Aqua Hot Heating Systems is an advanced manufacturing company just north of Denver, Colorado that specializes in heating and cooling systems for RVs, commercial fleets, and school buses, as well as industrial and oilfield applications.
Despite Aqua Hot’s success as a company with 36 employees, CEO Paul Harter recently found himself struggling to retain qualified production techs and welders, and recruit the skilled talent he needed to grow and meet the demands of Aqua Hot’s customers. The traditional methods of hiring weren’t working anymore.
Paul connected with the Skillful team to learn more about skills-based employer practices as well as the tools and supports Skillful was offering to local Colorado employers.
After several months of working with Skillful’s employer team, Aqua Hot has made significant changes to their hiring practices with really positive results. According to Paul, it has led the entire organization to change the way they think about the work and what makes a successful employee. Job openings that had previously seemed impossible to fill are now drawing a much greater number of qualified applicants.
The new skills-based office culture is also helping to open up professional development pathways within Aqua Hot. Paul is optimistic that these growth opportunities will also contribute to higher retention.
“A big change for us is how we think about skills in job descriptions,” Paul said. “Also, rather than focusing on titles or degrees on an applicant’s resume, I’m looking to see what soft skills and job-related skills they offer. The end result is that we not only have more applicants applying, but we have applicants who are better aligned with the job.”
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