Opinion: The Time is Now for the Technician of the Future

    2021 was a year for the books, that is for sure. Thousands upon thousands of articles have been written about the stress of doing business last year, primarily in the areas of hiring, retention, and supply chain. It seems that no industry remained unscathed but perhaps foodservice was hit harder and sooner. As a foodservice support industry, the COVID shock was felt by us all, it was deeply unsettling and for many downright painful. Most of us who work in the industry have reflected on these events to make sense of what happened. The million-dollar question is, does this reflection help us move forward? The answer is yes, but with a caveat; and that is only if you focus on what was achieved during the pandemic rather than on what was lost.
    So, what was gained? Well firstly if you are reading this article then you survived, and that is thanks to the thousands of dedicated people who work in the food equipment repair industry. However, one group above all others ensured our survival, and that is our technicians, and to them, we are all extremely thankful. If technicians stand out, for this reason, they also stand out for another; they are the most difficult to hire! Technician hiring remains a top priority for our industry and while we are reflecting it is good to remember just how far food equipment technicians have developed in the last 15 years!
    The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word Technician as ‘a specialist in the technical details of a subject or occupation’ or ‘one who has acquired the technique of an art or other area of specialization’. Those definitions have never been more relevant, and the role of a technician is becoming more and more technical by the year. Virtually every aspect of a service call has been impacted, from the diagnosis and troubleshooting phase to parts lookup and technical support right through to the parts themselves. How many technicians would have imagined in 2007 that the beginning of many diagnoses would be on a digital touch screen and this screen would give the technicians an indication of where to start? Then there are new tools like digital manifolds and refrigeration press tools that offer benefits such as better diagnoses data or time savings.
    Even through the pandemic, these revolutions continued, and it is very likely they will accelerate into the future. If the pandemic taught us one thing it was that flexibility and efficiency are very handy skills to have during a downturn. Without a doubt, the manufacturers we support are seeing this and will design and develop more ‘smart’ equipment that will, in turn, need to be serviced by our technicians.
    Focusing on the skills of our evolving technicians is vital to our future growth and for attracting new talent to our industry. We should ask ourselves, are we promoting the role accurately, are we speaking a language that younger digital generations can understand? Few technician jobs outside of foodservice offer the variety and challenges that we can. It’s time to talk about and promote the technician of the future, perhaps it’s time to focus on digital skills with the same reverence as mechanical skills.

Keep in mind that this technician of the future is the technician of now to Generation Z and their children!