EPISODE DESCRIPTION
On this week’s episode of Beyond the Wrench, we talk with three former technicians about what struggles they experienced working as techs, why they think techs are leaving the industry, and actions shops can take to boost technician retention.
WATCH THE FULL EPISODE
EPISODE SUMMARY
3 Reasons Technicians are Leaving the Industry
The group of former technicians started the discussion with the top issues they see in the industry that are causing technicians to leave and explore other career options.
#1 Stress Around Pay and Unfair Compensation
Together, they agreed that one of the primary reasons for leaving the industry was technician compensation. This finding was also reflected in WrenchWay’s 2023 Voice of the Technician Report, which surveyed 650 technicians. A lot of technicians are leaving within the first five to seven years because they see other opportunities with better pay, insurance, and retirement plans.
#2 Hostile Shop Environment & Leadership
The work environment in the shop was also a common answer among the group. During the podcast, the former technicians discussed the importance of having a work environment where open and honest conversations with management about ongoing issues are possible. Research supports this claim as well. A recruitment company recently found that 56% of job seekers will prioritize a positive workplace culture over salary, in some cases.
#3 No Official Career Path
Not being able to see advancement or future opportunities was brought up as a big issue as well. They felt that being stuck in a position with no future advancements makes your passion for the job slowly fade away. Eventually, this leads you to not being able to enjoy going to work and dread going to the shop every day.
“If you think everything is all roses and rainbows, go look at a Facebook message board sometime, and it’s a pretty consistent message over and over and over again.”
Jay Goninen, Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay
Feelings & Public Perception Around Working as a Technician
When discussing their feelings towards working in the industry as a technician, most of the issues come down to how techs are treated in the shops. It’s not just one thing that is causing technicians to leave, and shops need to realize that. Yes, compensation is one of the big issues, but just raising the compensation in the industry isn’t going to fix all of its underlying problems.
Technicians want to feel accepted and respected in regards to the work they are doing. They also want to work with managers who will take the time to listen to them, address their grievances, and communicate openly. It is sad to see that a recent survey found that only 58% of technicians feel valued and respected by their shop manager and/or shop owner.
Moving outside of the shop, these former techs also expressed that society tends to demonize the technician profession. Shockingly, 74% of technicians agree that the public’s perception of technician careers is not improving. Technicians agree it is up to shops and schools to start making the industry inviting and appealing for people to join. People must see the skill set it takes to be a technician, and not look at it as a negative career choice.
“The industry has given me a skill set that is really unrivaled in a lot of aspects, like I don’t have any trepidation now at all about really approaching any type of project.”
Lunden Herndon, Automotive Technician, Rob’s Automotive & Exhaust
Ways Shops Can Help Keep Technicians in the Industry
- Work with schools.
It’s easy for technicians to talk about all the issues, but the difficult part is for shops to take the necessary steps to make these improvements. Unfortunately, many guidance counselors today treat a career in the skilled trades as a choice for a student who isn’t excelling in academics. Shops need to work with schools to break down the stereotypes and help show students at an early age why being a technician is a desirable career choice. - Show employees appreciation.
Shops also need to take time to do small acts of appreciation. Taking employees out to lunch every now and then is an easy way to show your appreciation for them. If you notice that a technician is having a bad week or has been working especially hard, give them a random day off or the opportunity to leave early on a Friday. It’s the small gestures like these that show technicians a shop or manager really cares and values the work they’re doing.
“Half of the problem with the industry is people are beating around the bush and just not having really open and honest conversations about what the real problems are.”
Bob Higgins, Service Adviser, Northwest Imports
SHOW NOTES
WrenchWay Resources:
Free Mobile App – Download the WrenchWay app in the App Store or on Google Play.
Technician Compensation Tool – See automotive, diesel, and collision technician compensation in your area at wrenchway.com/pay.
Technicians & Students – Looking for the best shops to work at? Check out wrenchway.com/shops.
Shops & Dealerships – Want to find quality technicians and support the industry? Learn about WrenchWay Shop Memberships.
Instructors – Need help getting resources and connecting with industry? We have free resources for your program.
About Our Host:
Jay Goninen
Co- Founder & President, WrenchWay
jayg@wrenchway.com | 608.716.2122
About Our Guests:
Bob Higgins
Service Adviser, Northwest Imports
bob@nwimports.com
Lunden Herndon
Automotive Technician, Rob’s Automotive & Exhaust
Follow Lunden on LinkedIn
Matt Fanslow
Shop Manager/Diagnostic Technician, Riverside Automotive
matt@riverside-automotive.com
Follow the Beyond the Wrench Podcast
Don’t miss a single episode — follow the Beyond the Wrench podcast! The Beyond the Wrench podcast is available on:
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Google Podcasts
- Amazon Music
- Stitcher
- iHeart Radio
- Pandora
- TuneIn + Alexa
- And more!
Editor’s Note: Last updated June 2024. This article was originally published in June 2021 and has been updated to include new data and educational information for accuracy.
