DealersEdge Professional Forums

Having a very difficult time finding and hiring techs. Have tried the newspapers, posters at the local tech schools and talking to the tool men and nearby part stores, no success.

What works for you? Anyone having any luck with online sources, Monster.com?

Find out who your aftermarket competitors are and go there at lunch time. When the tech's line up at the lunch truck, take a good look at them. You can usually tell who has their head screwed on right. Then go up and talk to him. Give him your card and plant a seed. 9 times out of 10 they will call. This will feed his ego as much as his pocket book. Sell him on the notion of joining the "A" team.

You might want to metion to your manufacturers' representatives that you are looking or technicians. They often know who is unhappy at another dealership. With the consolidation of so many dealerships, you might just find someone.
There are also some good technician wanted websites. Just surf around and see what you can find.

Good Luck!

Linda

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Linda Graham Hansen
Auto Dealer Focus
www.autodealerfocus.com

I agree with gmoon. Go to your local tire shop, quick service place or aftermarket competion. Also Needtechs.com is another resource to check out.

Looked at the needtechs.com site, a lot to look at. Will give it a good review and see if anything happens.

Thanks!

I do not hire technicians, I hire Lube Techs and train them using online classes from Nissan, when we need another technician, I move an apprentice to Technician Status and the Lube Tech to Apprentice as their first level of skills. They are mentored by our Shop Foreman and set up with begining classes at the Nissan Training School. I have found over time that I end up with a more stable work force and do not lose trained techs to competing stores. It takes time but is worth it.

I have had some luck using Craig's list. It seems to attract a younger, more tech savy crowd and it is very cheap. I recently ran a ad for a receptionist and got 63 decent candidates in three days.

Another trick I used a few years ago was to do a tool gift certificate drawing on the tool trucks. Techs complete a short survey to enter. It can ask about years of exp. cert levels, current benefits, paid holidays and such to get them thinking.The tool dealer gets a guaranteed sale for running it and you get a bunch of quality contact info.

R. Brown

We use Monster.com, and get a fair amount of people applying. Might not work well if you are in a small market.

Have you tried a head hunter?

Looked over needtechs.com, may try it for the long term. Spoke with a couple of local dealers that used them, said it brought them about 2 techs a year-experienced techs!

Monster.com is another avenue we might try, along with careerbuilders.com. Coming up soon we plan to do a radio spot for techs, has worked well for a local hvac company.

I liked the idea using the toolmen, put together a flyer, sold the Snap-On dealer on it and was then shot down by the owners here. Felt it may cause a lot of tension between other dealers and might get the dealer thrown off the lot.
Gave him a bunch of my cards and asked him to refer someone to me if they are unhappy elsewhere.
Appreciate all the help. I hope to run out of applications soon

You are all working to hard at it!!!! I just took a Chrysler Jeep Dodge store from 5 to 34 techs in 10 months, and am now working on our Pontiac Buick GMC store. I gone from 12 to 16 in four weeks. Your competitors have your new techs, and they have already paid to train them. This store should be at 30 by the end of January. I have always found it much more difficult to find good Advisors.