5,500 technicians were just asked what they want most from an employer. Higher pay wasn't #1. Neither was a tool allowance. Neither was a career path. Neither was air conditioning. WrenchWay and ASE just released their 2026 Voice of Technician Report — the biggest annual survey of what techs actually think about this industry, their employers, and their careers. Over 5,500 responses from automotive, diesel, and collision techs. I dug through it so you don't have to. Here's the chart that matters most, then I'll tell you what I think it means for your shop (see attachment). Let's break this down. — THE TOP TWO MIGHT SURPRISE YOU Proper equipment and paid vacation. Tied at 87%. Must-have. Not "nice to have." Not "would be cool." MUST. HAVE. That means if your techs are working with a scan tool from 2014, a lift that sticks, or lights that make the shop feel like a cave — they're not just frustrated. They're evaluating their options. And if you're not offering PTO? You're not even in the conversation. Every other trade offers time off. Plumbers get PTO. Electricians get PTO. The guy who installs garage doors gets PTO. If your shop doesn't, a tech doesn't see a tough-but-fair owner. They see someone who doesn't respect their time. The good news? Neither of these is expensive. You already need working equipment for production. And PTO is table stakes in 2026. If you've already got both of these dialed in, you're ahead of more shops than you think. — RETIREMENT LANDED AT 73% Almost three out of four techs said a retirement plan is a must-have. Lots of independents don't offer one. This is one of the easiest wins in the whole list. A Simple IRA with a 3% match isn't complicated to set up and it doesn't break the bank. But most shop owners just never got around to it. It sits on the "someday" list right next to updating the employee handbook. Meanwhile, the dealership down the road has a 401(k) with matching, and your best tech knows it. — THE CAREER PATH GAP IS MASSIVE

If you’re getting applications but they’re all “not it,” you don’t have a recruiting problem. You have a SIGNAL problem. Meaning: your ad + application process is broadcasting “anyone welcome”… then you’re surprised when you get anyone and everyone. WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING Most job posts do two things really well: 1. They sell the upside (pay, benefits, no weekends) 2. They say “experienced tech wanted” But they don’t do something that attracts A-players and repels time-wasters: ✅ They don’t define what “good” looks like. So the wrong people self-select in… and the right people keep scrolling because it feels vague (or like the shop doesn’t have standards). THE FIX: UPGRADE YOUR SIGNAL IN 3 STEPS These are fast, practical, and they work even if you keep using Indeed/Facebook/ZipRecruiter. 1) Add a short “Fit / Not a Fit” section to your ad This is the simplest quality filter you can add. ✅ You’ll be a fit if… - You have 3+ years turning hours in a professional auto repair shop (not just school) - You can handle brakes/suspension/maintenance start-to-finish without babysitting - Bonus: you can diagnose drivability/electrical (even if it’s not your main strength) - You show up on time, take pride in your work, and don't believe in drama (we don't tolerate it so you won't have to either) ❌ Not a fit if… - You’re looking for an apprenticeship / entry-level spot - You don’t have your own basic tools - You need step-by-step direction on routine jobs That one block will cut low-quality volume immediately. 2) Add 3 pre-screen questions (takes 60 seconds) If you’re using “Easy Apply,” you’re basically running an open door. Use these questions to create signal: 1. How many years have you worked full-time in a professional auto repair shop? 2. What kind of work are you strongest at? (choose one: maintenance / brakes-susp / diag-electrical / drivability) 3. Tell me about the last problem you solved that you’re proud of. (2–4 sentences)

