It was about 10 years ago that USA Today ran an article titled "High-Tech Skills Give Auto Mechanics More Power."

In the article was a reference to a graduate from the automotive maintenance program of a technical college who was hoping to find a job for $25,000 to $30,000 after a worrisome search. Wasn’t he surprised when more than one dealer offered him a signing bonus along with an annual salary close to $40,000 with unexpected fringes?

The USA Today article did mention that the companies making those kinds of offers were automobile companies, not tire dealers. It was BMW, for example, that made the offer of a position paying $38,000 per year, a $1,500 signing bonus, help in finding an apartment and additional specialized training.

It was also about 10 years ago when a well-respected fleet manager added a personal story to a discussion about reasons for a shortage of diesel technicians.

He told the tale of a young automobile technician who got paid for changing into a clean company-supplied uniform. He then went to work in a comfortably heated and well-lighted service bay that was cleaned the night before by an outside janitorial service. He had the opportunity to work as much overtime as he wanted and, as a result, was able to earn upwards of $90,000 annually.

When he was ready to go home, he was paid a half-hour to shower and change back into his own clothes. The narrative was likely accurate as it turned out that the young man was our narrator’s son-in-law.

So what’s this nonsense about a shortage of technicians? With numbers like that, who would expect that there might be any kind of shortage of service technicians? Most graduates with bachelor’s degrees only hope for jobs like that, and most aren’t courted when they graduate.
 
Common Characteristics

Could it be there’s some kind of not-too-obvious difference between the value of automobile technicians and truck technicians? It certainly seems that a person who might aspire to work on trucks would have the same kind of interests as one that might want to work on cars.

The difference seems to lie primarily in one’s point of view. We may not really have a shortage if we were able to change that viewpoint. Darry Stuart, president and CEO of DWS Fleet Management Services, says, “I don’t necessarily believe that there is an overall shortage of technicians. I do believe we have an issue in developing and retaining them. Technicians in the oil fields in Canada make upwards of $200,000 a year. If you go to a Cadillac dealership, you’ll find technicians earning $80,000 to $100,000 annually. It’s a shame that an automobile technician can make $80,000 a year, and we have all we can do to pay a truck mechanic $50,000.”

So Why Do They Leave?

Stuart’s concern about compensation levels is certainly valid, but even he says it’s not all about money. It’s much more about being happy, proud and secure.

A recent research study indicated that the two greatest challenges our industry will face in the coming years is a shortage of qualified personnel and responding to advances in technology. These two, of course, might really be different aspects of the same problem because, as Stuart suggests, many political, economic and social changes have been caused by advances in technology.

So when he asks, “Why do they leave?” he answers his own question with a litany of reasons. Very important among these is that many management techniques that once worked well may no longer be effective in dealing with a workforce made up of 18- to 25-year-olds, a group he calls the Nintendo Generation. These are people who grew up playing video games on fast computers and experiencing the high rates of positive reinforcement such games provide.

He has much to say on the problems of management. We’ll only touch on a few, but most of his concerns can be lumped under the general heading of lack of managerial training. Too often a technician gets promoted to his next level because he or she performs better in the shop than his or her peers. This continues until a new shop foreman is needed.

You take your best technician and make that last promotion up to his or her level of incompetence. In a single step, you’ve taken your best technician off the floor and likely messed up operations.

It would be tough to blame the new boss; he was never groomed to be a manager. He doesn’t understand that you can get far more done with a carrot than with a stick. Too often, sarcasm is the favored tool of a manager. When there are shop meetings, does he/she try to establish a relaxed atmosphere or is there tension in the air? Maybe a couple of pizzas would help. It’s much easier for staff members to talk openly when the atmosphere is relaxed. Only if a manager understands a problem can he try to solve it.

Even company owners can cause unrest in the ranks. Picture a technician who came in to work the swing shift and, in doing so, knows he is missing his daughter’s first recital. He just starts on his first assignment of the day when the big boss pulls into the shop driving his red Porsche and asks the tech to wash it. Really a good move for shop morale! Happily such situations don’t happen too often, but we’ve all heard of such unfortunate circumstances, and even once is too often.

Stuart also addresses the shop’s working environment. First, recall the shop environment in which our $80,000 automotive technician works. Now take a good look at your shop to see if you can compete with that warm, clean, well-lighted shop.

Do you have enough heaters to keep the temperature comfortable all the way to the service bays, and is that floor clean? Remember that technicians are often working on their backs. Are your company supplied shop tools and equipment – diagnostic tools, floor jacks, drop lights, shop air systems, vises etc. – in safe condition and good working order?

Too often when something goes missing or breaks, technicians simply don’t have the time to look for it or repair a broken item. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to have an established procedure for techs to report shop equipment problems and know that they will be quickly corrected?

Do your technicians have secure lockers and a clean locker room in which to shower and change clothes? Do they have a lunchroom with drinks available where they can relax with colleagues during meals?

Just as comfortable cabs and well-maintained equipment help retain truck drivers, shop technicians appreciate a clean, well-lighted work environment. “Our customers have told us that having a new floor coating not only helps make the shop look better, they have noticed a significant increase in employee morale and productivity,” says John Carafelly of UCoat It, a manufacturer of epoxy floor coatings.

“Technicians take pride in the work that they do, and they don’t want to work in a dirty environment. Once a shop floor gets painted, you’d be surprised how the whole attitude of the shop changes – you can see the pride the technicians have in working in a nice shop. Studies conducted by the U.S. Air Force show a 35% to 45% increase in light reflection properties with coated floors compared to uncoated concrete. They also found that coating floors made a much safer work environment, since leaks could be spotted and cleaned up immediately.”
 
Why Do They Stay?

As long as employees know that their compensation is competitive, that they are fairly paid for overtime and receive differentials for undesirable shifts, they generally won’t leave a position for an incremental pay increase.

Stuart tells us that good technicians aren’t looking for all that much. They want opportunities for training, and they should be paid for mandatory training sessions. They want to work in a clean and safe environment for a solid company. They appreciate recognition for accomplishments and a reasonable work schedule. They want a good supervisor who listens when they have something to say.

Technicians need to know that they can grow in the company. A simple pat on the back goes a long way, but you need to do more. You need to offer them a career plan and follow it.