LEVERAGING HPT TO ENHANCE HVAC TECHNICIAN RETENTION: A MULTISITE CASE STUDY
This study spotlights ComRef, Inc. (a pseudonym) strengths to amplify sustained heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration technician retention. Guided by human performance technology and ISPI standards (ISPI, n.d.; Van Tiem et al., 2012), our doctoral team led appreciative dialogues and a collaborative survey across 12 high- and low-retention branches. We identified a positive core, technical excellence, peer camaraderie, and exemplary local leadership that fosters loyalty. Cocreating a vision for an optimal technician experience, we recommend predictable, incentive-driven on-call rotations; streamlined, technician-centered workflows; nurturing leadership development; and equitable, union-inspired protections. Grounded in existing successes, our evidence-based interventions position ComRef, Inc. as a thriving, continuously improving employer of choice.
Four doctoral students from the University of West Florida’s Instructional and Performance Technology program partnered to amplify a client’s strengths and foster sustainable technician retention in the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration services sector as part of the ISPI 2025 Case Study Competition, applying human performance technology models.
OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
ComRef, Inc., LLC, (a pseudonym) a leading commercial heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC-R) provider in more than 40 states, employs a deeply experienced technician corps whose expertise is critical for service continuity. With many seasoned technicians approaching retirement and others exploring new career pathways, ComRef, Inc. Technologies has a prime opportunity to build on its strong talent foundation. By reinforcing retention and career-development strategies, the organization can maximize the return on its recruitment investments (estimated at $500–$10,000 per hire) and further elevate customer satisfaction and long-term profitability.
PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
This project set out to (a) spotlight ComRef, Inc. greatest opportunities for talent optimization; (b) align stakeholder aspirations with empirical insights into recruitment, training, and retention; (c) surface root causes through a holistic human performance technology (HPT) lens; and (d) codesign evidence-grounded interventions that build upon ComRef, Inc. existing strengths to sustain a skilled, engaged technician community.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Popular and trade-industry publications had increasingly spotlighted the acute shortage of HVAC-R technicians and the urgent need to couple recruitment with retention efforts. Belloli (2023) characterized the national technician shortage, estimated at more than 110,000 open positions and roughly 25,000 technicians exiting the field annually (EXTU, 2023), as a multifaceted challenge that required cultural investment, personalized career paths, leadership engagement, and immersive training solutions such as virtual-reality modules and veteran apprenticeship programs. Building on this, Vanzo (2025) reported on the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council’s R-TRADE initiative, which underscored misalignments between trade-school curricula and industry needs and advocated for coordinated, multi-stakeholder collaboration to equip educators and technicians with critical skills in emerging HVAC-R technologies.
National labor statistics further illuminated the scale of this challenge: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) had projected approximately 42,800 annual openings for HVAC-R mechanics and installers through 2032, driven primarily by retirements and turnover rather than industry growth alone (BLS, 2023). These projections highlighted the lengthy training pipelines required to develop fully qualified technicians, making workforce stability a strategic imperative for organizations of all sizes.
The financial and operational consequences of high turnover in the HVAC-R sector were substantial. Both Sinatra (2015) and ServiceTitan (2022) outlined both direct costs—such as recruiting, onboarding, and overtime expenses—and indirect impacts, including increased workers’ compensation claims, customer dissatisfaction, and erosion of team morale. Notably, Sinatra cautioned that inadequate training of new hires raised injury risk and insurance premiums, further compounding costs.
Research on professional development underscored the critical role of structured training and career support in retaining HVAC-R technicians. Kraimer et al. (2011) demonstrated that organizational support for development, including clear career pathways and mentoring, predicted higher employee commitment and lower turnover intentions. Belloli (2025) echoed this finding and emphasized that compensation alone was insufficient and that retention hinged on fostering workplace cultures in which technicians could grow, arguing for mentorship programs, leadership engagement, and technology-enhanced learning opportunities.
