According to recruiter Thornhvac, a shortage of technical sales candidates is contributing to the current skills gap in the construction sector.

The company says that manufacturers are widening their net to attract people who don’t necessarily have a sales or HVAC background in order to meet the current shortfall.

Director of Thornhvac, Jason Thornhill, said: “Many manufacturers are in a position to expand as construction growth pushes demand for their products but they are struggling to find people with the right combination of technical knowledge and sales experience. 

“One way they are overcoming this is by recruiting people from related industries such as architecture and engineering who understand the priorities of the industry but haven’t worked for a manufacturer before.”

Radiator manufacturer Jaga is one HVAC firm that has looked beyond the current talent pool of sales people. It recently appointed Joe Franks, whose background is in architecture and technical services, to fill a recent vacancy for an area sales manager in the South West. 

Mr Franks said his technical background had been an advantage that had outweighed his lack of sales experience. “I think that’s because I’m far more than just a salesman selling a product - this is very much a consultancy role where I can offer real knowledge and service and provide useful input in the design process,” he explained. 

“It’s about finding the right product or system for the right application and having the technical knowledge and understanding to back up and justify that decision.”

He added: “I’m used to dealing with M&E consultants, so I understand how they work and what they need, and in-house training from Jaga has given me strong product knowledge and a solid understanding of each product’s applications and benefits.”