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When hiring, look for character, talent and then skill

Joe Marconi
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Joe Marconi Grand Master

Joe Marconi

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Years back, when I was looking to hire a technician, my first criteria would be the person’s skill level. In fact, I mainly based my decision on the tech’s skill, ASE certifications, and experience. The result? High turnover.

 

Now, I look for character first. Is the person I am looking to hire the right fit for my shop? Does this person have right character? After that trait I look for talent. With the right character and talent, we can teach them the skills.

 

Obviously the tech needs to be technically proficient, but hiring people based on skill alone is not the recipe for a long term profitable business plan.

 

The most important component when hiring is ensuring that the person you are hiring is the right fit for your company.

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mspecperformance Mentor

mspecperformance

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I am having a very hard time trying to find the right candidate for a Service Advisor position.

 

What boggles my mind is years back I remember a bunch of my friends from high school and college scrambling around to get entry level positions in the work force with their 4 year college degree. Most of these jobs started out at 35-50k at best and topped out at 70-80k with 6-10 years in at least. I am over here trying to offer someone potentially a 50-100k+ position with competitive benefits that requires NO education only the right aptitude, attitude and ethics and I can't seem to find anyone better than ex-pep boy customer service reps with awful grammar errors on their resumes.

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FROGFINDER Rising Star

FROGFINDER

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I am having a very hard time trying to find the right candidate for a Service Advisor position.

 

What boggles my mind is years back I remember a bunch of my friends from high school and college scrambling around to get entry level positions in the work force with their 4 year college degree. Most of these jobs started out at 35-50k at best and topped out at 70-80k with 6-10 years in at least. I am over here trying to offer someone potentially a 50-100k+ position with competitive benefits that requires NO education only the right aptitude, attitude and ethics and I can't seem to find anyone better than ex-pep boy customer service reps with awful grammar errors on their resumes.

Digital people don't have good grammar. They tweet.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

    • Joe Marconi
      Raising Labor Rates and Prices May Not Achieve Profitability
      By Joe Marconi in Joe's Blog
         13 comments
      Most shop owners would agree that the independent auto repair industry has been too cheap for too long regarding its pricing and labor rates. However, can we keep raising our labor rates and prices until we achieve the profit we desire and need? Is it that simple?
      The first step in achieving your required gross and net profit is understanding your numbers and establishing the correct labor and part margins. The next step is to find your business's inefficiencies that impact high production levels.
      Here are a few things to consider. First, do you have the workflow processes in place that is conducive to high production? What about your shop layout? Do you have all the right tools and equipment? Do you have a continuous training program in place? Are technicians waiting to use a particular scanner or waiting to access information from the shop's workstation computer?
      And lastly, are all the estimates written correctly? Is the labor correct for each job? Are you allowing extra time for rust, older vehicles, labor jobs with no parts included, and the fact that many published labor times are wrong? Let's not forget that perhaps the most significant labor loss is not charging enough labor time for testing, electrical work, and other complicated repairs.  
      Once you have determined the correct labor rate and pricing, review your entire operation. Then, tighten up on all those labor leaks and inefficiencies. Improving production and paying close attention to the labor on each job will add much-needed dollars to your bottom line.

  • Upcoming Events

    • Amplify 2023 - Auto Repair Virtual Conference Essentials of Growth
      March 24, 2023 01:00 PM Until 09:00 PM
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      Hi all,
      AutoLeap is hosting Amplify 2023, a virtual auto repair conference for shop owners, on March 24. We have 22 incredible speakers, and 13 industry associations and training institutes participating in this virtual event. The conference is free of cost.
      You can book your complimentary, virtual seat today using this link: https://bit.ly/3EXvfWY
      Amplify 2023 speakers include: Joe Marconi, Co-Owner AutoShopOwner and Elite Business Coach @Joe Marconi Aaron Stokes, ShopFix Academy Cecil Bullard, The Institute for Automotive Business Excellence Chris Cotton, AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching Darrin Barney, Elite “G” Jerry Truglia, Automotive Technician Training Services Greg Bunch, Transformers Institute Jeremy O'Neal, AdvisorFix The conference will cover essential topics such as:
      Navigating through the current industry challenges Tackling the technician shortage through employee retention Creating memorable customer experiences Growing & expanding your business in 2023 Financial planning & KPIs to measure And that’s not all.
      The interactive, dynamic conference also offers live networking opportunities, and fun games and prizes.
      You can book your complimentary, virtual seat today using this link: https://bit.ly/3EXvfWY
      #AutoLeapAmplify23

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