Collectively, these studies and reports revealed that sustainable HVAC-R workforce solutions needed to integrate data-driven recruitment, comprehensive training aligned with industry evolution, and culture-focused retention initiatives. They set the stage for examining ComRef, Inc.’s HVAC-R technician retention challenges within this broader industry context (North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council, 2024).
METHODOLOGY
Our team used the Van Tiem et al. (2012) HPT model as guiding methodology. In the duration of the ISPI Case Study Competition, our team was only able to complete the first phase, the needs analysis. This article shares our process, findings, and recommendations to ComRef, Inc.’s leaders as they move forward.
Frameworks
Guided by the Van Tiem et al. (2012) HPT model, we conducted a structured, strengths-based analysis that illuminated both high-impact opportunities and best practices already in place. Complementing this, the ISPI Performance Standards ensured our approach remained ethical, collaborative, and rigorously data-informed (ISPI, n.d.; Van Tiem et al., 2012).
Data Collection
A mixed‐methods data collection strategy combined qualitative insights, extant data analysis, and a targeted questionnaire.
Stakeholder Interviews and Instrument Development
We launched our investigation with appreciative dialogues, inviting three key ComRef, Inc. partners—the primary liaison, and two technical training leaders—to share success stories, workflow innovations, and aspirations for their teams. Their rich insights directly shaped our technician survey, ensuring that each item resonated with field realities and celebrated existing engagement strengths.
Extant Data Analysis
To articulate the value of strengthening retention, we paired ComRef, Inc. separation rates with industry benchmarks on replacement costs. This exercise highlighted not only the costs of turnover but also the compelling financial upside of retaining seasoned technicians, framing retention as a high-return-on-investment investment and a lever for sustainable growth. See Tables 1 and 2 for retention metrics and potential lost-revenue ranges. High-retention (HR) and low-retention (LR) locations are indicated in Tables 1 and 2.
Technician Questionnaire
An online questionnaire was crafted to capture both quantitative and qualitative insights into technician experiences. After collecting basic demographics—tenure, union affiliation, and recruitment source—respondents completed a forced‐ranking task, selecting their top three reasons for staying with or leaving ComRef, Inc. (from options such as pay, benefits, leadership quality, and on‐call demands; see Figures 1 and 2). We then presented four five-point Likert-scale batteries to assess perceptions of hiring and onboarding, training and growth, workplace support, and overall work conditions. To gauge overall satisfaction, technicians answered a Net Promoter–style item (Dawes, 2024) asking how likely they would be to recommend ComRef, Inc. as an employer. Finally, open-ended prompts invited participants to suggest improvements and to describe the aspects of their work they most enjoy, ensuring that their voices could shape our understanding and future interventions.
Citation: Performance Improvement 2025; 10.56811/PIJ-25-0013
Citation: Performance Improvement 2025; 10.56811/PIJ-25-0013
To secure data integrity, survey access required information technology whitelisting and was distributed electronically, via branch managers, to 12 anonymized branches (six high-retention, six low-retention). Participation was entirely voluntary, and responses were anonymized to encourage candor.
Limitations
Whereas our team conducted this study specifically for leadership at ComRef, Inc., we recognize that several constraints may affect the generalizability and depth of our findings. For transparency, we shared these limitations with ComRef, Inc. leaders and suggested that more research may mitigate these limitations. In addition to transparency, it is our hope that, by noting our limitations, future researchers may be able to prevent similar limitations in future studies.
Limited Gap Quantification
Leadership provided only high-level goals (improve acquisition, training, and retention) without branch- or role-specific data. Consequently, we could not calculate precise performance differences (e.g., exact days-to-fill, onboarding duration, or turnover rates by tenure). This limited our ability to set quantifiable targets and required reliance on industry benchmarks and organizational anecdotes. Future studies should secure detailed, role-segmented metrics to enable a more granular gap analysis.
