3 strategies to discover your shop's uniqueness

March 28, 2022
Find out what makes your shop truly unique to help bring in workers.

Looking to hire? You’re not alone. Without a doubt, the tech shortage is real. As you set out to recruit new technicians, it’s important to fully understand that it’s going to be hard and will take time. In WrenchWay’s recent webinar, “Attract more technicians - figure out what makes your shop better than the rest”, Jay Goninen, co-founder and president of WrenchWay, outlines three strategies to help shop owners figure out what is unique about their shop to help bring in new techs.

“There really isn’t a silver bullet for finding technicians,” said Goninen.

Job boards, social media posts, asking for referrals, and reaching to schools are all great ways, however one should not rely on just these alone. Instead, try focusing on employer marketing by sharing your shop’s story.

“When you take a story-telling approach, it really helps your pride grow,” Goninen said. “You really put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into your business and you are proud of what it is. So, make sure to get that out in front of people.”

However, don’t focus on being family owned or that you offer competitive pay and benefits, or that you have a state-of-the-art shop. Although these are great, they are already heard over and over and doesn’t make your shop stand out from others. You need to dig deeper. 

Strategies to find out what makes your shop unique –

  1. Find out what your current technicians like and dislike about working at your shop. Ask them to take an anonymous survey on why they work there, what they like about working there, what can be improved, etc.
  2. Find out what your competitors are offering their technicians, so you know where you stand. Check out their Indeed and job board postings. Find out details on their benefits packages, compensation ranges, trainings, etc.
  3. Complete a SWOT analysis of your shop through the eyes of a technician. What are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats? Do you offer paid training, are you expanding services, do you have a high employee turnover, etc.
About the Author

Kayla Nadler | Associate Editor | Vehicle Repair Group

Kayla (Oschmann) Nadler was previously an associate editor for the Vehicle Repair Group.

With an education in journalism and public relations, Nadler contributed to Professional Tool & Equipment News (PTEN) and Professional Distributor magazines, as well as VehicleServicePros.com.

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