The Client
Since 1930, Standard Heating and Air Conditioning, located in Minneapolis, has been putting the customer first with the most caring, knowledgeable, well-equipped employees in the business.Customers notice the difference from the moment their professionals arrive on time—until they finish with a thorough cleanup—to the company’s goal to outdo everyone in the industry, which is why its reputation for quality service and workmanship keeps growing year after year.
Today, more than ever, Standard Heating is tried and true, solid and dependable. More than 350,000 customers have chosen Standard Heating over the years, making it an industry leader.
The Solution
Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT): The 50-question WPT, which has been used by thousands of organizations since 1937, is a 12-minute timed test that accurately measures a candidate’s ability to learn a specific job, solve problems, understand instructions and apply knowledge to new situations.
This test provides hiring managers with objective information about candidates. Based on minimum test scores, the WPT automatically eliminates a significant portion of the applicant pool enabling recruiters to focus their time on those candidates most likely to succeed.
Wonderlic Productivity Index® (WPI®): The WPI is a short-form measure of personality as it relates to productive behavior in the workplace. Based upon “Big 5” research by personality experts Murray Barrick, Ph.D. and Michael Mount, Ph.D., the WPI focuses on the fundamental factors that affect success in entry-level positions.
The WPI is a short personality assessment that has been fine-tuned for entry-level positions. The WPI assesses an individual’s willingness to perform productively and cooperatively on the job, and avoid engaging in counterproductive behavior.
Why Standard Heating and Air Conditioning Relies on Wonderlic for Skill and Ability Testing
Standard Heating and Air Conditioning isn’t willing to risk making bad hiring decisions. Since 1930, Standard Heating’s mission has been to put the customer first, with the most caring, knowledgeable, well-equipped employees in the business. The company installs and services residential heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC), and its owners understand the intimacy and vulnerability of that customer relationship, says Todd Ferrara, Vice President. “Comfort isn’t just about temperature—it’s the security found in working with experts dedicated to anticipating your every need.”
Homeowners, often in need and occasionally in crisis, invite Standard Heating employees into their homes and rely on them to solve their problems, fairly and graciously—and that’s exactly what they do, Ferrara says. “From the moment our employees arrive, on time, until they finish with a thorough cleanup, our employees perform with thoroughness, reliability and professionalism. That’s the reason our reputation for quality service and workmanship keeps growing year after year.”
The company prides itself on excellent craftsmanship, quality customer service, and a team of employees who are committed to doing a great job, every time. Over its 75 years in business, Standard Heating has served more than 350,000 customers—most of them word-of-mouth referrals, and Ferrara knows that every customer’s satisfaction hinges on his employees’ performance and attitude. “This is a service industry,” he says. “To work for our company you have to be willing to do the job and deliver great customer service.”
This is especially true because in the HVAC business, service team members work independently. Management must be able to trust that employees will be punctual, reliable, and effective, both technically and socially, without a lot of oversight.
Because Ferrara and his team understand that you can’t judge a person’s skills and attitude in an interview alone, Standard Heating has relied on Wonderlic as part of its hiring process for more than 15 years. “When we implemented the Wonderlic tests we saw a dramatic improvement in our hiring process,” he says. “Wonderlic testing is an exceptional step in hiring. It identifies people’s general aptitude and their willingness to work.”
Ferrara uses two tests in his selection process: the Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT), which is a short, timed measure of cognitive ability; and the Wonderlic Productivity Index (WPI), which defines how a person will perform on the job according to key behavioral characteristics. Ferrara feels that the time a candidate devotes to testing and interviewing demonstrates their commitment and desire to join his organization. “My time is valuable, and if people want to work for this company they have to put in the time and apply themselves to show us they have what it takes.”
He gives the tests to every candidate he considers hiring and while he doesn’t use the Wonderlic scores to automatically exclude candidates, he does use test scores to confirm that someone is or isn’t right for the job. “It’s a great first screen that indicates whether a candidate is a good fit,” he says, “and it’s an incredibly fair, objective and legal way to appropriately select people with the skills to fit our job requirements.”
The WPT score tells Ferrara whether candidates have the ability to learn the job and make effective judgments. “We rely on the WPT as a screening tool, especially as we are seeing more and more people applying for jobs.”
The WPI scores tell him whether candidates have the attitude to deliver the great customer service his company is known for. The WPI also measures productivity and the likelihood that the candidate will display negative workplace behavior, such as showing up late, stealing, or slacking off. “If you are hiring an apprentice or entry-level person, the WPI is a great measure, because attitude, willingness, and ability to understand the value of customer service is a huge indicator of their ability to be successful,” he says. “You can have the most skilled person on your team, but if they aren’t cooperative or don’t show up on time, you’ve got trouble.”
Ferrara uses WPI scores in developing follow-up interviews that will gather more information in areas of concern. The score report comes with suggested questions to help the interviewer understand why candidates received the scores they did and to assess any red flag areas. “When you ask the questions, you can hear whether they have a genuine willingness to work, if they like to stay busy and be productive,” Ferrara says. “That’s a good thing in any position.”
The up-front effort Ferrara invests in selecting the best candidates has paid off. The company has seen more then seven decades of success. It’s currently in another rapid growth mode and it has one of the lowest turnover rates in the industry. Last year only three out of 66 employees left the company.
“The Wonderlic tests enlighten us in a way that no other tools can,” he says. “They are more valuable to us now than ever before.”