Questionnaire Window and Dispersal Method
Due to project deadlines and approval processes, the questionnaire remained open for only seven business days, potentially excluding technicians on leave or with limited access. Relying on branch managers to distribute the questionnaire may have introduced selection bias toward more engaged employees.
Sample Imbalance
Of 103 total respondents whose completed data was analyzed, 81 were from high-retention branches and only 22 from low-retention branches, limiting statistical power to detect differences and potentially skewing comparisons.
Uncollected Stakeholder Perspectives
Planned interviews with branch managers to triangulate questionnaire comments could not be completed within the compressed timeline, reducing opportunities to contextualize quantitative findings.
These limitations suggest caution in extrapolating results beyond the sampled branches and underscore the need for extended data collection and deeper qualitative follow-up in future phases.
Organizational Analysis
For the organizational analysis, our team reviewed ComRef, Inc. website and all extant data provided to us through the case study liaison. Additionally, our team also reviewed direct social media platforms owned by the company, namely, LinkedIn and Facebook. Our interviews with staff members and the questionnaire sent to employees served both the organizational and environmental analyses processes simultaneously.
Background of the Organization
ComRef, Inc., as a commercial HVAC-R provider, boasts primary clients in supermarkets, warehouses, convenience stores, and biomedical facilities, all of which depend on ComRef, Inc. for uninterrupted climate control and refrigeration services. As a critical vendor in each community it serves, ComRef, Inc. field technicians directly represent the organization’s brand through preventive maintenance, emergency repairs, system installations, and energy-optimization projects.
Across the company’s 12 branches analyzed, retention rates over the past 2 years ranged from a high of 86% down to 30%, underscoring stark differences in local workforce stability. High-retention locations reported as few as five separations out of 36 technicians, whereas low-retention sites saw up to 99 separations among 142 technicians, translating into revenue-loss estimates from less than $250,000 at stable branches to more than $4 million at the most churn-prone branches. These disparities highlight the pressing need to understand and remediate the drivers of technician turnover.
Mission
ComRef, Inc. mission focuses on building the next generation of the safest and most skilled team in the industry. Aging staff, on-call stress, and uneven leadership threaten this mission without consistent career development, support structures, and culture-focused leadership.
Environmental Analysis
The anatomy-of-performance analysis for this project was informed by interviews with three key stakeholders internal to the organization: the primary project stakeholder, and two field training leaders. Their insights were supplemented by documents provided as part of the case study, and an external literature review focused on workforce issues in the commercial HVAC-R industry. Assistance was also provided via an additional key stakeholder in Human Resources. The sources were synthesized into a super-system map to illustrate the interconnected variables influencing technician retention, provided in Figure 3 (Rummler, 2007).
Citation: Performance Improvement 2025; 10.56811/PIJ-25-0013
External Factors
ComRef, Inc. operates within a challenging macroenvironment in which demographic, regulatory, economic, and technological forces converge to complicate technician recruitment and retention. A pervasive nationwide shortage of skilled tradespeople has created roughly 42,800 annual vacancies in HVAC‐R roles, driven largely by retirements and voluntary departures, outpacing the rate at which new technicians enter the field (BLS, 2023). Layered atop this labor deficit are stringent federal and state mandates from the phase‐out of high-global-warming-potential refrigerants to ever‐evolving Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety standards and union stipulations, which continuously elevate the threshold for technician certification and ongoing compliance training. Geographic wage disparities further exacerbate turnover: in high‐cost metro areas where local living expenses outstrip wage adjustments, technicians frequently migrate to better compensated locales. Technological advances, such as the adoption of novel refrigerant chemistries and sophisticated automated control systems, compound these pressures by necessitating perpetual upskilling, thereby lengthening the recruitment pipeline and intensifying retention challenges (Business Matters, 2024). Meanwhile, fierce competition from both national and regional HVAC‐R providers for the same finite talent pool forces ComRef, Inc. to differentiate through pay scales, benefits packages, and career‐path offerings.
