1. Failing to Highlight Strategic Impact

Many HVAC COOs list tasks like "managed field technicians" or "oversaw service operations," but fail to demonstrate their strategic contributions to the business. Instead, it’s crucial to highlight specific achievements that showcase your impact on company performance.

What to do:
Focus on operational improvements that resulted in measurable outcomes. For example:

• Implemented an operational restructuring that improved service response times by 30%.
• Scaled operations to support a 50% increase in revenue.

HVAC is an efficiency-driven industry, so numbers matter. A COO’s resume should reflect how they drove cost savings or revenue growth.

2. Lack of Quantifiable Metrics

Another common mistake is not showing concrete data that backs up a COO's success. In the HVAC industry, it’s important to demonstrate how your actions contributed to tangible business results, whether it’s in reducing costs or increasing revenue.

What to do:
Ensure you include measurable metrics that demonstrate your impact. Examples include:

• Cost savings: Reduced operational costs by 15% through process optimizations.
• Revenue growth: Expanded service coverage to increase revenue from $25 million to $50 million.
• Customer service improvement: Improved NPS score from 60 to 85 by streamlining service dispatch.

These quantifiable metrics showcase your ability to drive real change and growth.

3. Overlooking Talent and Leadership Development

HVAC businesses heavily rely on skilled technicians and strong leadership. Yet many COOs fail to highlight their efforts in technician training, leadership development, and workforce retention.

What to do:
Demonstrate how you’ve made a difference in growing and developing the workforce. Examples include:

• Workforce expansion: Increased technician workforce by 40% to meet service demand.
• Training initiatives: Implemented a technician upskilling program, resulting in a 25% reduction in turnover.

A strong COO not only manages the operational side of the business but also invests in the growth of the team.

By avoiding these mistakes and focusing on your strategic contributions, quantifiable achievements, and leadership development efforts, you’ll set yourself apart as a COO who has made a lasting impact on the business. 

If you are looking for a Chief Operating Officer role, we specialise in connecting Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies with top talent and we we would love to help you find your next role.