There's a better way to attract your workforce

Sept. 1, 2016
What I've learned from the process-centered environment is that we can take a recruit who is relatively new to the industry and gradually teach them each step in the process until they become experts at that singular step.

Here's a classic tale I often hear: A master tech at XYZ Shop has a strong disagreement with his manager and decides to pack up his toolbox and jump ship. He signs on with ABC Repair for a little more money. After a couple of weeks, his former manager calls to apologize and persuades the tech to come back, whereby the tech promptly quits ABC and heads back to XYZ.

Are there any winners in this scenario? Sure, XYZ Shop regains its master tech, leaving ABC Repair in the lurch. It's a vicious cycle, and it happens quite frequently in our industry. New shops lure techs from existing shops with tempting signing bonuses, and that tech is happy until the next shop comes along and cherry-picks them with a little more money.

That's certainly one way to stymie an industry, especially one that is burdened with such a critical shortage of skilled techs to begin with.

It's time to re-think the recruiting process so that we're aggressively looking for the next generation of technicians.

How do we do that? I believe that it all starts with the production process to which you're trying to train. Is your process conducive to training? Is it encouraging? Does it promote growth opportunities?

What I've learned from the process-centered environment utilized at our accident repair centers is that we can take a recruit who is relatively new to the industry and gradually (and methodically) teach them each step in the process until they become experts at that singular step. Then we can advance them to the next step in the process, and continue this approach until they are masters at the entire repair sequence.

How does this differ from a traditional approach to recruiting? Well, for one, that approach usually involves a shop-based apprenticeship program that relies on an experienced master or senior technician who has to guide the student along a specific vehicle repair job. Unfortunately, most technicians (who are regularly working on a commission basis) generally regard this training as a burden that slows them down, forces them to share their tools and oftentimes makes them suddenly realize that they could be training their future replacement.

In a process-oriented environment, the focus is building the team from within and providing the skills needed for each step in the process in order to produce the end product. Hospitals employ this same strategy. Successful surgeries don't happen solely because of the surgeon. Many individuals combine their respective skills and training to contribute to the overall success of the procedure.

Shops also need to understand that, in the recruiting game, compensation is important, but certainly not as vital as an established career development plan that provides growth opportunities for the candidate and an environment that offers safe and clean work conditions. (We've found that providing a completely tooled environment also has quite an impact on retention and product consistency.) The candidates who strive for advancement and yearn for a great work environment will be the ones who will stay with your shop for the long haul.

So where should we turn to locate the best possible candidates for these positions? I truly wish I had the crystal ball to answer that question. What I do know is that you have to lose sight of the individual's age and gender and evaluate them on their ability to acquire the skills needed to become productive and contributing team members. The concept of compensating employees based on their age is a thing of the past. Compensation must be commensurate with the individual's skill sets.

Involvement with the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) is an effective way to connect with local vocational schools, providing your organization with an opportunity to be more visible by participating in local programs while keeping your name fresh in the minds of graduating classes.

Further, important trade organizations like Women's Industry Network (WIN) have demonstrated the great value that highly detailed and hard-working female technicians bring to the shop floor. WIN provides education scholarships, and each recipient receives a one-year membership to WIN where they receive a strong network of support as they pursue their goals.  We as an industry need to do a better job recruiting high school women into this industry and to slowly knock down perceived or real barriers. Are you recruiting from this candidate pool?

Young or old, male or female, what I can tell you is that great candidates can become great techs if they're adequately supported and mentored at the outset and properly trained in a positive environment.

Because the process is broken down into trainable steps that simplifies learning, a process-centered environment features a career development program that naturally attracts candidates who are looking for enhanced career opportunities (and will spread your message to other potential candidates). The trick is to look beyond the status quo and grow your candidate pool one technician at a time.

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