Is your shop struggling to keep good technicians on its staff? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Between the technician shortage and the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be difficult to retain employees as they could be recruited to other shops or may be seeking more job security. This can leave you without some of your best mechanics. To avoid this, it’s important to use different techniques to retain your shop staff.
Hire the Right Technicians
One way to get talented technicians to stay on your staff is to hire the right people to fill the positions. When hiring new mechanics, it’s important to first verify their skills through hands-on tests during the interview process. Next, it’s vital to make sure they are a good culture fit for your team. If a person has great skills but is not going to fit with the company’s culture, he or she may be unlikely to stay at the shop long-term.
Offer a Competitive Salary and Benefits
One of the best ways to keep technicians on your staff is to offer them a competitive salary and benefits package. Research what other nearby shops and competitors are paying their technicians and make sure you’re offering similar salaries to your techs so they are not easily wooed away. Providing a solid benefits package with health, dental and vision insurance, along with a retirement plan, is also essential.
Provide Training and Career Advancement
Offer your technicians ongoing training. This will help your shop become more productive as the mechanics enhance their skills, and it will also show the technician that you value his or her contributions to the shop. In addition to providing training, it’s also important to discuss possible career advancement paths a technician might follow. This gives him or her incentives to keep performing well and growing his or her skills.
Show Your Appreciation
Your technicians want to know that you value their work. When an employee does an exceptional job, it’s important to recognize his or her efforts. Establish an employee recognition program to acknowledge accomplishments and to mark work anniversaries and milestones. These gestures can help build loyalty between the tech and your shop.
To learn how RTA Fleet Management Software can help your technicians, contact us to schedule a demo or start a free trial!