Implement these tips to find new technicians and avoid falling victim to the technician shortage.
“We’re in desperate need of a new technician.”
This is an obstacle almost every one of our clients has recently faced. The truth is, finding a good auto repair technician is no easy feat nowadays. There is very clearly a nationwide shortage of automotive technicians and both shop owners and dealerships are feeling it. In fact, a 2020 TechForce Foundation study revealed that the industry will be short 642,000 technicians from 2020 to 2024.
But don’t fret! There are ways to effectively deal with the shortage and hire new technicians. As an automotive shop owner or hiring manager, this just means it's time to step up your game, get strategic, and proactively approach the hiring process. Here are six tips to help you along the way:
1.) Understand What Technicians Are Looking For
When looking to hire more automotive technicians, it's essential to recognize the reality of the current job market. With the growing number of open positions and fewer technicians, the market has shifted from a "sellers" market to a "buyers" market. To stand out and attract the most talented candidates, take the time to think about what technicians really want. Identify the qualities they are looking for, clearly define how your shop supplies them, then focus on promoting those qualities in job postings and interviews.
Our experience creating hiring campaigns for auto shops and dealerships has revealed that technicians highly prioritize the following qualities when selecting their next employer:
Strong Compensation. The pay that you offer to potential employees is a crucial part of your recruitment and retention strategy. You want to make sure that your employees are compensated fairly, consistently, and in a way that is easy to understand. Also be sure to clearly communicate what they can expect as far as raises and bonuses go, so they have something to work towards and keep them motivated.
Benefits. Benefits are a top priority for technicians looking for a new job, particularly when they have a family. If you don't offer traditional insurance benefits, you can still draw prospective employees to your shop by highlighting the unique perks that you do provide. Examples might include a four-day workweek, weekends off, performance bonuses, modern equipment, employee wellness programs, or even weekly paychecks.
Healthy Work-Life Balance. Working with cars can be exhausting so implementing strategies to make sure technicians don't get burnt out is a crucial way to attract and retain top talent. By creating a balance of work and leisure - morale is also boosted, mistakes are reduced, and the overall productivity of your shop will remain consistent.
Opportunities For Growth. For shop or dealership owners willing to invest in their employees' growth, there are numerous ways to incentivize both experienced and younger technicians. For example, experienced technicians may be willing to take a lower salary if there is potential for career advancement in the future. While younger technicians may find value in receiving on-the-job training with the opportunity to eventually reach a higher-paying position.
It is also essential to be open and honest with potential recruits when discussing the requirements, duties, and working conditions for the position. Deceiving a prospect about any aspect of the job will likely cause them to leave as soon as they realize they have been misled. Honesty is vital when recruiting and maintaining high-level technicians.
2.) Know What To Look For In A Technician
When interviewing and recruiting automotive technicians for your shop or dealership, it's important to identify and seek out a few key characteristics in applicants. These characteristics not only help you identify strong potential candidates but also help ensure that whomever you hire sticks around long term.
Here are a few key characteristics to keep in mind when recruiting new technicians:
History of long-term employment. When considering a technician for your shop, look for someone with an established background of being employed in the same place for a long-term basis. This can be a strong indicator of loyalty, dependability, and dedication to their role. It is also beneficial to assess their total experience in the industry to confirm that they are dedicated to the industry.
Problem-solving abilities. A good auto repair technician will be able to troubleshoot problems on their own without having to call their manager every time something goes wrong with your vehicle. Good problem solvers are going to save you time and money by being able to fix issues quickly and efficiently.
Overall presentation. As you evaluate potential automotive technicians, make sure to assess their professional behavior. Consider if they appear and speak in a professional manner. Review their resume to check for any misspelled words, mistakes, or untruths - these details may indicate dishonestly or that they do not take precision seriously. Additionally, any rescheduling of the interview may point to an unreliable nature.