If you've been telling yourself "nobody wants to work" or "Indeed is broken" — I need you to hear something. You don't have a shortage problem. You have a strategy problem. And the reason it feels impossible is because you're fighting 3 separate battles with 1 tool (a job ad and a prayer). I've worked with over 200 shops in the last seven years. I've had 500+ conversations with shop owners about this exact issue. And here's what I've found: The shops that hire fast aren't luckier. They're just solving 3 different problems instead of pretending it's 1. LET'S BREAK THESE PROBLEMS DOWN PROBLEM #1: ATTENTION (The tech you want isn't looking for you) One of our shop owner clients said it best after I showed him the salary survey we created for him: "I was amazed to see what the actual pool of techs who are looking actually is. We are all chasing the same people who are looking for work." That's it. That's the whole problem with Indeed. You post for an A-tech. Oil changers apply. You spend $1,000/month and get nothing. You never reach top talent. Why? Because the tech you actually want is at work right now. They're not browsing job boards. They're not searching "auto tech jobs near me." They're clocking in every morning at a shop that probably doesn't appreciate them. They might leave — but only if something clearly better crosses their path. The shift: Stop thinking like an employer posting a job. Start thinking like a marketer running a campaign. Job board = fishing in a pond that's been fished out. Recruitment marketing = building a magnet (the right bait) in front of fish that swim in other ponds. PROBLEM #2: ENGAGEMENT (Getting them to respond, show up, and not ghost you) Even when the right tech sees your opportunity — they still have to: → Reply → Interview → Actually show up. And most won't. Because they're employed. They've got fear and friction: "What if my boss finds out?" "What if this is bait-and-switch?" "I don't have time for a long process."

Yesterday I got a text from a number I didn't recognize. (786) 481-4680. Miami area code. The message? "Hi Christopher, right?" Three words. That's it. My first instinct was to reply. Be polite. Say "wrong number" and move on with my day. I didn't. And that split-second decision might have saved me thousands of dollars. Here's what I almost walked into. That "innocent" text is the opening line of what the FBI calls a "pig butchering" scam. Weird name. Devastating consequences. HERE'S HOW THE SCAM WORKS They send thousands of these texts. "Hi [name], right?" They're fishing. Waiting for someone polite enough to respond. If you reply—even just "wrong number"—you've confirmed two things: 1. This phone number is active. 2. There's a real person here willing to engage. Now you're a qualified lead. The scammer apologizes. Strikes up a conversation. Maybe mentions it's "fate" that you connected. Over the next few weeks—sometimes months—they build trust. They become your friend. Maybe more. Then comes the hook. A cryptocurrency opportunity. A trading platform. An "investment" that seems too good to pass up. By the time you realize what's happening, your money is gone. And I mean gone. Think I'm being dramatic? Last year, text message scams cost Americans $470 million. That's five times higher than 2020. These aren't Nigerian princes with bad grammar anymore. They're sophisticated operations using AI to manage conversations with hundreds of victims simultaneously. The Miami area code on that text I received? Spoofed. Could have come from anywhere in the world. The fact that they used my first name? Probably pulled from a data breach. Or my LinkedIn. Or anywhere else my info exists online. This isn't random. It's targeted. It's patient. And it's designed to exploit the one thing most of us were raised to be: Polite. So here's what you do when you get one of these: Do NOT respond. Not even "wrong number." Silence is your best protection.

Why Sometimes The Nicest Thing You Can Do For Your Team Might Feel Mean Alright, I'm just going to say it... Your "positivity" might be setting your team up for failure. I've heard this story dozens of times over the years: An employee at a shop gets let go—and they're completely blindsided. "I had no idea there was a problem." How does that happen? A few years back, I was working with a shop that had a young tech. Smart kid. Good hands. Showed up early. But he was paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake. Every diagnosis, he second-guessed himself. Every repair, he'd check and re-check. He'd hover near the service writer hoping someone would tell him he was doing okay. Nobody did. Not because they didn't think he was doing okay—but because they assumed he knew. "He's doing fine. Why would I need to say anything?" Meanwhile, this kid is drowning in silence. Interpreting "no feedback" as "I'm probably screwing up." He quit. Not because the job was too hard. Not because he wasn't capable. Because he couldn't stand the pressure of not knowing where he stood. A simple monthly 1-on-1 could have saved him. Here's the distinction many shop owners and managers miss: There's a difference between a coach and a cheerleader. A cheerleader says: "Great job! Great job! Great job!... Okay, you're fired." A coach says: "Here's what you're doing well. Here's what needs work. Here's how we're going to get you there." Cheerleaders make people feel good in the moment. Coaches make people feel secure—because they always know where they stand. When I onboard a new shop, I always ask: - What's your 1-on-1 meeting cadence? - What's your team meeting rhythm? - How do you remove obstacles for your people? - How do you get in front of problems so they don't cause drama in the shop? Most of the time? Crickets. Or else it's sporadic and inconsistent. And I get it. You're busy. You're in the weeds. You assume if something's wrong, they'll tell you. But here's the truth: