A sleepless night filled with worry after worry about your business—does this sounds familiar? In a recent study facilitated by UpSwell Marketing, shop owners were asked what keeps them up at night. A majority of participants answered “finding good quality technicians”, followed by “keeping a steady flow of customers” and then “sourcing parts”. This is most likely of little surprise to anyone in the industry. Finding—and keeping—talented employees has increasingly become a growing challenge in the past few years. But according to Reed Parker, executive marketing consultant at UpSwell Marketing, all three top worries go hand in hand.
“The best technicians will stay at a busy shop,” he explains. “If your shop isn't busy, technicians will leave for a shop that will be.”
Marketing for Employees
When looking for new, qualified technicians, 42 percent of survey participants answered that they have had the most success through referrals, while 29 percent answered “online job boards” and 8 percent answered “competitors”. But with the current hiring challenges and shortages, owners should be focusing on multiple tactics, along with unique and creative ways of finding local, top talent.
“Referrals are great, but don't solely rely on them, as you don't need to put all your eggs in one basket,” Parker suggests.
Think of finding new employees in the same way as finding new customers, it all comes down to marketing. Many varied forms of advertising and marketing can be used in a similar fashion to finding technicians.
“Some of our clients promote that their shop is hiring through postcards and social media, and have seen success in using these tactics,” Parker says.
Retaining Top Talent
Shop owners should not only focus on finding new technicians, but also keeping the experienced team members they already have, at their shop. Over 58 percent of survey participants answered that retaining their qualified staff is the hardest part of running a successful shop.
“You need to make your employees feel valuable and know that they are appreciated. You can set up goals or rewards to show your appreciation,” Parker says. “Make sure that your work environment is happy and positive.”
Another portion of respondents (18 percent) stated that keeping up with the evolving automotive technology is the most challenging part of running their shop. And although over 60 percent of participants listed that they turn to magazines and publications for relevant automotive news, the worry within the fast moving industry still remains the same.
Growing Towards the Future
Despite the many challenges facing the automotive industry right now, many owners still plan on expanding their business in the next three to five years.
“It's not surprising to hear [that shops plan to expand], and you hope that people want to grow,” Parker explains. “About a third of the shop owners we work with are involved in some form of coaching that encourages them to grow in the future or how to continue to stay afloat right now.”
Around 37 percent of survey participants who are also UpSwell customers plan on expanding their business in the next few years, compared to the 26 percent of participants who do not use UpSwell’s services.
“Investing in your marketing is important to attain your goals,” Parker explains. “UpSwell was founded on growing shops and our industry expertise knows which tactics work best to become successful in the automotive industry.”
To learn more about UpSwell, visit upswellmarketing.com/ratchetwrench or call 888.838.3779.
