If you only ask "Tell me about your experience"… you deserve the hire you get. I mean that. Because here's what happens. Somebody walks in, shakes your hand firmly, says all the right things about flat rate and diag hours, and you think — this is the one. Three months later you're walking on eggshells around them. They won't follow your processes. They blame everybody else when something goes sideways. And the rest of your team is giving you that look. You know the one. You've been here before. And the problem was never that the candidate lacked skill. The problem was you interviewed for the wrong things. I've talked to hundreds of shops over the last seven years. The ones who consistently hire well — and keep those people — don't ask better technical questions. They ask better human questions. Here's what they screen for (before skill ever enters the conversation): THE 3 THINGS THAT MATTER MORE THAN SKILL 1. Communication and presence. Can they explain something clearly? Do they make eye contact? How do they handle a question they don't know the answer to? One shop owner told me recently: "Personality, eye contact, how they talk — more important than knowing how to write an estimate." He's right. You can train your POS system. You can't train someone to tell the truth under pressure. 2. Structure tolerance. Do they thrive with SOPs and written expectations, or do they create "eggshells" every time you try to hold them accountable? Here's the thing lots of owners miss: people freak out when expectations aren't written down and they get corrected later. That's not a discipline problem. That's a communication problem you created. But — and this is important — the interview is where you find out if someone wants structure or fights it. Big difference. 3. Training buy-in (agreed BEFORE the hire). This one's non-negotiable. You must get agreement on training expectations before the person starts. It's hard to change people after you have them.

Autovantage Service Center in Auburn, CA just welcomed a Diagnostic Tech that started Monday and is already diving into the drivability and electrical queue. Beyond sharper diagnostics, this adds a coach on the floor. Great timing to level up B/C techs and keep comebacks down. They’re still looking to add one more tech to round out the bench. Nice work, Autovantage team!

I heard a shop owner say this recently. And the way he backs it up caught my attention. Most shop owners I know attend conferences, soak up information, get fired up about new ideas... then come home and open up the firehose on their team. "We're doing things differently now!" "Here's what I learned!" "Why isn't anyone as excited as I am?!" Sound familiar? Yeah, I do it too. But this owner does something different. He brings his entire team to conferences. Here's what he said: "When you invest in your team and bring them along, there's not a single team member stuck in the mud when you come back. Everyone is rowing in the same direction." No translation required. No resistance to "new ideas from the boss." No disconnect between what you learned and what they understand. I love seeing this at AAPEX/SEMA. Whole teams walking the floor together in their shop uniforms. Visiting trade booths as a unit. Eating meals together. Sitting in training rooms side by side. It's not just training anymore. It's team building. It's culture. It's alignment. Win. Win. Win. Here's my challenge: Pull up your calendar right now. Look at the conferences you've scheduled for this year. Is there one you could bring the team to? You'll be glad you did. And so will they.

Menke’s Auto Repair in Newburgh, IN just brought on an Experienced Auto Tech. Perfect timing for the Ohio River valley! One more seasoned set of hands means quicker diagnostics, cleaner comebacks, and shorter wait times. Nice work, Menke’s team. Keep those bays humming!

Honest-1 Auto Care of Roswell just landed an Experienced Diagnostic Tech off a Jan 16 campaign! The kind of tech with multiple offers on the table. Winning that hire in the Atlanta metro takes a tight process and a shop story that hits: steady workflow, solid culture, and room to grow. Nice work, @Dennis Eidson and team! Quality win in a competitive market.