HVAC Install Technician Pre-Hire Assessment
The short answer: First Move Assessment reads what an HVAC install technician does first when the house does not match the job packet, when the day's hours are tight, and when the homeowner asks for one more thing at four in the afternoon. It takes the candidate 10 to 20 minutes and starts at $149.
Your first report is covered by a 30-day refund.
How it works
- 1. Pick the seat and send the link.Enter their name and email. About a minute of your day.
- 2. They answer on any phone or computer.10 to 20 minutes. No account, no login, no download.
- 3. The report lands in your inbox.As soon as they finish, ready before the interview.
A seat is the job you are filling, from Service Technician and Dispatcher to General Manager and Chief Financial Officer.
What the Install Technician seat carries in an HVAC company
An install is a plan executed in somebody's house in one day: the job packet, the equipment on the truck, the line set, the electrical, the startup and the walkthrough. The installer is built to execute that plan in order and inside the budgeted hours, and the install is only as good as the steps that did not get skipped.
Then the house argues with the plan. The return is smaller than the proposal assumed, the attic platform is not where the comfort advisor drew it, the disconnect is the wrong size. A strong installer solves the field problem without redesigning the job, and tells the production manager what the packet missed.
At the end of the day they check the startup readings before calling it done, walk the homeowner through the thermostat and the filter, and get the signoff. A callback months later can trace back to a step skipped late on install day.
Every seat in the trade is listed on the HVAC page.
What the standard for this seat measures
Every situation the candidate reads is written from inside this seat, in the trade's own words, and each one asks for the move they would make first. The report gives a seat match from 0 to 100 against the written standard for the Install Technician seat, with its margin of error printed beside it. It shows where the candidate's instincts line up with the seat and where they pull away, with the interview questions to ask about the gaps and what to listen for in the answers. It does not tell you whom to hire. You make the decision.
For this seat the standard reads all five questions: checking the house against the packet, staying with the homeowner through the walkthrough, fixing what keeps going wrong on jobs, deciding what to settle on site and what to send back to sales, and holding to the startup procedure when the day runs long.
Where the wrong instinct shows up
- The skipped startup. The system runs, the truck is loaded, the checklist stays in the folder, and the low charge shows up as a service call in July.
- The redesign on site. The installer decides the duct layout in the proposal is wrong and builds their own, inside the same hours and without telling anybody.
- The extra the customer asked for. One more return, a second thermostat, a humidifier while you are here. Said yes to on the spot, never priced, and now a dispute.
- The silent problem. The installer works around what the packet missed and never says so, so the comfort advisor's next jobs miss it the same way.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Install Technician assessment cost?
One assessment is $149. A 5 Pack is $595, a 10 Pack is $995 ($99.50 a candidate) and a 25 Pack is $1,995 ($79.80 a candidate). The Practice License is $4,950 a year and includes 100 assessments ($49.50 each). Every seat costs the same, and assessments never expire. Your first report is covered by a 30-day refund. Full details are on the pricing page.
How long does it take the candidate?
About 10 to 20 minutes on a phone or a computer, with no app and no account. The candidate link expires 30 days after you send it.
How do I get the report?
You pick the seat and enter the candidate's name and email, and the link goes out. The report lands in your inbox the moment the candidate finishes, and it stays in your account for four years, unless you delete it or close the account.
Is it a fit for helpers moving up to installer?
Yes. Send the Install Technician assessment to the helper you are thinking of moving up. If you are weighing both seats, send the Apprentice / Helper assessment as well and read how the helper reads against each seat.
Does it check install skill?
No. It does not measure brazing, wiring or code knowledge. Pair it with a supervised install for the hands-on skill, and use the report for the judgment calls the install day throws at them.