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Hiring an employee that has had a lot of jobs


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Those definitely sound like red flags however something to keep in mind is what kind of environment and culture are you bringing this new technician into? Some people are self starters and highly self motivated. They can also keep that motivation up in the face of a bad environment. Most people are not and things can wear on them over time. These things might not even be your fault. I have been on both ends of the spectrum. I've had a technician that had a great work ethic and highly self motivated however after 2+ years he became the opposite. I also have a newer technician that has been with me for about 8 months now. He has had many many positions at various different shops. Some shops he was only employed for 2 weeks before deciding to leave. Since hiring him he has become one of my best technicians and at least up to this point has a high motivation level. The difference between the two scenarios for me was the first tech was brought into a unhealthy environment. At the time for lack of better words I didn't have my shit together. First impressions go both ways. Even though we had started making improvements, the damage was already done. My newer tech on the other had came into a shop environment and culture that was much more conducive to team work and ethics. I think that has made all the difference. I guess the point I am trying to make is as much as you are analyzing this tech you should also analyze your shop situation if you are providing all the necessary things a new tech would need to thrive.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
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