Why a maintenance technician is hard to find
Technicians are scarce across Europe. An all-round technician can choose between installation firms, construction companies, housing associations, schools and hospitals, and many of those employers pay more and only work weekday daytime hours. Many technicians also have little idea what working in a hotel involves. Taking that as your starting point, it is clear that posting the vacancy next to those for reception or housekeeping is not enough. You need to make the role concrete, benchmark pay against the technical market and show why the work in your hotel is attractive.
Make the role concrete
‘Maintenance technician’ can mean almost anything. Write down what really happens: small repairs in rooms, plumbing, lighting, painting and sealing, looking after heating and air conditioning, legionella control, checks on smoke detectors and emergency lighting, the pool or spa, and supervising external suppliers. State how many rooms and installations there are and whether the technician works alone or in a team. That attracts candidates who can do the job and prevents someone leaving after a month because the role turned out to be different.
Decide what you do yourself and what you outsource
A hotel does not have to do everything in-house. Many hotels leave inspections, lift maintenance, large installations and fire alarm systems to specialist firms, and keep daily repairs, checks and small jobs in their own hands. Make that split before you recruit. Then you know whether you need an all-rounder who fixes most things personally, or someone who mainly coordinates and manages suppliers. That also determines the right level of training and pay.
Which qualifications count, and which do not
Only ask for the diplomas and certificates you really need. Technical training in electrical engineering, building services or mechanical engineering is a good basis, and work on electrical installations may require a formal authorisation under the safety rules that apply in your country. Many other skills a practical candidate will learn on the job. A technician from the installation sector or an experienced handyperson with the right attitude can be stronger than someone with perfect paperwork. Decide per task what is mandatory and what you can teach.
Be honest about on-call duty and working hours
Faults do not respect office hours. If the technician needs to be reachable in the evening or at weekends, say so in the job ad and explain how often it happens, how on-call duty is paid and who takes the first call. Agree what reception or the night porter can solve themselves and when the technician is called. A clear rota with fair compensation stops the best candidates dropping out because they fear being permanently ‘on’.
Benchmark pay against the technical market
A common mistake is to derive the technician’s salary from the pay bands for hospitality roles. The candidate compares with what an installation firm or facility service offers. So look at what technicians earn in your region and include the whole package: on-call allowance, travel costs, training, tools and workwear, and where relevant meals and staff discounts. Read more about pay bands per hotel role.
What a hotel has to offer
A hotel cannot always pay the highest salary, but it can offer other things. The technician works at one location instead of spending the day in a van, has varied work, sees the result directly for guests and colleagues and belongs to a permanent team. Regular daytime hours, an own workshop, good tools, training and room to plan maintenance personally also matter a lot to many technicians. Name these points concretely; they are your strongest argument.
A job ad that speaks to technicians
Technicians read a job ad differently from hospitality staff. Mention the type of building, the number of rooms, the main installations, the balance between hands-on work and managing suppliers, working hours and on-call duty, and pay with a range. Leave out general terms such as ‘hospitable’ and ‘dynamic’ and describe a normal working day instead. See also our article on what to include in a job ad.
Look where technicians are
Hospitality job boards reach few technicians. Technical job sites work better, as do regional technical colleges and your own network of suppliers and maintenance contractors. Think also of caretakers and technical staff at schools, sports centres or care institutions, and of experienced technicians who want to drive less and are looking for a calmer role. Actively ask your team for tips, because a referral often produces the best candidate.
Select on what someone can do
An interview alone says little about technical skill. Walk the candidate through the plant room and a few guest rooms, and ask how they would handle a concrete fault: a room without hot water, a leak above the restaurant or an alarm in the middle of the night. A short trial shift with the current technician or a regular supplier shows how someone works, communicates and sets priorities. Also watch how the candidate deals with guests and colleagues, because the technician walks through the hotel every day.
References and agreements
When you contact a previous employer, ask not only whether the candidate did good work, but also how independently they worked, how faults outside working hours were handled and how safely they worked. In the offer, set out clearly what on-call duty involves, which training you pay for and who provides tools and workwear. Read also which questions to ask in reference checks.
Bridge the period without a technician
While the vacancy is open, repairs pile up, and that costs rooms and reviews. Agree which maintenance firm picks up urgent faults, with what response time and at what rate, and keep a list of outstanding jobs. That gives the new technician a clear start and shows you what the vacancy really costs. See also what an open vacancy costs.
Checklist for general managers and HR
• Have you described which tasks the technician does and what you outsource?
• Do you know which diplomas and certificates are truly mandatory and what you can teach?
• Are working hours and on-call duty, with compensation, stated honestly in the job ad?
• Have you benchmarked pay against technicians in your region rather than hospitality pay bands?
• Do you name concretely what your hotel offers: one location, regular hours, tools, training?
• Do you recruit through technical channels, colleges, suppliers and your own team?
• Do you test in practice, with a walk-through, fault scenarios or a trial shift?
• Is it arranged who handles urgent faults while the role is open?
When AXXAZ Hospitality helps
AXXAZ Hospitality supplies reliable hospitality staff to hotels across Europe. A technical vacancy rarely stands alone: during an opening, expansion or reorganisation, several roles are usually in play at once. We help you map which roles you recruit yourself and for which we put forward suitable candidates. That starts with a clear staffing brief. Get in touch.
In one sentence
Make the role concrete, decide what you outsource, ask only for the qualifications you really need, be honest about on-call duty, benchmark pay against the technical market, show what your hotel offers, recruit through technical channels and select on what someone can do in practice.
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