Union presence represents a critical external factor that correlates strongly with branch‐level retention outcomes. In branches exhibiting high retention, union membership is nearly universal (98%), and 44% of technicians explicitly cite union benefits as a primary reason for staying, figures that contrast sharply with low‐retention branches, at which only 73% belong to a union and just 23% attribute their loyalty to union‐sponsored protections (see Table 3; a chi‐square test confirms that this association is statistically robust, χ2(1, N = 128) = 19.750, p < .001), underscoring the stabilizing effect that collective bargaining agreements and related frameworks exert on technician tenure.
Overall career stage did not drive branch-level turnover. This finding was indicated by a comparison of respondents with more or less than 5 years of HVAC-R industry experience, and there was no significance to the relationship (χ2(1, N = 128) = 1.347, p = < .246). We also compared the length of time an employee reported working for ComRef, Inc. and whether there was a correlation with retention using a chi-square analysis, and again, there was no significance (χ2(1, N = 128) = 1.618, p = <.203).
Internal Factors
Within ComRef, Inc. organizational boundary, several systemic elements influence technician retention. Inputs to the retention system include not only a steady pipeline of qualified technicians but also reliable service vehicles, specialized diagnostic tools, dispatch and scheduling systems, structured training programs, and robust payroll and benefits infrastructure. Organizational processes, notably recruitment and onboarding, dispatch coordination (including on-call scheduling), technical and safety training, and performance management, directly affect technicians’ day-to-day experiences and satisfaction. Moreover, variability in support structures across branches, such as internal communication practices, frequency of performance reviews, and clarity of career-progression planning, is shown to correlate with local retention rates. These internal factors interact with external pressures to create the complex retention dynamics ComRef, Inc. must address.
Gap Analysis
Through a systematic examination of both qualitative insights and quantitative metrics, our team delineated the foremost performance gaps by contrasting branches with high technician retention against those with low retention (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Rummler, 2007). Recognizing the frequency with which on-call stress surfaced in open-ended responses across all sites, we accorded it primacy as the most critical gap requiring immediate intervention. Secondary in severity, but still of great consequence, were disparities in team camaraderie and leadership development, coupled with divergent satisfaction levels regarding compensation and benefits; written feedback further exposed inconsistencies in corporate support services. Consequently, we elevated the standardization of organizational processes and the expansion of corporate support mechanisms to the second tier of priority. The third gap, deemed more readily addressable, concerns the cultivation of leadership competencies among branch managers, a strategy poised to enhance local organizational climate. Finally, we identified the need to bolster union representation or, where unions are infeasible, to institute analogous policies as the fourth gap; this measure not only targets compensation and benefits but also promises cascading improvements in fairness, voice, and overall workplace stability.
Cause Analysis
Insight into the performance gaps at ComRef, Inc. emerged from triangulating stakeholder interviews, survey data, and extant industry research. Five primary factors drive the divergence between the organization’s current and desired technician retention outcomes.
A substantial portion of ComRef, Inc. refrigeration technicians are approaching retirement age, a pressure mirrored across the HVAC-R sector. The U.S. BLS projects roughly 42,800 annual openings for HVAC mechanics and installers through 2032, driven predominantly by retirements rather than sector expansion, which portends acute replacement demands (BLS, 2023). Given that full technician competency typically requires 12–18 months of combined classroom and field training (Vanzo, 2025), retirements immediately translate into operational skill deficits, exacerbating backlogs and placing remaining staff under increased workload stress.
Survey responses revealed that new hires predominantly learn on the job through ad hoc mentoring rather than following a standardized curriculum. Technicians reported uneven experiences in initial training: some branches provided structured hands-on coaching, whereas others offered minimal formal instruction. This inconsistency delays arrival at full productivity and undermines early commitment as evidenced by higher first-year churn in branches lacking peer-mentorship programs (Kraimer et al., 2011). Without a robust onboarding framework, new technicians face a steep learning curve, unsupported by clear performance benchmarks.
