To better leverage the specialized skills of maintenance technicians, the rental housing industry is reimagining the property-specific maintenance team model. New maintenance team structures such as podding — designed to allow techs to focus on certain disciplines of their job while overseeing multiple communities — are emerging as effective alternatives. During the NAA Apartmentalize 2024 session Pod People: Practical Considerations for New Staffing Models, moderated by SmartRent Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Michael Rankert, industry experts discussed the merits of pod teams.
Understanding Podding
"Podding is essentially the consolidation of properties or teams,” Rankert said. “So, in multifamily, it could mean that instead of having separate maintenance teams at three or four communities, you create one large team that serves all the assets in unison. There is the specialization component, as well, in which techs are fully responsible for a specific discipline across the properties."
In the pod model, maintenance techs have specific duties rather than serving as jack (or jill) of all trades. Some might specialize in HVAC, others in plumbing or electrical, while others might be home-turn specialists. The concept is intended to cater to the specific skill sets of maintenance associates.
Operators can further tailor their pod teams to better serve their portfolio in certain markets, according to Amy Chien, Director of Strategic Innovations for BH.
"You can have a cluster of communities in which certain techs can handle specific needs,” Chien said. “Maybe you have a really big portfolio of 20-plus communities in a particular area, and then you can narrow down the duties to even more specific specialization."
Addressing industry challenges
Session panelists said podding can also help operators to compete for employees with highly sought-after skills and qualifications.
“Hourly rates in the high teens to the high $20s is what you traditionally see for techs, and they can sometimes make $40 or $50 doing construction,” said Ian Bingham, Senior Vice President of Business Development for Buckingham Companies. “They’re often going to go that route. The arm-wrestling to keep those folks is real.”
Bingham said the industry must adjust its business practices to overcome the shrinking pool of qualified maintenance associates amid a surge in housing supply.
“Podding could be a means to several ends,” Bingham said. “When my company looks at podding, we assess our open positions and wonder how we can become more efficient. It’s not about the overall headcount of the maintenance team — it’s about finding ways to recruit for certain skills and finding ways to pay them appropriately for that skillset in a really challenging market.”
Matt Rogers, Senior Vice President of RPM Living, highlighted the broader issue of skilled labor shortage.
“As a nation, we’ve done an incredible disservice to our young people,” Rogers said. “For starters, we’ve removed shop class and automotive instruction in early high schools. And we’ve actually actively discouraged people who work with their hands not to do that. That is an absolute fundamental shame, because there are people who are mechanically inclined, and it is a real problem in our industry.”
The benefits of podding
The apartment industry needs to be more involved in developing and promoting maintenance training programs, Rogers added, though podding may be the solution that helps operators meet their community’s needs in the interim. The efficiencies and cost savings introduced through podding should erase any hesitancy to embrace a new maintenance team structure, he said. Maintenance team members appreciate the opportunity to work in podded teams where they can utilize their training and hone their strengths.
“Podding can help to develop a career path,” said Chien. “Not every person who is amazingly skilled at small appliance repair is going to be able to lead a large team, and if being a service manager is the only path to advancement, that isn’t going to work for that individual. So, this is a different way to recognize talent and play to their strengths.”
By enabling maintenance technicians to specialize and by assembling pod teams serving multiple properties, operators create more efficient and competent maintenance services, reduce turnover, and enhance both the resident experience and property performance. As the multifamily industry continues to evolve, podding emerges as a promising solution to address staffing challenges and improve overall operational efficiency.