3.) Maximize Job Listing Exposure
The key to generating more applications is simple: more views equals more applications. Posting a job ad online can be beneficial, however due to the current market, a more active approach may be required to find the technician you are looking for. Consider these techniques to put your shop and your hiring message in front of as many potential candidates as possible:
Career Websites. Place creative, appealing job listings on Indeed, Craigslist, and other job sites (use outside help to optimize if not getting results).
Facebook Ads. Put your shop and hiring message in front of as many prospects as possible with a targeted advertising campaign (use outside help).
Google Ads. Find techs actively looking for jobs by using a Google Adwords campaign (also with outside help).
Social Media Content. Attract and recruit prospects with a consistent and relevant social media presence (use outside help if you need it).
SEO. Attract your target audience to job listings by optimizing the keywords in your job listings, web pages, and social posts (use outside help).
Taking advantage of online marketing opportunities is not as simple as it looks. Without the right expertise, you can easily end up wasting both time and money. If you need assistance when it comes to finding and recruiting automotive technicians, let us know. We specialize in online advertising strategies to find and recruit automotive technicians and would be happy to help.
4.) Fine-Tune Your Hiring Process
Structuring and fine-tuning your hiring process are also critical steps to securing top automotive technicians. Ask the right questions, execute a detailed screening, and provide a smooth onboarding to help make an excellent first impression and land the best possible candidates. Plus help you avoid wasted time, wasted money, and potential catastrophe with the wrong hire.
Interviewing. Construct an organized interview process and improve it regularly. Consider implementing progressive interviews and/or a hiring checklist to guarantee that you cover all the needed topics with a potential new hire and that nothing is missed.
Screening. Confirm that the applicant is trustworthy and back up your personal perceptions with a final objective screening before hiring. This process can include simple verification tactics like preparing a list of well-thought-out questions for references, reviewing the candidate’s social media pages, background checks, credit checks, drug tests, etc.
Onboarding. Create a seamless and systematized onboarding process that ensures you don’t miss any important steps while onboarding and reassures your new hire they made the right decision working for your shop.
5.) Always Be Recruiting
As a shop or dealership owner, it's important to always keep an eye out for potential talent and maintain a list of qualified technicians. Even if you don't have an immediate need for a technician, it is important to stay on top of who is available and what their qualifications are. This list of potential hires can prove to be an invaluable asset in the future when the time comes that you do need to hire someone.
Smart shop or dealership owners also understand the importance of keeping positive relationships with former employees who have chosen to pursue new job opportunities. Although it can be difficult depending on the circumstances, try to remain friendly and cordial. Doing so increases the chances of those ex-employees realizing that they made the wrong decision and requesting to rejoin the team, or introducing your shop to other prospective technicians that are looking for work.
6.) Don’t Rush It
When running a shop or dealership that's understaffed (and feeling the pressure), it can be tempting to rush through the hiring process. Shop owners often get exhausted and make the mistake of hiring the first technician who seems to meet basic qualifications in an attempt to improve the situation. Which can just end up being extremely counterproductive in the long run.
Instead, invest your time into developing a strategy that yields a large number of applicants to choose from and a process to thoroughly evaluate each one. Create a systematic approach for attracting new technicians, interviewing candidates, and onboarding new hires that will help not only solve the immediate issue at hand but will also help make your life easier in the future. And if you can't seem to figure it out yourself, or simply don't have the time, hire someone to help.
Closing Thoughts
Finding a new technician in today's competitive market can be challenging, especially if there's a rush to fill a role. Nevertheless, with the right strategy in place, it is still certainly possible to find experienced technicians for your auto repair shop. We hope these tips have provided you with some helpful insights and ideas to find the ideal technician for your auto repair shop.
If you’re struggling to find qualified technicians for your shop or dealership, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team of automotive recruiting experts specialize in finding technicians for auto repair shops and dealerships all over the U.S. We work fast, make it easy, and guarantee results. Schedule a quick call today to learn more about our services and how we can help you quickly find and hire your next technician.
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