The Equipment & Engine Training Council (EETC) has introduced HireReady, a new pre-employment technician assessment designed to help employers determine whether job candidates have the technical knowledge they need before making a hiring decision.

Developed for power equipment dealers, landscape maintenance companies with in-house technicians, and other employers that hire technicians to service and repair engines and equipment, HireReady provides an objective way to evaluate a candidate’s technical knowledge during the hiring process.

Finding qualified technicians remains one of the most significant workforce challenges facing the power equipment industry. A resume and interview can tell an employer where someone has worked and how they present themselves, but they do not necessarily demonstrate whether that candidate has the technical knowledge required to diagnose and repair equipment. Through EETC, an employer can have a prospective technician complete the HireReady assessment as part of its hiring process. The results provide an additional, objective data point that can be considered alongside the candidate’s experience, references and interview.

Hiring the wrong person can become expensive quickly. Recruiting, onboarding, wages, training time and lost productivity can add up before an employer discovers that a new technician does not have the skills expected for the position.

“Over the years, EETC has developed an extensive pool of technical information and industry knowledge through our certification and education programs,” says Bruce Tallman, Executive Director, Equipment & Engine Training Council. “HireReady puts that information to work for employers in a new way. The assessment gives them another tool to evaluate a prospective technician’s technical knowledge before making the investment in hiring that individual. Our goal is to help employers hire with confidence.”

Rather than discovering a technical knowledge gap after an employee is already on the payroll, HireReady gives employers greater visibility before making the hiring commitment. HireReady is also designed to be the beginning of the technician-development process rather than the end of it.

Companies that become EETC members can provide both new and existing technicians access to EETC’s training resources and industry-recognized certification programs. This allows employers to use EETC resources across the employee lifecycle—from evaluating prospective hires to developing employees and validating their skills through certification.

“Employers don’t just need help finding technicians—they need a way to build and retain a more capable technical workforce,” Tallman adds. “HireReady helps with the first decision, and EETC’s education and certification programs can help employers continue developing those technicians throughout their careers.”

The Equipment & Engine Training Council is a non-profit association dedicated to addressing the shortage of qualified technicians in the outdoor power equipment industry. For more than 25 years, EETC has worked with manufacturers, distributors, dealers, educators and other industry organizations to establish standards for technician education and certification.

HireReady extends that mission directly into the hiring process, giving employers a practical tool to better understand the technical capabilities of the people they are considering bringing onto their teams.

Visit eetc.org/page/hireReady.