You can't hardly pick up an aviation magazine or visit an industry website without reading about the ongoing cutbacks and layoffs that are plaguing the major airlines' maintenance operations. Thousands of highly qualified maintenance technicians are, or will soon be, looking for work. So in an industry where you seemingly can't swing a socket wrench without hitting an unemployed technician, why are so many maintenance facilities finding it hard to hire the skilled employees they need?

"I don't know the answer, but I do know that I get very few applicants from the airlines and the ones I do find, unless they were involved in structural work, don't seem to work out too well in general aviation," said David Schober, director of maintenance for JRA Executive Air in Hagerstown, Maryland. "If you look at the older, hard-line union shops you have structures guys, hydraulics guys, line-maintenance guys--everyone is a specialist. And if a task involves anything but their specialty they can't touch it."

"In a good GA [general aviation] shop you have to be able to do a lot," he continued. "It may be structures today, inspections tomorrow, and pulling cylinders on an engine the day after. A good technician, in my book, has to be able to pick up on any task that comes in the shop."

Unfortunately, the group of experienced technicians that possess all of those different skills gets smaller every day. "One of the dilemmas that we face is that the well is drying out there," said Don Doty, general manager of Stevens Aviation Donaldson Center. "The talent pool and the demand on that talent pool exceeds what is available. The truth is, we are just all trying to hire each other's employees."

If that weren't challenge enough, Schober sees another problem with the incoming group of new technicians. "They just lack basic skills," he lamented. "Things like hardware recognition, safety wiring, real basic stuff. This should be second nature to them, but for some reason the schools aren't spending much time on these skills."

Of course, specialization and the lack of basic skills aren't the only factors that are making it hard for maintenance providers to hire qualified technicians. There's a lot of pressure from other industries that need the skills that A&P technicians possess and they are often able to offer higher salaries and better working conditions.

The truth is, a lot of people just plain love working on airplanes. So it stands to reason there are highly skilled, dedicated, and well-trained aviation maintenance technicians who would love to come work for you. The challenge to you as an employer is to create a program to go out there and attract them.

And that doesn't only mean putting a "Help Wanted" ad in the local newspaper. "The A&P schools are knocking them out and not everyone wants to go and work for an airline. Especially these days," added Larry Baker, executive vice president, operations for Stevens Aviation. "We have a great relationship with Greenville Technical College. We have a vested interest in the success of the school and its graduates and we've done a lot of mentoring and helping them.

"It's nice if you have a school near you that you can develop a relationship with," he continued. "The school even asks what course syllabus we want to see. What specific training does Stevens require, so the candidate that comes to us is better able to do the job?"

"We have a couple of people here now that are still in the A&P program," Doty said. "They start in line service and go to school at night. They get to learn how to safely and properly work around airplanes and as soon as we feel they are ready we begin moving them into maintenance. We want to create a setting where these people will want to stay with us for a long time." Doty also strongly suggested that if you are looking to hire a technician right out of school that you contact the person's teachers to see how they performed in class.

Unless you're really lucky and your shop is located in one of the major aviation corridors, you're probably going to have to look pretty far to find the type of talent you're looking for. To attract `Mr. or Ms. Right' you have to be strategic and targeted because time isn't on your side. The first step is to craft a great help wanted ad. "The biggest mistake a company can make is to be too general or too specific," explained Ken Malines, senior recruiter for Aerotek, a technical staffing agency. "If you are too general you may have a large applicant pool with minimal qualifications. On the other hand, if you are too specific, you may eliminate qualified candidates."

"It's what we call the ten-block theory," added Joel Meanor, co-owner of JSfirm, a company that specializes in aviation job placement and recruiting. "Employers want the perfect person, but the chances of finding him or her are pretty slim."

"It's more like a pyramid," added Clay Barrett, JSfirm's recruiting manager. "Your base is your `have to haves'--I can't hire you without this. Next is what you really want, things you want but aren't requirements. And finally, there are the `nice to haves'--you want these skills or traits but they aren't deal busters."

The recruiting professionals agreed that as an employer you have to take a realistic look at what the job description and required qualifications are before interviewing any candidates. "The most important thing for companies is to understand that applicants, for the most part, are not resume writers," Malines said. "Sometimes recruiters must read between the lines and pick up the phone and call an applicant whose expertise may look like a good match. Also, a company needs to be open to the idea of extending their search to include candidates out of the area."

While the shortage of qualified technicians and the competitive atmosphere between MROs is certainly a challenge for any prospective employer, the biggest obstacle standing in the way of filling your open jobs is you wait too long to begin your search for candidates. "Recruiting is a time-sensitive issue," Barrett said. "Someone will quit or a shop gets a big project. Just like the technician who finds himself suddenly looking for work, a company is suddenly looking for workers. The process should be planned and well thought out."

Barrett suggested that every company, no matter how big or small, have a working relationship with at least one experienced aviation recruiting firm. "I get so many resumes from talent across my desk every day," he said. "And I can notify companies about this or that candidate before their availability is posted on our website. That's a big part of a good proactive job search plan that most companies don't consider.

Doing the initial candidate search and screening is just part of what a good recruiting company can do to lighten your job-hunt load. "A good staffing company is an indispensable partner for any company that experiences variable workload," explained Aerotek's vice president, sales Kirk Hardy. "Every employer has seen a dramatic increase in the cost involved with maintaining a workforce. We shoulder these costs and are accountable to the customer for providing a quality, compliant labor pool. Also, depending on the staffing company and their primary area of expertise, extensive knowledge of the available human capital is absolute," he continued. "We must know where they [qualified technicians] are, how much they cost, and what skills they possess. You must know these things to effectively serve the customer." And with that information, you, the customer, can make informed and effective decisions that will help you find, attract, and hire the qualified maintenance technicians you need.

Aerotek
Phone: 888-237-6835 or 401-694-5243
Web: www.aerotek.com

JSfirm
Phone: 817-560-0300
Web: www.jsfirm.com

Strom Aviation
Phone: 720-482-3883
Web: www.stromaviation.com

STS Holdings
Phone: (800-832-8834)
Web: www.stsholdings.com

Tips for a More Effective Employee Search

What do the professionals say are the keys to an effective employee search? Clay Barrett and Joel Meanor of JSFirm offered these helpful recruitment and hiring tips:

• Define what you are really looking for in an employee. The more you know about who you want, the better your chance of finding the right person.
• Check with the A&P schools in your area. And don't just look at the students in school. See if they have an alumni list.
• Contact local military bases to see if they offer outplacement services. Ex-military personnel have some of the best work habits and training around.
• Identify at least one reputable Internet-based job board and sign up. You'll be able to post your jobs and search available resumes.
• Network, network, and network some more. Contact other shops and their directors of maintenance to see if they've seen any good candidates or resumes. Their loss can be your gain.
• When you bring a candidate in for an interview, let them do most of the talking. Find out what they really know about your business. An interested candidate will do their homework.
• Have other people in your company interview the candidate. It's a great way to see how they will fit in with the established team members.
• Don't wait until you need to hire someone before you begin the search. You should always be on the lookout for good talent. After all, that's the only thing you really have to sell.