While visiting a contractor in Pennsylvania last week, I was told that it is getting harder than ever to find good technicians. But this contractor wasn’t worried about a lack of skilled workers. Instead, his problem was finding somebody with a clean record who could be trusted to enter customers’ homes.

I talked to another contractor recently who’s based in Idaho, and he told me his plan is to do a better job of marketing his “trust” program to his customers. After all, customers have to invite a total stranger into their home when they need repairs or new equipment installed. So it makes sense to let potential customers know if you perform extensive background checks on your technicians.

But according to my buddy in Pennsylvania, it’s getting harder and harder to find technicians with the “perfect trifecta” - someone with a clean driving record who can pass a drug test and a criminal background check. He added this isn’t surprising, since research has shown that the construction industry, which HVAC is grouped under, has one of the highest rates of drug use.

What’s the most common problem you see when trying to hire a good new tech? Do you have an established method for testing and performing background checks on your new technicians? And are you worried about being able to find workers with good, clean records?