and the internet, which has profoundly impacted their learning style. Here are some reasons why Gen Z learns differently: Digital Natives: Gen Z is the first generation to grow up in a world where technology is ubiquitous. They are "digital natives" who have been exposed to technology early and are comfortable using it to learn and communicate. Short Attention Spans: Gen Z has grown up in a world of instant gratification and short attention spans. They are used to getting information quickly and are not as patient regarding long lectures or traditional teaching methods. Multitasking: Gen Z is skilled and can easily switch between devices and applications. They are used to consuming multiple streams of information simultaneously, which can make traditional teaching methods seem slow and tedious. Visual Learners: Gen Z is a highly visual generation accustomed to receiving information through images and videos. They prefer visual aids and interactive content over traditional textbooks and lectures. Collaborative Learning: Gen Z is likelier to work in groups and collaborate with peers than previous generations. They prefer to learn from each other and share knowledge rather than relying solely on teachers or textbooks. In conclusion, Gen Z learns differently due to their exposure to technology, short attention spans, multitasking abilities, preference for visual aids, and collaborative learning styles. As the world continues to evolve, contractors need to adapt their onboarding and retention methods to meet the needs of this new generation of learners.

Clifton Beck
Manager of Digital Media, ESCO Institute

Beck is a highly skilled and experienced HVACR professional with a passion for learning and embracing new technologies in the industry. He began his journey as an apprentice in a typical Mom & Pop service shop specializing in commercial refrigeration and unique refrigeration equipment. There, he developed a strong foundation in the trade and a curiosity for exploring new technologies and innovations. Beck continued to expand his knowledge and skills throughout his career, attending Electrical Training at Brown County Career Resource Center and obtaining a Master Electrician Unlimited License. This allowed him to venture into commercial automation and building efficiency controls, further broadening his expertise. His career also took him into education in the wholesaler environment, where he brought virtual onboarding and education to contractors in 5 states. He also developed industrial training programs for manufacturing and foundry facilities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, sharing his wealth of knowledge with the wider community.

Currently, Beck is the manager of Digital Media at the ESCO Institute, where he is committed to bringing new technologies and innovations into the classroom and the workforce. His passion for learning and sharing knowledge has made him a respected figure in the HVACR industry, and his expertise has benefited countless individuals and organizations throughout his career.

Angry customers, they’re the worst! No one likes to get a late-night call that the new system your company installed isn’t working. Too often, owners and managers rely on their technicians and installers based on their expertise and experience. Often, they deliver. But how do you know when they did or when they didn’t? And how will potential customers know they can count on every team member to deliver?

You can't be on every job site, but smart connected tools allow installers to fine-tune system performance and help managers review the quality of their work. They also enable third-party verification with ACCA Quality Installation certificates that help you sell more comprehensive upgrades and prove to customers and efficiency programs that you've done the job right.

Hear firsthand how remote objective third-party verification can equip your team for success.

Wes Davis
Director of Technical Services, ACCA

Davis serves as the Director of Technical Services for ACCA. He works with the team responsible for ACCA’s contractor accreditation (the Quality Assured Program), creating education and training courses, promoting sensible code requirements, and continuing improvement of ACCA’s standards. He serves on technical committees with several industry associations. Over 25 years in the HVAC industry, he has sold & installed systems and managed an HVAC business as a licensed contractor in South Carolina. He wrote Bob’s House and works hard to recognize HVAC professionals and identify quality HVAC installations.

Many of us, maybe even most of us, have difficulty understanding Gen Z, so I spent a year learning everything I could. Gen Z is expected to be a big part of our workforce and customer base. I would like to share with you what I learned as I believe they will help you, your business, and the future of our industry. I certainly don't have all the answers and can't cover a year's worth of study in an hour. I believe my insight will benefit you and this industry I love. Nobody else will solve the problem, it's up to us!

Ty Branaman
Aether HVAC Training

Branaman started in the trade in 1995, building ductwork with his father. He has held many positions in HVACR, like many starting in installation, maintenance, service, and refrigeration, to starting his own company that is still in business today. His real joy has come from teaching and passing his knowledge of the trade on to others. He learned that systems can be diagnosed, serviced, and replaced, but learners' minds are always changing and always present new challenges. Repairing a piece of equipment or solving a whole home issue was always a joy but nothing compared to seeing the sparkle in a student's eye when they finally understood the concepts being taught. Nothing compares to students calling years later, loving the trade, and being successful.

Branaman has taken his passion for teaching across multiple cities, states, and schools across the country. He also enjoys helping instructors with the difficult and ever-changing challenges in the classroom and bridging the online learning delivery method. He makes various videos, from private labels to free content on social media.

Although Branaman has worked for many different training centers, he now divides his time between multiple companies and content creation. He founded Aether training and consulting as @love2hvac, where you can find a lot of free content. He works with ESCO Institute, HVAC school, AC Service Tech LLC, Copeland, and more.

Branaman has a list of HVAC industry certifications from NATE to Contractors Licenses and many in between. He is most honored to hold the Certified Master HVAC Educator (CMHE) credential and recommends all instructors take on this challenge for self-improvement and growth. The path is not a task but a journey, which has greatly impacted his classroom abilities and knowledge. He loves helping others and truly loves this wonderful trade.

Tired of power point slides? Need some ideas? Come with an open mind and let’s bring some magic to your training room. The fundamentals are the most important thing we can teach. Your team’s understanding of fundamentals forms the foundation of your in-house training program and, ultimately, your company’s reputation. The challenge is conveying this to your team in a format that helps them understand and absorb it. If the students are not learning, we are not teaching. There is not a one size fits all solution. This presentation is to inspire you and give you some ideas, tools, and methods that can help you present these important concepts to your team.

Ty Branaman
Aether HVAC Training

Branaman started in the trade in 1995, building ductwork with his father. He has held many positions in HVACR, like many starting in installation, maintenance, service, and refrigeration, to starting his own company that is still in business today. His real joy has come from teaching and passing his knowledge of the trade on to others. He learned that systems can be diagnosed, serviced, and replaced, but learners' minds are always changing and always present new challenges. Repairing a piece of equipment or solving a whole home issue was always a joy but nothing compared to seeing the sparkle in a student's eye when they finally understood the concepts being taught. Nothing compares to students calling years later, loving the trade, and being successful.

Branaman has taken his passion for teaching across multiple cities, states, and schools across the country. He also enjoys helping instructors with the difficult and ever-changing challenges in the classroom and bridging the online learning delivery method. He makes various videos, from private labels to free content on social media.

Although Branaman has worked for many different training centers, he now divides his time between multiple companies and content creation. He founded Aether training and consulting as @love2hvac, where you can find a lot of free content. He works with ESCO Institute, HVAC school, AC Service Tech LLC, Copeland, and more.

Branaman has a list of HVAC industry certifications from NATE to Contractors Licenses and many in between. He is most honored to hold the Certified Master HVAC Educator (CMHE) credential and recommends all instructors take on this challenge for self-improvement and growth. The path is not a task but a journey, which has greatly impacted his classroom abilities and knowledge. He loves helping others and truly loves this wonderful trade.

You’ve invested in marketing, infrastructure and team meetings but you’re always up to your ears in consumer issues, behind in GM, revenue or unyielding callbacks. The ONLY remedy & BTW your job – is Invoice Coaching. This training delivers three specific goals to your mid-manager staff:

• It provides PROACTIVE TIMELY feedback on performance to your field staff
• It either elevates team members to “get with the program” or exit your team
• Your field teams deserve & crave this information… they won’t get better without it

Attendees will receive:

• Knowledge of what’s at risk
• A paradigm shift – their JOB is to make our teams wildly successful
• An understanding of the supporting docs required to facilitate 
• An understanding of the KPIs that really mean something
• The go-to for rewards to reinforce behaviors
• The impact via the “Laws of the Chain”
• The liability of not communicating the TRUTH to the customer
• The tooling of WIIFM to illustrate tech performance values
• Knowledge of character traits we need to cultivate 
• The NUTS & BOLTS of how to get it done

Dave Borowski
Director, Technical Training, American Residential Services

Dave’s passion, 50 + years of industry experience and ability to communicate has been an integral value-added contribution to contractors looking to improve performance. From soft skills to technical training to implementation of proven best practices, with a goal of maximizing business models where either waste or lack of accountability and synergy has stalled a company’s performance. Director of Technical Training for North Americas largest in home service provider generating over 1.2 Billion in revenues, Dave is accountable for all technical ILT (Instructor Led Training), online training, and selected trainings via a dedicated LMS (Learning Management System) crafting success in 86 operating locations with over 4,500 field techs. As the former Director of Technical Training for the Direct Energy companies for 20+ years generating over 778 M in revenues, Dave was accountable for technical ILT (Instructor Led Training), online training, and selected trainings via a dedicated LMS for company owned and franchise operations. He has been involved in every aspect of customer service, IAQ and the HVAC industry during his more than 51 years in the business. Dave served as the Florida Zone Manager for Raytheon for nearly 20 years and VP & General Manager for 15 years at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating Florida operations with a team of more than 100 and was honored as one of the top retail operations for the Direct Energy group. Dave’s keen understanding and insight of good business practices and accountability ensures quality control in the entire training and execution environment. More importantly, this tooling consistently improved student knowledge, employee retention, company moral and in the end improved profits. His most recent experiences include training contractors, administrators, and field technicians in navigating EPA, FEMA, DOE, ASHREA , ACCA and building codes compliance all with a focus on consumer acquisition and retention. With a wealth of experience as a Class A Mechanical contractor, Gas Master, Indoor Air Hygienist, distribution, sales, public speaking, published articles, on-air talent, and field training experiences gives Dave remarkable insights as a value-added asset for any operation.