Why I Hire for Character Before Maintenance Skill Throughout my career, I developed a hiring philosophy that occasionally surprised some people. There were times when I passed on candidates with exceptional technical skills because they lacked the character traits I believed were essential. I also hired less-experienced candidates because they demonstrated the mindset, attitude, and potential I wanted. It did not mean they were not good people. I just have always looked for

Every maintenance department seems to have one. The technician who knows every machine, every recurring failure, every spare part location, and every trick for getting equipment back online. Ask them a question, and they have the answer before you've finished asking it. I call these individuals Walking Encyclopedias. They are one of the most valuable assets a company can have. But they also represent one of the greatest risks. When maintenance knowledge exists only in one per

Every maintenance department has more work than available time. Equipment failures, preventive maintenance, improvement projects, and unexpected requests all compete for attention. Even with a robust CMMS, an effective work request process, and a well-developed scheduling system, maintenance technicians still need clear Rules of Engagement. Software can organize work orders, but it can't always determine what should take priority at that moment. That's where Rules of Engageme