Struggling to Hire Technicians? Improve Your Fleet Operation’s Culture

It’s no secret that your fleet operation is likely struggling to hire technicians. There are signs everywhere.

“Hiring technicians.”

“Technicians needed.”

“Hiring bonus for technicians.”

Fleets all around the country are struggling to find technicians to fill much-needed roles on their staff. 

There is a severe technician shortage – and it’s only going to get worse. According to Wrench Way, the U.S. will be short 642,000 technicians by next year, and almost 80% of techs have thoughts about resigning. 

What can you do? You can start by looking at your culture.

While you might be focused on increasing signing bonuses and wages to attract technicians to your fleet operation, your fleet’s culture can make hiring the right technicians easier, and can better help you retain your current staff. 

Some ways you can improve your fleet’s culture include:

Listen: How To Create an Intentional Culture at Your Fleet Operation 

• Define and communicate your values: One of the first steps you must take is to establish the core values of your fleet operation. These should align with your company’s overall mission and vision. Once these are established, they need to be communicated to your current staff, and then also shared with all job candidates. This gives them a chance to review your values to determine if your shop is the right place for them and lets you establish what you’re looking for in staff members. 
• Create a positive work environment: To get technicians in the door – and then retain them – you need to create a workplace culture that promotes positivity, teamwork, and mutual respect. Encourage open communication and provide opportunities for employees to voice their ideas and concerns. Recognize and reward exceptional performance and create a supportive atmosphere where employees feel valued and motivated. Doing this – and preventing negative attitudes and behaviors – will help your employees feel respected and give them assurances they can flourish at your operation.

Listen: Intentional Culture – From a Technician’s Perspective

• Provide ongoing training: You must invest in your technicians to help them develop their skills, enhance their careers, and make them more efficient when working in your shop. This shows your techs you care about their careers and want them to succeed. This will make it an attractive offer to prospective technicians and will build loyalty with your existing staff members. 
• Empower your employees: Give your technicians more responsibilities to help them develop skills and advance their careers. You can do this by encouraging them to share ideas and provide suggestions for how to improve processes. This will show your current technicians and candidates that you want them to feel a sense of ownership of their position in the fleet operation. It can make it a more attractive job for a prospect.
• Prioritize work-life balance: While shops are understaffed and overworked, it’s important to prioritize a work-life balance for your technicians. Recognize that they have personal lives and commitments outside of work. Promote flexibility when feasible, such as flexible work hours. By demonstrating an understanding and support for work-life balance, you’ll be more likely to attract and retain talented technicians.
• Enhance communication and collaboration: Establish open lines of communication at your shop. Encourage regular and transparent communication among team members, as well as with management. Set up regular check-ins with each employee to make sure you know what’s going on in their lives, provide feedback on their performance, and allow them to ask you questions and voice any concerns they might have. 
• Celebrate achievements and milestones: Recognize and celebrate the achievements and milestones of your shop and your employees. This could include acknowledging exceptional performance, work anniversaries, birthdays, or other significant events. Celebrations and rewards create a positive and motivating atmosphere and can help attract top talent who appreciate recognition for their hard work.
• Solicit and act on feedback: Create a process for employees to submit feedback. This can be done through surveys, evaluations, or open conversations. It’s important to give employees a voice to share management concerns. It’s also just as important for you to acknowledge the feedback and act on it when it makes sense. This will show your employees and job candidates that you value their input.

 With the need for technicians growing, it’s essential to set yourself apart from other fleet operations. This doesn’t always mean offering more money. Creating an intentional culture at your fleet operation will help you attract new technicians, and also improve your employee retention rate. 

Do you need help improving your fleet operation’s culture? Let RTA help. Schedule a demo of our FMIS, or talk to one of our consultants!