Job boards suck.
The typical technician job posting on any given job board will undoubtedly have the following:
- A blanket statement about how amazing a shop is, yet say nothing truly unique about the shop
- A list of job duties that sound way more glamorous than what they really are
- A very wide salary range in which the high end is most likely unachievable
Let’s get a few things straight:
- Technicians hate looking for jobs. Sure, everybody does. But the difference with technicians is there are so many job openings. It’s not fun reading through 2-3 job descriptions, but imagine having to comb through pages of them.
- All job postings look the same. Even if a tech went through all 20 pages of job postings, what he/she would find is this: They all look the same — none of them stand out or provide the information they actually want.
Ultimately, what’s going to happen is if the technician is already employed (which they likely are)? Most of the time, they’re just not going to put in the effort to apply.
What Information is Missing on Job Boards that Technicians Want?
When we were building WrenchWay, we talked with a whole lot of technicians to find out what information they wanted to see when looking for a job, and what would make their job search easier. Below is what they told us.
1. Compensation
No, not that $50,000-$150,000 range nonsense. Technicians want to see a realistic salary range broken down by skill level: A, B, C, and General Service. Just as important as getting a realistic idea of the salary is understanding how you pay: Flat Rate? Hourly? Weekly Guarantee?
2. Benefits
Benefits are a piece of a job description that are generally understated and vitally important to technicians. Shops need to provide much more detail. Is healthcare 100% covered by your shop? Brag about it! Do you contribute to a 401k, or provide flexible schedules, or paid time off and holidays? These definitely need to be highlighted in the job posting.
3. Work Environment
When it comes to the physical work environment, there are many factors technicians consider when looking at a new job. For example, knowing how busy a shop is will help them understand the compensation plan better. Other work environment details to include in a job posting include: working conditions, policies, shifts and even break room facilities.
4. Career Development
Everyone has their own career path they want to follow. Some technicians want to stay technicians and earn certifications, while others want to work their way up into management. Some techs just want to turn wrenches without any of the tests. