Finding and keeping scarce technicians: what actually works
You don't solve the technician shortage with hiring alone. Retention starts on day one, and costs less than replacement.
Every technical employer feels the same squeeze: technician vacancies stay open for months. The reflex is to recruit harder. But if your best people are leaving in the meantime, you're mopping with the tap open. Retention is half of your recruitment strategy.
Why technicians really leave
Pay plays a part, but is rarely the only reason. More often it's a schedule that swallows every weekend, outdated equipment nobody invests in, or the feeling there's nothing left to learn. Each of those is something you can act on as an employer, often faster than on a raise.
Start with onboarding
The first months decide whether someone stays. Pair every new technician with an experienced colleague, plan the first weeks deliberately and hand over real work quickly instead of months of shadowing. Someone who feels useful in week three is still on board in month six.
Make growth visible
Not every technician wants to manage, but almost everyone wants to move forward. Think specialisation in a technology, certificates, an expert role or project responsibility. Write those paths down and discuss them yearly. Growth you don't name doesn't exist for your people.
And when a gap opens anyway
Sometimes a departure can't be avoided and you need someone fast. First consider which form the need really calls for: a permanent hire, or temporary freelance expertise to absorb the peak while you recruit carefully. At AltusConnect we weigh that trade-off with technical employers every week.
Frequently asked questions
What does losing an experienced technician cost?
Beyond the recruitment cost you lose months' worth of installation knowledge, and the rest of the team absorbs the schedule, with overtime and extra attrition risk as a result. The exact cost differs per company, but it's almost always higher than what retention would have cost.
Does a counter-offer work when someone wants to leave?
A counter-offer fixes the pay, but rarely the real reason for leaving. Someone who has already said goodbye mentally often still leaves within the year. Better to use the conversation to find the underlying reason and address it structurally.
Need help with your hire?
Tell us which technical role you're looking for, we'll gladly think along, no strings attached.