I hear this regularly from shop owners – “I gave up running ads and have not run any for three or four months.  I never had any luck with Zip recruiter. I used to have the best luck with Indeed but that dried up about a couple years ago.  I was running ads on Craigslist nonstop but never get any responses, so I quit that a few months ago.”

Let’s face it, you can’t put help wanted ads out like you did 3, 5 or 10 years ago or even 2 years ago!!

Most of the techs “worth” hiring are NOT looking at help wanted ads! They don’t need to.

The Difference Between Job Ads And Job Descriptions

Many shops are confusing job ads with job descriptions. A job description should be detailed, a somewhat dry description of the responsibilities and expectations for a job that a company uses internally. This is much different than a job ad!!

Reaching quality prospective technicians is really a marketing challenge and should be treated as such.

A job ad has to be different now, because it’s meant to sell applicants on your opportunity, company, team, and all the things that make you/your shop distinct – Do yourself a favor and read this again!

Think of a job ad as any other ad out there… We view it as a marketing challenge; its intention is to grab the attention of your target audience, in this case, top-notch automotive technicians.

Marketing Your Auto Technician Job

This is why we developed the Technician Help Wanted Advertising Kits for shop owners. You can choose if you want it with us doing the implementation or you’ll take what the customized ads we create for you, and you get them out yourself. Check it out.

Using marketing principles, it is known that the best product in a market space is the one that provides the ultimate solution to someone’s problem. So, let’s dig a little deeper and see what’s the psychological side of it and why techs skip job ads.

If your ad still has things in it like – MUST have _____ and MUST be willing to _____, any possible candidate will not even stop to see what the rest of the ad is about.

The last thing they want to see is the list of requirements they will have to meet.

The “New Normal”

Something we have to come to accept in this world of techs aging out, with fewer opting to move into the field, is in this real world, it is close to impossible to get a perfect solution. Especially when we are talking about hiring an expert with the relevant professional skills and qualifications.

The New Normal Ad For Hiring Techs

When you’re a shop owner wanting to attract really good auto techs, you have to realize that in the first place, the meaning of a job listing is to provide an opportunity. You must also realize those looking have plenty of opportunities and, in most cases, their pick of which one they choose.  AND THE GOOD ONES DO NOT NEED TO “LOOK” FOR A JOB.

This is the “New Normal” for most shops trying to attract top-notch technicians!  =========>>

The sooner you realize that, the faster you’ll start to see options to make this opportunity more attractive. Here are some of the major motivation killers that automotive technicians have experienced for years in their profession:

• Not appreciated – many employees feel their employer doesn’t care about them and/or their problems.

• Underpayment – given the current state of availability, now is their opportunity to rectify that problem. There is always a discussion about what top tech labor is worth.

• A reason why younger techs look to move on — this is especially true at independent shops — they’ve reached the “ceiling” and have no other perspective but “Ok, I’m a top tech and now what, I can’t grow any further?”  And here comes the fear of being stuck at that level for life.

• Being used for tasks out of the scope of what they are hired for. You don’t see other professionals being asked to sweep the floor when things are slow.

• Required to work longer against their will – They are not willing to give up their family time, especially since they NOW know they don’t have to.

• They got trained but the only way to benefit is to leave their current employment and negotiate better conditions for their next employment, because otherwise nothing ever changes – their work conditions, tasks, and wages stand still forever.

• Health issues (especially with the techs that have been at it for a while) that restrict a certain type of operations.  Many employers don’t take into account health issues and force their employees to perform beyond their capability.

There is a key point that I want to mention, which is your ability as an employer to connect with your current or future employees, listen to their pains, and match solutions to them. For many this thinking is foreign to what they’re used to — Again, it’s 2021!

There isn’t much that you can do there but at least you can show some empathy towards what’s going on.

Of course, job responsibilities and necessary qualifications should be outlined too, but it must come in second place and should NOT be part of the initial ad!

The real purpose of good job ad copy is to attract as many eyeballs as possible and take care of the application flow. It is also a pre-qualification of your prospects; be sure to use the language that speaks to sift out those who don’t fit your vision.

What To Do After They Apply – The Crucial Conversations

Once you’ve got enough applications you can take the next action, which is actively interviewing your potential team members. This is the crucial phase of attracting the right people to your team. Once/if you decide they may be a fit, you then want to go about figuring out what is important to them, when it comes to a job or where they want to work. For all it’s NOT just about how much they are paid.

Briefly describe the features of the newly open position that serves to show them your shop is the right place for them to apply. Example: “You, as a passionate and inspired skilled vehicle technician have the opportunity to earn a sustainable income in a family-owned auto repair shop with excellent company culture and growth-fostering environment.”

As you can see, in a sentence you can add so much value and meaning, plus this example sounds very positive and inspiring, and can’t be far away from the truth.

Go into detail what your company culture and spirit look like, the things that you treasure most as a person and professional, what is the relationship between you as a leader, your appreciated teammates, and your valued clients so that they get clarity about the environment that you’re craving to create. This section serves to repeal the bigger part of mismatch applicants, whose aims are different than yours.

Next describe the benefits from working in your shop i.e. your attitude and approach to resolving the existing job-related fears and problems, so that they get the sense of security for their future and see a growth perspective.

Don’t oversell, list only those that you are able to fulfill. If you want to attract people from other places (which we’re seeing more of), give them details about schools, activities, local amenities, things to do, overall quality of the area, etc.

How We Can Help You Find The Right Tech

I know many of this is much different than what most are used to, which is why if you follow the advice, your technician help wanted ad will stand out from all of the others out there.

Our Technician Help Wanted Advertising Kit takes a different approach than what others are doing. If what you’ve been doing isn’t working, it’s time to try a different approach. Click here to see what is included in our kit.