Field service technicians are in high demand. The shortage of skilled workers is particularly ruthless in this area. Nevertheless, hardly any service department in mechanical engineering can do without them. That is why it is so important to remain an attractive employer.
The situation is notoriously difficult. But even if there is no magic formula, we should keep an eye on a few factors that are important for our specialist service staff.
It makes sense to regularly take the time to reflect on the state of the relationship with your professionals according to the following 5 aspects. What is the current situation in the respective area and how can you improve the conditions there? This is a banal and obvious solution, but by no means an insignificant activity. Unfortunately, something like this tends to get lost in the day-to-day business of a manager. It therefore even makes sense to block a fixed date in your calendar for this.
1. salary is the most important factor
Salary is the decisive factor for field service technicians. You've probably guessed it already. It is simply essential to offer an attractive salary structure as we are dealing with a very scarce resource. There is a lot of discussion about salary being just a hygiene factor and not the decisive aspect. And that's exactly right: salary is a hygiene factor!
But let's take a look at the definition of this word. Hygiene factors prevent dissatisfaction from arising, but their positive manifestation does not contribute to satisfaction. What does that mean in concrete terms? So you can't use the salary to ensure sustainable motivation in the team. You have to pull other levers for that. But if you pay poorly, it doesn't really matter what else you do, the employees will be dissatisfied in any case.
So find the right balance so that your remuneration is seen as fair and attractive without degenerating into excesses. Make sure that the salary is perceived as fair and attractive in comparison to other job profiles in the company. So if a production line worker with regular 8-hour shifts is paid just as well as a field service technician who can hardly be planned and has a much more stressful job, something is going wrong in your company.
2. opportunities for further training and career opportunities
If you want to retain your sales representatives, you need to offer them further training and career opportunities. Offer training on new technologies and methods. A suitable Skill management is essential so that technicians do not have the feeling that they are treading water in your company.
On the subject of career opportunities, if someone has been working in your company for several years without any opportunities for advancement, they may look for a new direction. It's not always just about money - many technicians want to be part of an organization where their achievements are seen and recognized.
3. create an innovative working environment!
A special focus must also be placed on creating an innovative working environment. With a reputation for being a dusty and sluggish place, it is more difficult to increase loyalty among the workforce. If you want to work at an office so that you can still send faxes in peace and quiet, you have probably already applied for a job there.
Their technicians, on the other hand, are generally more technically inclined and want an employer who shares this enthusiasm. This is even more true for the younger age groups. Some technicians leave their company because they feel that there is no room for progress with their current employer. A company's reputation as an innovative employer that moves with the times is very important!
So when you invest in modern service technologies, you not only make your organization and processes more efficient. They have also been proven to strengthen employee loyalty and reduce staff turnover. This is a pleasant additional effect that many people don't necessarily have on their radar.
Nevertheless, there is a somewhat schizophrenic attitude here. Initially, you will often encounter resistance, as people are usually creatures of habit. A switch from paper to electronic deployment reports may therefore not be welcomed by everyone at first. In fact, you may have to contend with massive resistance. However, if you approach this change management correctly, these investments in technology will ensure greater employee loyalty in the medium and long term, as the benefits will be recognized over time and will no longer need to be measured.
4. reduce the typical burdens of field service
A difficult point! After all, field service means being on the road a lot. In times of home office and new work, it is more difficult to get employees excited about it. Many other activities are far more convenient and compete with customer service.
Is it even possible to overcome the typical stresses in the Field Service to reduce? This is not exactly an easy undertaking. Nevertheless, you should approach this aspect strategically.
In many cases, software can also help to reduce travel times and give technicians the opportunity to be home more often in the evenings. Rotation models, in which employees alternate between office and field work, may also be of interest.
In addition, the clever regional deployment of partners can help to reduce the workload in the field. If you don't have to fly to Australia from the south of Germany for every problem, but instead set up a local service partner, this takes a lot of pressure off smaller organizations in particular.
And fundamentally, of course, it helps enormously if you can also achieve a certain degree of predictability in the field service business. This can be achieved by selling more maintenance services or by using technicians to provide training services. This also allows these colleagues to plan their weeks better from time to time and helps to balance family, work and social life.
5. the right corporate culture
Of course, corporate culture is always a factor in employee loyalty to an employer. This is absolutely not service-specific. However, in field service we increasingly have the problem that employees are not in the office and contact with each other is limited. After all, employees in Field Service are usually also working from home on days when they are not at the customer's premises.
It therefore makes more sense to cultivate a series of traditions and events in your department that increase interaction among the workforce. This will reinforce the feeling of being part of a team. And keep in mind that, as a service manager, you play a significant role in shaping the culture and interaction in your department.
