Written by: Sara Kerwin with WrenchWay
Recruiting technicians keeps becoming a bigger challenge for shops. Less than five percent of technicians are actively looking for work. In simple terms, this means the majority of technicians are not looking at job boards. So, for shops whose recruiting strategy begins and ends with job boards, they’re missing out on the majority of technicians.
But, if technicians aren’t looking at job boards, then how are shops supposed to be finding and recruiting them?
Recruiting Has Changed—Shops Need to Focus on Employer Marketing
Employer marketing tells the story of what it’s like to work at your organization to help attract and retain employees who will thrive there.
Simply put, employer marketing uses story-telling, photos, and videos to show technicians why your shop is a great place to work.
However, this is not a silver bullet solution. When it comes to recruiting technicians, there is no silver bullet. It takes time and a consistent, ongoing effort. Shops that embrace employer marketing now will see the payoffs as the technician shortage grows.
Below are a few ways shops can embrace employer marketing and recruit more technicians online.
Three Ways to Utilize Employer Marketing to Find Technicians
1. Make sure you’re utilizing your shop’s website.
The majority of a shop’s website is (and should be) for the customers. However, 61 percent of job seekers look at a company’s website before applying, so it’s important to have a clear place for technicians to find out more about what it’s like to work at your shop.
Once a technician gets to a shop’s website, shops have less than 15 seconds to catch their attention. Shops need to clarify where technicians should go once they get to their homepage. Ideally, a button on the homepage or a link in the main navigation that says “Technician Careers” is the best way to ensure technicians find the information they are looking for quickly. The button/link should go to a page on the site that speaks directly to technicians and includes all the information about the job and shop, including:
Pro Tip: Not sure how to make these updates to your website? That’s when working with a partner like Autoshop Solutions is extremely helpful. They can make these updates for you quickly and easily!
2. Get over your fear and start creating (authentic) videos.
By far, video is the best way to get the technicians’ attention. Please note: The cheesy, scripted “Come work for us” videos aren’t what technicians want to see.
According to a recent WrenchWay Insiders poll, 97 percent of technicians want to see authentic, unscripted videos of technicians and managers working in the shop and talking about what it’s like to work there. These videos don’t need to be professionally recorded and edited. (In fact, they’re better if they’re not!) All you need is a smartphone. (Here’s a short guide with more tips on how to use video for recruiting technicians.)
Here are some of the videos on WrenchWay Shop Talk that technicians like best:
Check out how Brown Motors CDJR Ford Lincoln uses video to give potential applicants a glimpse into their fun shop culture.
3. Promote. Promote. Promote.
Even if you are a WrenchWay Top Shop, it’s not enough just to have all the information and videos technicians want to see out there. Shop owners and managers must continually promote their content on social media where technicians will see it.
Social media is the perfect place to share those authentic videos of your team. In fact, videos on social media get 48 percent more views than written posts or photos. Even with the majority of your social following being customers, they’ll like seeing these videos, too! Studies have shown that consumers want to do business with companies that have happy employees.
Pro Tip: Social media posts from companies reach 561 percent more people when shared by employees. Getting your shop employees to share your shop videos on social media is the best way to get in front of technicians. On social media, your techs are likely connected to people they went to school with, former co-workers, and other people who know technicians. You could even encourage your employees to share your shop’s video by offering small incentives!
Check out how Ron Marhofer Auto Family encourages employees to share their Top Shop page and videos with their social media networks.
Want Help Attracting Technicians Online?
WrenchWay works with over 500 Top Shops across the country to help them attract more technicians. Check out their website to learn more about becoming a WrenchWay Top Shop: wrenchway.com/top-shops
Autoshop Solutions