Only 32% of respondents could articulate clear advancement criteria within ComRef, Inc. Technicians cited infrequent performance-development conversations and a lack of transparent competency milestones as key frustrations. The absence of visible promotion ladders erodes motivation: when employees cannot envision a future within their organization, they are prone to explore external opportunities that promise greater professional clarity (Belloli, 2025).
Retention rates across the 12 branches ranged from 30% to 86%, correlating strongly with local leadership behaviors. Technicians at high-retention sites praised regular one-on-one check-ins, equitable on-call rotations, and proactive recognition, whereas low-retention branches were characterized by infrequent feedback, perceived favoritism in scheduling, and minimal acknowledgment of achievements. Consistent, data-driven leadership practices emerge as a critical differentiator: branches at which managers habitually engaged with technicians through structured coaching reported markedly lower voluntary turnover (Stuart, 2015).
Across all branches, on-call stress was the most frequently selected reason for leaving (59% at high-retention branches; 71% at low-retention branches). Technicians described unpredictable schedules, late-night emergency dispatches, and insufficient recovery periods as primary burnout drivers. Unmanaged on-call work disrupts sleep, blurs work–life boundaries, and contributes directly to attrition, trends corroborated by Collins (2024), who links excessive on-call duties to heightened turnover risk.
These internal factors are compounded by external pressures, skilled-labor scarcity, regulatory escalation around refrigerants, and regional cost-of-living disparities, intensifying ComRef, Inc. retention challenges. Addressing these root causes requires integrated interventions: modernizing onboarding processes, clarifying career trajectories, standardizing leadership training, and reshaping on-call policies to safeguard work–life balance. Only through such multilevel strategies can ComRef, Inc. bridge the gaps between its current performance and its vision of a stable, highly skilled refrigeration technician workforce.
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT INTERVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Drawing on in-depth interviews, branch-level retention data, and proven best practices in field-service workforce management, we have identified four strategic levers that together can transform the technician experience at ComRef, Inc. Each recommendation targets a core driver of burnout, inefficiency, or disengagement, and when implemented as a cohesive suite, will reinforce one another to deliver sustainable improvements in morale and tenure. All interventions are recommendations and, due to the limited nature of the data we were able to gather, need additional research before implementation.
Intervention #1: Review and Revise the On-Call Scheduling Process
Unpredictable, burdensome on-call shifts emerged as the top retention inhibitor; technicians called it “severely disruptive to personal lives” and identified on-call duties as a primary reason for quitting in both high- and low-retention groups. To counter burnout from sleep disruption and blurred work–life boundaries (Collins, 2024), ComRef, Inc. should overhaul its on-call policy with three key tactics:
Advance scheduling: Establish fixed on-call rotations (e.g., week-long or night-only assignments) published at least 1 month in advance. A supermarket chain’s switch to dedicated night-tech coverage eliminated 24-hour shifts and “hasn’t lost a senior technician since” (Hamstra, 2008). Predictable rotations reduce anxiety and facilitate personal planning.
Voluntary opt-in with incentives: Allow technicians to volunteer for on-call slots in exchange for stipends or bonuses, such as a 4-hour pay equivalent per on-call day plus overtime for actual calls (Greer, 2004; Keenan & Hitch, 2024). Technicians using paid time off (PTO) could opt in to recoup lost hours. Incentivized, voluntary sign-ups ensure willing coverage and foster fairness.
Work–life safeguards: Limit consecutive on-call days and guarantee recovery time, for example, post–emergency shift relief or delayed start the following day. Invest in remote monitoring to filter nonurgent alerts and minimize after-hours calls (Mar-Hy Distributors, n.d.). Eighty-six percent of technicians rate flexible scheduling as important or very important (Keenan & Hitch, 2024). By respecting personal time, ComRef, Inc. signals that the technician’s well-being matters.
