Where are all the good employees? As I’ve seen on forums and in articles throughout my 50 years in the automotive industry, one complaint is constant, “I can’t find any good help.” This is common among small shop owners as well as the biggest dealerships. The contributing causes include “It’s a crisis,” “It’s the schools,” “They closed all the shop classes,” “They closed the border,” “Kids are lazy today,” and “They have no work ethic.” While these statements may be factual, they offer no solutions.
I’ve been a community college instructor for the past 17 years. Before that, I owned a small transmission shop for nearly 30 years. The shop is still in our family, and the employee shortage problems are alive and well there, as in just about every repair facility I visit. I constantly get calls and emails from shops and dealerships asking me to send them some of my students.
When I became a full-time instructor, I thought I would primarily share my automotive knowledge and experience with my students. I’ve learned that being an instructor involves much more than teaching that semester’s subjects.
For instance, one of the concepts schools work with today is called pathways. Pathways refers to a series of steps leading to a career, including schooling and experience. We’ve spent considerable time creating courses and training to produce a flow of students suitable for entry-level positions in automotive technology.
However, these entry-level jobs often pay less than the fast-food jobs the students had before starting their careers in automotive technology. So, is the answer that we don’t pay enough money? For most of us, making enough money to put a roof over our heads is one of the biggest challenges we deal with in our lives. Even for young adults just starting out, providing food and shelter on their own takes a decent job with an above-average salary to cover the living expenses.
If we’d pay our entry-level techs a $100,000 starting salary, would our problems disappear? Yeah, right! Most shops are in no position to spend that much money. In fact, I’d venture to say many small shop owners don’t make that much.
Many of you reading this might be shop owners or managers looking for employees. You’re the boss, but you didn’t start there. Instead, you planned and likely followed a series of steps that led to your current role. Roles change, and they should. I’ve known many talented people who began their careers under the hood of a car. Their career pathway involved working here and there, and by hook or crook, they obtained the education and experience that put them in their career.
One of my responsibilities as a community college instructor is meeting with area automotive industry employers to ensure we provide individuals that meet their needs. They’re looking for drug-free young people who can read and write and know how to service automobiles. Industry people attending these meetings cover the automotive gamut. Representatives from city fleet facilities, dealerships, and independents attend. They all have the same issue. They’re looking for employees.
While many are looking for experienced technicians, others are willing to hire entry-level techs. At a meeting held at one of the largest Ford dealerships in America, one of the city fleet managers said something profound, “We want techs from places like this Ford dealership. Our city is a “destination employer.” He explained that they offer a career most technicians would desire, with a starting salary of $96,000 per year plus benefits. Indeed, they’re not seeking an entry-level tech but a tech with the right training and experience. After hearing this, I asked myself, is my old family shop a “destination employer”? When compared to this city’s career opportunity, the answer for me, and I speculate, most other shops and dealerships, is “We definitely are not!”
What exactly is a destination job in automotive technology? To me, at a minimum, a destination job is a job that will support a home purchase, new cars, medical benefits, vacations, and a retirement plan. If you look around, few destination jobs exist at small automotive shops.
As I look back at my experience as a shop owner, I’ve had employees for ten years whose jobs ended unhappily, and I have had others who worked only a few years and advanced within the industry and are now making a great living. Part of my frustration was from not understanding that some employees were on a “path” to bigger and better careers in our industry. I hadn’t considered and didn’t realize that my shop was just an essential step in their career path.
Once you recognize that your business may be a career path stepping stone, you can be more proactive for both your shop and your employees. Let’s face it, most of us can’t offer to start technicians with six-figure salaries. Some shops can, but they require high production, training, and experience. How many years will a tech last on the line before physical problems limit their productivity? Sometimes their best path is to become the owner, and sometimes this does happen. Many shop owners bought their shops from their former bosses.
While shop ownership is a potential career destination for many technicians, others will find suitable careers in other aspects of our industry, and some will leave the industry altogether. Accept that some will stay, and some will go, and you’ll find that your frustration level will diminish. Think of yourself as a career facilitator. So many times, I’ve heard shop owners say, “I don’t want to spend money training techs because they’ll just leave and take all the valuable training with them to their next job.” But would you rather not train them and have them stay?
So, here is my take on the “employee crisis.” Be open to hiring entry-level technicians. Make sure they’re earnestly interested in exploring a career in automotive technology and not simply looking for a fill-in job. Offer training and encourage certification and testing. Keep them interested, challenging them by stretching them beyond their comfort zones. Increase their pay as they obtain certification milestones. If they decline to take training and certification tests, consider cutting them loose in favor of a tech who will. Realize that when that employee reaches a master tech level, they may leave to move on to bigger and better things as they should if you can’t provide them the opportunities.
In closing, maybe there are good employees right under your nose. Remember, life is about goals. As an employer, you should discuss plans and goals with your employees. Be upfront about what your shop can provide to help them achieve their goals. Don’t expect all entry-level techs to be lifelong career employees. Most small automotive shops have limited destination positions if any.
Your shop could be a destination employer for some but not for everyone. Realize that you are far better off attracting rising stars, helping them achieve their dreams, and encouraging them to move to the next level, if not with your shop, then wherever that may be. Always keep an eye out for your next recruit. Too often, we spend too much money and emotional capital trying to keep someone in a job when it’s best for everyone to make a change. Don’t let your ego cause employee dissatisfaction leading to another promising technician leaving our industry.
