The Challenges of the Field Service Talent Crisis

The field service industry – like many other sectors – currently is experiencing a catastrophic talent crisis.

A combination of factors including, but not limited to, the global COVID-19 crisis, changing attitudes to work, generational differences, and an aging workforce hitting retirement age, has created a perfect storm where job sites are packed with unfilled positions for field service technicians. And the situation is not expected to resolve itself any time soon.

There are more than 21,818 Field Service Technicians currently employed in the United States, with the average age being 43. The number of young people entering the business is simply not matching pace with the volume of business growth and aging technicians retiring, which is deepening the talent crisis.

Nearly half [47%] of all field service organizations say acquiring quality technicians and drivers is the biggest challenge they face today. Fully 73% of service organizations identified the aging workforce as a potential threat to their field service organizations and, of those young people that have entered the industry, 60% of workers between the ages of 24 and 44 indicate they are considering leaving.

Why?

The reasons young people are not considering field service as a long-term career goal are many.

With an increasing number of young people choosing to take the university path of further education rather than entering apprenticeships or similar training programs, there is a pattern of moving away from blue collar work and a preference for jobs that offer attractive benefits such as flexible working arrangements, remote work options, and more.

The idea of working 40 hours per week and sacrificing the parts of their lives that are not connected to work is rapidly becoming an outdated notion. Contrary to a widely held belief, it is not laziness driving these shifts in thinking, but rather disillusionment with the nature of work and one’s value being defined solely by productivity.

Field service brands must be cognizant of these shifts in attitude and at least attempt to meet young people halfway if they want to stand a chance of attracting the best talent out of schools and universities. Meeting students where they are at careers fairs and the like, and demonstrating how the field service industry is a modern, technology driven machine is a good start to addressing the talent crisis. Likewise, implementing flexible working policies and the option to work from home when possible could also make the industry more attractive to young people.

If the field service industry fails to evolve to meet these expectations, the talent crisis will only get worse, increase the stress on existing technicians and the chances of those employees also turning their backs on the business.

Brexit

The UK’s exit from the European Union has also put pressure on many industries in the U.K. – including field service – to recruit enough staff for their vacant positions. With thousands of European citizens returning to their home countries or other member states, the job roles being vacated are simply not able to be filled by UK residents alone.

Skills Transfer

Once you have acquired fresh talent, the challenge then becomes how best to train them and facilitate the transfer of knowledge and skills from one generation to another.

AR technology can help with training. Not only will the use of this kind of technology be attractive to younger people, but it also means that more experienced technicians who perhaps no longer wish to work in the field anymore can offer guidance to new employees from remote locations.

Thanks to AR devices, schematics and guides can be superimposed onto physical assets and, with an experienced technician communicating via a headset, young people can receive the kind of on the job training they need to gain the skills necessary for the role.

With 75% of field technicians reporting that products have become more complex and more knowledge -- specifically more technical knowledge -- is needed to perform their jobs now as compared to when they started in field service. With older people naturally being more conservative [with a small c] and resistant to change, this creates a situation where younger employees and older technicians can share knowledge for the betterment of both.

Final Thoughts

The field service talent crisis is going to continue to pose a significant challenge to the industry. To stand any chance of beating the crisis, the entire industry needs to rethink how it structures its technician roles and better communicate the opportunities of a field service career to young people.

The talent crisis is certain to be part of the conversation at Field Service Europe 2022, taking place 30 November – 01 December at the Movenpick Hotel, Amsterdam.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.