How we Hire at Hill Electric

It’s not uncommon that we are asked about our hiring processes and how someone can become a part of the Hill Electric team. As a consistent part of the Anderson and Upstate South Carolina communities for more than 65 years now, Hill Electric is a company that can provide a stable and scalable career path for many.

But how does someone get in front of Hill Electric? And what are we looking for in the interview process?  Here, we will dive into the hiring process, and everything you might need to know about getting on board with this professional team.

What is Hill Electric like to work for?

Since opening its doors in 1954, Hill Electric has long been a staple of the Anderson community. Today, with around 75 employees found over multiple job sites at any given time, Hill Electric has established itself as a great place to work and grow a career.

While there are things that we look for to hire, should you become employed full-time with Hill Electric, it is likely that you would work four ten-hour shifts a week, allowing you three full days off. Additionally, Hill Electric employees are eligible for a number of benefits, including paid training, personal tool purchase program, three bonuses a year, retirement contribution, company health care contribution, and an annual tool spending allowance .

How does Hill Electric find employees?

In order to maintain our values of trust, safety, quality and service, it is vital that we find the right employees to work within our company.  For that reason, there are a number of ways that we seek out our next generation of team members.

• Word of mouth and employee recommendations
• Social media interactions and online job boards
• Apprenticeships & connections through local technical schools 
• Recommendations from local professors and teachers
• Local veteran organizations
• Job fairs at technical schools and colleges

What are you looking for in new hires?

While it is important that we find team members that can manage the daily work that our jobs entail, the interview process explores a lot more than simply checking off job requirements. For David Wolke, who handles much of Hill Electric’s recruiting and training, much of the interview process is about determining if someone is compatible with the team and the company as a whole.

“A lot of it is a gut feel; I can’t tell your work ethic—that comes from being on the job—but I can tell if I think you’d be a good fit to try out here at Hill Electric,” David says. “I don’t expect you to answer electrical questions, but I do expect you to know a bit about our company.”

If you’re looking to interview, here are some of the things that David (or another member of the company) will be considering.

Education and Teachability

While you can be taught a lot of things that the job entails, how well you learn—and how open you are to the learning process—is something that can’t be easily taught. So, in addition to your background, education, and even hobbies (many hobbies and non-professional experiences can develop these skills, like working with your hands and solving problems) don’t be surprised if you get a short lesson on a task, as well. 

Personality

Because our culture at Hill Electric is so important, it is important that we find team members who match our same values and can help the team as a whole become better, so we’ll also be looking to see if you’re a culture fit, and if your focus on quality, safety, and service matches our own.

Communication Skills

Working on a team requires communication, so we’ll want to know if you can communicate problems—and solutions—quickly and efficiently. Do you use complete sentences? Can you hold a conversation easily? All of these are things we’ll be looking for during your interview.

Basic Skills

Even if you don’t have a certification or degree in the electrical field, there may be a place for you at Hill Electric. In this case, we may simply ask to see if you can perform basic skills—reading a tape measure, calculating fractions, or following directions, as a few examples.

How can I join the Hill Electric team?

We’re always looking for great workers to join our team! If you’re interested, simply apply online or print out our online PDF, fill it out and drop off at our Anderson office.

At Hill Electric, our goal is to continue to build a team that focuses on  quality and excellence along every step of each project we touch. If you’d like to find out more, or would like to know more about our hiring practices, job openings or more, please contact us and let us know.