There’s a need for people entering the industry that only continues to grow. For many shops, it can be a struggle to balance the need for seasoned techs with onboarding of entry-level techs—but investing time into building up those new to the field acts as an investment into the long-term health of your business, as well.
Phil Webster, owner of Webster Tire & Auto Service in Teutopolis, Illinois, has always had a huge focus on recruiting and training young technicians just entering the field. It’s for this reason that most of his techs are in their early 20s, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Right Way to Recruit
Webster has an extensive process for hiring all of his staff members. First, applicants take a 10- to 15-minute online survey to assess their personality. It shows a level of commitment that Webster is seeking from potential team members.
“When someone applies, are they going to do a simple step of, ‘Hey, here’s a here’s a survey that I need you to take’?” explains Webster. “So that’s part of my process. If they can’t spend 10 minutes taking a survey or follow those instructions, that tells me they’re not very interested in putting in the work to get the job.”
It’s essential to use multiple channels to reach potential talent, including online job postings, networking with parts stores and tool truck drivers, and exploring state-funded training programs that can help offset hiring costs.
Webster is involved with the community through teaching driver’s ed classes at schools, participating in career fairs, and more that allows him to identify and encourage potential auto industry professionals—be they technicians or many of the other roles that are needed in the service industry.
“There’s also sales jobs, there’s also accounting jobs. There are a lot of different jobs available that you might not consider when you think about automotive. So we approach it that way,” says Webster.
Webster’s shop provides an in-house apprenticeship program, which plays an enormous factor in helping entry-level techs grow comfortable in a shop environment. It lasts about two weeks, where an A-level tech provides training and guidance. They’re provided tools they can keep if they stay on with the shop.
The business also takes part in a local program where 15 high schoolers go to five different local auto businesses, including auto body, detailing, and a salvage yard. They spend three weeks at each business, learning basic functions. During that time, Webster’s shop will teach them tires, alignments, and brakes.
“It gives them good options to feed right into our shops from that, because they get several weeks working in the different areas of the business,” tells Webster.
In Illinois specifically, there are resources in place to fund such practices, which helps pay for 75% of technicians’ wages while they’re in Webster’s training program.
Don’t Throw Your Techs to the Wolves
Once a technician is brought into the fold, Webster remains attentive. On their first day, he sits down with them and shares his own story of getting started in the industry. Then, he gives them a book—"How to Win Friends and Influence People,” by Dale Carnegie—along with a special note.
“I have a little stamp in the front of that book. It says, ‘a gift for your brain, from Phil Webster,’” he says. “Because I try to pour into them the fact that your mindset and what you put in your mind is going to affect the outcome and results of everything you do. That’s how I try to get people believing in what we’re doing: that we’re helping people and changing their lives by fixing their car.”
At Webster Tire & Auto Service, most of the technicians are under the age of 25, and it’s no coincidence. With there being a two-year auto tech program at the local community college, Webster pays for technicians to pursue education there while working at his shop. This is also something that is supported in part by state-funded programs.
Taking technicians on for training is undoubtedly an investment for a shop, but it can be one that pays off massively, even for just one apprentice. Within six months, Webster has taken individuals inexperienced with automotive work and trained them to do C-level work, such as tires, brakes, suspension, and alignments.
“If you have the time to work with them, then you can quickly have a guy that can turn 20 or 25 hours within three to six months. Then he’s bringing in the billed hours to pay for himself and maybe making the shop some money at that point,” says Webster.
Building up entry-level technicians is definitely something that will require time and effort on a business owner’s part. Especially when bringing on entry-level techs, their skills and ambitions will likely evolve as they grow in your shop. To stay in touch with each team member’s needs, Webster holds an annual goals review at the beginning of the year. Taking time out of his year to do this simple practice has allowed him to have a tremendous impact on the lives of his technicians.
This is how Webster discovered one of his technicians’ desire to own his own home. Webster not only coached the employee on credit and financing, but established a plan to get him to the income he needed to achieve that. Being enrolled in the local auto program, Webster told him if he completed his ASE master credentials, he would also receive increased compensation to reflect his accomplishment.
This investment in and dedication to his employee resulted in a newfound confidence from the technician, enabling him to thrive in his talents as he never had.
“As with all true technicians, they want to do the job right. But he was so cautious and struggled with confidence in himself. Through trying to meet his goals of owning a house, it got him to work on his speed and trusting himself,” Webster says. “He would double, triple, quadruple check himself. … It helped him build his confidence and speed, and to realize you can do quality work fast.”
Regardless of how seasoned a technician would be, it’s always important for the owner of a shop to stay in touch with each employee—what their motivations are and what they may be struggling with.
Recruiting and building up entry-level techs is undoubtedly a big investment, and some shops may only be able to take on one apprentice at a time, but even that can help safeguard the future of your shop and maintain consistently solid service.
“Sometimes we’re throwing them to the wind, as far as going, ‘Oh, they worked at the shop down the street for a year.’ There’s a big assumption that they should know how to take tires on and off, how to torque them—but maybe that shop didn’t tell them that. Maybe that shop just impacted lug nuts on, and said 200-foot pounds is good,” says Webster with a laugh. “Working with young techs, you have to train them well, not just turn them to the wolves.”
