Skilled Trades Technician

Operations Skilled trades Safety-critical Hands-on assessment

A credential-gated hiring process for electricians, HVAC technicians, and solar or wind installers, built around a rubric-scored hands-on bench test.

Why this works:

The credential gate (license tier, EPA 608, NABCEP, OSHA card) stops unqualified applicants before they cost you screening time
A short hands-on bench test shows real diagnostic skill and safety discipline that a resume never will
Independent rubric scoring by multiple crew leads makes the safety call a team decision, not one person’s gut feel
Few, fast stages: qualified techs field multiple offers, and the slow shop loses

Best for: Electricians, HVAC techs, solar installers, wind techs, maintenance technicians
Timeline: ~1-2 weeks
Candidate effort: 2-3 hours (bench test is paid)

Process stages

This template includes 6 stages that candidates move through:

Application & Credentials

Submit Application

Tell us about your trade experience and upload your credentials: license card, EPA 608, NABCEP, GWO, or OSHA card, whichever apply to your trade. A photo from your phone is fine.

Phone Screen

Interview

A 20-minute call to confirm your credentials, schedule and on-call availability, pay expectations, and comfort with the physical side of the work. No trick questions.

20 min

Hands-On Bench Test

Interview

A paid 90-minute bench test at our shop: diagnose a seeded fault on a bench rig and talk through your reasoning as you work, including your lockout/tagout and PPE steps. Two crew leads observe and score against a fixed rubric covering diagnostic sequence, safety discipline, and tool handling. You’re paid for the session regardless of outcome.

90 min

Bench Test Review

Team Review

Each crew lead scores your bench test independently against the same rubric before comparing notes, so the decision reflects your work, not the loudest voice in the room. A serious safety miss ends the process.

Safety & Reliability References

Reference Check

We’ll call two former supervisors or crew leads. We ask about safety record, show-up reliability, and how you work on a crew, not for a character essay.

Offer

You’ll hear a decision within two business days of your references clearing. If it’s a yes, the offer comes with the pay rate, truck and tool policy, and on-call rotation in writing.

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