Finding technicians to apply is hard enough. The last thing any hiring manager or shop owner wants is to lose that applicant during the recruitment and hiring process.

Yet, this happens every day. A recent survey showed nearly half of the respondents declined a job offer because of a poor recruitment experience (PWC).

The good news is the missteps when recruiting technicians are easy to avoid. Check out our list to learn more.

7 Technician Recruiting Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not focusing on making your shop a great place to work.

The best recruitment process in the world won’t make a difference if your shop isn’t a great place to work. In fact, 75% of people would not take a job with a company that had a bad reputation—even if they were unemployed (LinkedIn). No shop is perfect, but it’s important to be transparent about what you’re doing to continually improve the work environment for your employees.

2. Using a generic job description.

There are hundreds of job openings for technicians in any given city, and the job postings all look the same. What is your shop doing to make your job posting stand out from everyone else? Some quick tips:

  • Be thorough. List all the job duties. This will align expectations and, ultimately, increase retention.
  • Show, don’t tell. Every job description is using buzzwords like “state-of-the-art facility,” “family-owned” and “competitive salary.” Put your money where your mouth is and show pictures of that facility, list the compensation, and give examples of how your family-owned shop supports a family-friendly environment.

3. Posting and praying.

If your technician recruiting strategy starts and ends with job boards, you’re missing out. Most technicians are already employed and not looking at the job boards, but they’re open to new opportunities. (We call them passive candidates.) Test out other avenues to reach these candidates like social media, referral programs, online forums, etc.

4. Hiring only when there’s an open position.

With the technician shortage, shops need to always be open to hiring a good technician. Not only will this give you more opportunities to find technicians, but it will also reduce the chances of you making a bad hire just to fill a bay. Using resources like a careers page and a WrenchWay Top Shop page is a great way to always be recruiting.

5. Ignoring your employer brand.

Any shop can say they’re a great place to work, but actually showing that to potential candidates is another story. 89% of passive candidates evaluate your brand before applying (CareerArc). This means shops need to regularly share content that gives an inside look at their employees, the work environment, and the shop culture.

6. Moving too slowly.

In this competitive market, shops need to move FAST. Studies show the top prospective candidates are off the market in 10 days (Builtin). For technicians, that number is even lower. Letting a few days go by before reaching out to an applicant or making an offer is a surefire way to lose a tech to the shop down the road.

7. Communicating Poorly

Another easy way to lose viable candidates it by not explaining and not communicating regularly throughout the hiring process. In fact, 52% of job hunters say a lack of response from employers is their biggest frustration (Websolutions). Candidates should always know the next steps and when they’ll hear from you.