If you’ve ever watched a talented technician leave for a competitor, consider this… Last October I joined Chris Jones on the Ratchet and Wrench Podcast to talk about 8 Reasons Why Techs Quit Auto Repair Shops. Here they are: 1. Lack of career development / advancement 2. Inadequate compensation 3. Uncaring/uninspiring leaders 4. Lack of meaningful work 5. Unsustainable work expectations 6. Unreliable/unsupportive colleagues 7. Lack of workplace flexibility 8. Lack of support for health/well-being Kudos if you’ve developed an apprenticeship or mentorship program and can bring new techs into the industry and get them trained up properly! But don’t stop there! Close the revolving door in your shop by addressing these common employee complaints. Your techs will thank you. And they’ll stay.
Over the years, I’ve seen shops with low employee turnover do some things in common… - Regularly review and adjust salaries and benefits so they remain competitive. - Offer clear career progression and advancement opportunities. - Recognize and reward hard work and achievements. - Develop personal and professional improvement programs for employees. - Encourage innovation and input from all team members. - Create a fun and engaging workplace that appeals to all ages. - Maintain reasonable work expectations and work-life balance. Always remember: When your business looks out for your employees, your employees will look out for your business. It’s basic human nature.
“Chris, why do techs keep ghosting me after the first phone call?” My answer? “Did you ask the tech what’s going on that has them looking for a new shop right now? Did you ask them where they want to be personally and professionally in 5 years? Did you talk about what you do differently that guarantees they won’t have the same frustrations they are having with their current shop? Did you talk about what you do for your employees to make sure they stay on track and hit their personal and professional goals?” This is how you show you care. When someone who cares about you calls, do you get back to them? Techs are humans too.
Be a good leader. 1. Have a clear and compelling mission statement and vision for your business that employees can buy into and be a part of. 2. Have clearly defined position descriptions for each role. 3. Have a defined onboarding process that brings new employees in comfortably, shows them the ropes and makes them feel like part of the team. 4. Have regular 1-on-1 meetings with team members so they always know where they stand. (Bonus points if you help keep them accountable for personal and life goals too.) 5. Make sure that team member's lives work inside and outside of the shop with personal and professional development opportunities. A-players want to be part of a team filled with other A-players that’s led by an A-player. It takes one to lead one.
Copy other shop’s ads because “they work” while missing the part that actually makes them work. You think it’s the content. It’s not. It’s the context. You have no context. So you copy the content. And fail. Context is your unique shop culture, vibe and why a tech would turn down two other offers to come and work for you. Get the context right and the content will take care of itself.