These measures align on-call demands with modern work–life expectations, reducing stress and turnover. Field-service firms that adopt flexible, incentive-driven schedules report significantly improved retention (Mar-Hy Distributors, n.d.).
Intervention #2: Analyze and Standardize Organizational Processes to Unify Corporate Support Services
Our study revealed that high-retention branches benefit from streamlined workflows, whereas low-retention sites struggle with red tape and inconsistent support. To create a technician-friendly environment everywhere, ComRef, Inc. should do the following:
Comparative process audit: Document how branches handle key tasks, such as work-order entry, paperwork, dispatch, and communication, and flag disparities. For example, if one branch uses a mobile reporting app and another relies on paper, the more efficient tool should be rolled out company-wide. Standardization reduces friction, letting technicians focus on trade skills rather than bureaucracy.
Digitize and simplify administration: Replace manual forms with intuitive digital interfaces. Internal feedback highlighted burdensome paperwork as a frequent pain point; streamlined processes save time and signal respect for technicians’ work (Better Buys, n.d.).
Unified communication and support: Standardize channels for updates and issue resolution via regular team briefs, an internal newsletter, and open-door policies. Sixty-six percent of technicians say management communication is poor (Wire Reports, 2025); consistent information sharing fosters trust (Bush, 2023).
Equitable Policy Framework
Harmonize policies on vehicle usage, PTO scheduling, bonuses, and promotions. Ninety-four percent of employees stay when policies are perceived as fair (Bush, 2023). Transparent, uniform guidelines eliminate branch-to-branch inequities. Implementing these changes may create a cohesive operational model across 43 states, in which every technician experiences the same efficient processes and transparent policies, reducing frustration and increasing loyalty.
Intervention #3: Implement Leadership Development Focused on Culture-Building and Inclusive Practices
Branches with higher retention had technicians who mentioned supportive leaders in the questionnaire, whereas low-retention sites focused less on the influence of their leadership. This was a notable absence because low-retention sites cited coworkers as the second most frequent reason to stay, outranking pay (Keenan & Hitch, 2024) by 18%. To cultivate a company-wide culture of engagement, the following are key:
360° assessment and feedback: Require managers to complete self-assessments and solicit anonymous input from peers and technicians to identify strengths and development needs in communication, recognition, delegation, and emotional intelligence (Stuart, 2015).
Targeted workshops: Conduct interactive training using real technician feedback. Topics include transparent communication, constructive feedback, conflict resolution, and inclusive decision making. Fair promotions and inclusive leaders correlate with higher engagement and loyalty (Fonseca, 2025).
Action plans and accountability: Post-training, managers set measurable culture goals (e.g., weekly recognition shout-outs or biweekly one-on-one coaching sessions). Documented plans shared with supervisors ensure follow-through; reinforcement through quarterly coaching sustains momentum.
Ongoing mentorship: Pair newer managers with high-performing peers for regular coaching and hold quarterly cross-branch leadership huddles to share best practices. Over time, codify these principles in a leadership playbook.
Expected Outcome
Enhanced manager–technician relationships, improved morale, and a “virtuous cycle” in which supportive leadership drives better culture, which, in turn, boosts retention. Organizations investing in leadership development are 2.5× more likely to retain top talent (Magazzo, n.d.), and those with trusted management see employees 5.4× more inclined to stay (Bush, 2023).
Intervention #4: Pilot Union Support or Introduce Union-Like Protections in Nonunion Environments
Branches with collective bargaining agreements at ComRef, Inc. demonstrate markedly higher retention and greater satisfaction regarding compensation and procedural fairness. In jurisdictions where union presence is viable, ComRef, Inc. should proactively collaborate with existing labor organizations to adopt proven retention strategies, establishing joint retention committees, negotiating pay scales that average 11% above nonunion equivalents, and formalizing grievance procedures to ensure equitable dispute resolution (Bach & Kinder, 2021). Such partnerships not only stabilize labor relations but also leverage union expertise in designing benefits and working conditions that technicians value.
In regions where unionization is impractical, ComRef, Inc. can still capture these advantages by internalizing core union benefits. First, compensation and benefits should be benchmarked against union standards with guaranteed annual pay increases and uniform health, retirement, and PTO packages that position ComRef, Inc. at the forefront of market offerings (Wire Reports, 2025). Second, implementing a just-cause employment policy—in which documented performance concerns precede any termination—and convening an impartial grievance panel creates “worker voice” mechanisms empirically linked to reduced turnover (Bahn & Peck, 2023). Finally, the formation of employee advisory councils or regular town hall forums at each branch mirror traditional labor–management collaborations, providing technicians with a structured avenue to influence workload, safety protocols, and process enhancements (Hotel & Gaming Trades Council, 2010). By institutionalizing these practices, ComRef, Inc. can cultivate the stability and trust that underpin unionized workplaces, thereby narrowing retention disparities across its operational footprint.
Expected Outcome
By proactively offering pay, protections, and voice akin to union environments, ComRef, Inc. will boost job satisfaction and reduce turnover. It’s telling that studies have long found union members to be less inclined to quit their jobs despite sometimes reporting lower superficial job satisfaction (Bach & Kinder, 2021). This was seen in the questionnaire responses from ComRef, Inc. Respondents who belonged to a union and were in a higher retention branch reported statistically lower Likert scores on several key metrics. The likely reason is that unions secure the key conditions (fair pay, grievance procedures, predictable raises, etc.) that give workers reason to stay even if day-to-day frustrations arise (Bach & Kinder, 2021; Laroche, 2017). Piloting these measures should narrow retention gaps, and successful pilots can scale company-wide.
CONCLUSION
This performance improvement project examined ComRef, Inc. critical HVAC-R technician retention challenges by synthesizing organizational and environmental analyses, gap and cause analyses, and stakeholder insights. We found that uneven on-call practices, variable support services, inconsistent leadership behaviors, and disparities between unionized and nonunion branches collectively undermined technician engagement and tenure. These internal issues, compounded by external pressures such as a tight labor market, evolving regulatory requirements, and rapid technological change, created significant turnover costs and threatened ComRef, Inc. ability to sustain a skilled field workforce.
The four recommended interventions—overhauling the on-call scheduling process, standardizing organizational workflows and policies, strengthening leadership through targeted culture-building development, and piloting union-supported or union-like protections—offer a comprehensive, multilevel strategy to close the identified retention gaps. Each intervention draws upon both the draft’s original data and best practices from industry and academic research, ensuring feasible and impactful solutions. When implemented in concert, these measures enhance work–life balance, streamline daily operations, foster consistent and supportive leadership, and instill a fair and transparent workplace culture that mirrors the benefits of collective representation.
Successful execution of these interventions promises to transform ComRef, Inc. into an employer of choice in the HVAC-R field, one in which technicians experience predictable schedules, clear career pathways, equitable treatment, and a robust voice in organizational decisions. By aligning talent-management practices with ComRef, Inc. vision of building the safest and most skilled team in the industry, this project lays the groundwork for sustainable retention improvements. Ultimately, a more stable and engaged technician workforce not only reduces turnover costs but also bolsters service quality, customer satisfaction, and ComRef, Inc. long-term competitive advantage.
Lessons Learned and Reflections
As this project was completed through the ISPI Case Study Competition, our team reflected on our learning through this process. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with a live company, true employees, and receive the overwhelmingly positive and informative feedback from the case study judges and participants. Upon reflection, our team identified our own lessons learned that will help us become better performance improvement practitioners moving forward.
Assumptions and Data Scope
Early in the project, we assumed that our retention data reflected only HVAC-R technicians. After concluding the main study, we discovered that branch‐level retention figures included all employees, technicians, and temporary staff, leading to an overstatement of technician separation rates, especially at locations with high numbers of seasonal or per-diem workers. This revelation underscored the importance of validating data definitions and scope before analysis. In future projects, explicit data‐gathering protocols and up-front data‐validation checks will be essential to ensure alignment between the data received and the population under study.
Feasibility and Focus
Several broad solutions were considered, such as company-wide reductions in on-call hours or centralized dispatch centers, but were deemed beyond ComRef, Inc. immediate control, budget, or implementation timeline. Instead, the team prioritized interventions (on-call revisions, process standardization, leadership development, and union-support pilots) that balanced impact with organizational readiness. This focus ensured that recommended actions could be piloted within existing structures, resource constraints, and the six-month project window.
Questionnaire and Stakeholder Engagement
Our technician survey achieved strong reliability (Cronbach’s α > .80 across domains), but the poststudy discovery about mixed employee types suggests that the surveyed population should have been more tightly defined. Additionally, planned interviews with branch managers were curtailed by scheduling conflicts. Whereas the questionnaire responses provided rich quantitative insights, deeper qualitative interviews would have helped contextualize branch-level variations and validate survey findings. Future efforts will incorporate staggered interview windows and contingency plans to secure executive participation.
Reflection on Change Management
The project affirmed that meaningful performance improvement requires not only data analysis but also ongoing collaboration with line leaders and field staff. Clear communication about project objectives, data definitions, and interim findings fosters trust and buy-in. Equally, the team’s agility in adjusting scope, upon learning of the retention data issue, demonstrated the value of reflective practice. Embedding regular reflection checkpoints into the project timeline allowed us to recalibrate methods and maintain alignment with ComRef, Inc. vision of a safe, skilled, and supported technician workforce.
Comparison of Intent to Stay by High- and Low-Retention Groups
Comparison of Intent to Leave by High- and Low-Retention Groups
Super-System Map of Variables Influencing Refrigeration Technician Retention (Imran & Allil, 2016)
Contributor Notes
SHANNON BIAGI, MS, BCBA, is a professor and academic administrator at the University of West Florida’s Center for Behavior Analysis and a doctoral student in instructional and performance technology. With more than a decade of experience in organizational behavior management (OBM), she specializes in data-driven strategies to improve employee engagement, leadership development, and organizational systems. She is the founder and CEO of Chief Motivating Officers, LLC, where she partners with organizations to assess employee experience, conduct systems analyses, and implement sustainable performance solutions grounded in applied behavior analysis. Shannon has received multiple national awards for applied OBM and performance improvement interventions and is a frequent invited speaker at international applied behavioral analysis (ABA) and OBM conferences. Shannon’s ongoing mission is to improve the world at work by amplifying employee voices, building ethical and inclusive workplaces, and translating behavioral science into meaningful organizational change. She can be reached at sbiagi@uwf.edu.
CAROLINE ATWOOD BRODE, MS, is an education professional with nearly a decade of experience in student affairs and military service organizations. Each role focused on designing and refining programs that inspire, empower, and guide others through transitional and transformative experiences. She is in her second year of the instructional and performance technology EdD program at the University of West Florida. She can be reached at ccb42@students.uwf.edu.
SARA GOLDEN is an instructional design and talent development consultant who partners with organizations to optimize learning management solutions, onboarding strategies, and artificial intelligence–driven workflow automation. Holding an M.Ed. in educational leadership and pursuing an Ed.D. in instructional technology and performance improvement, she brings more than a decade of expertise across both K–12 and corporate learning environments. She can be reached at sara.golden@goldenllamaconsulting.com.
TRACI HUDGIN is a former educator turned full-stack web developer. She currently works at a late-stage software-as-a-service start-up in marketing technology, helping clients build the custom applications of their dreams. She can be reached at tah82@students.uwf.edu.
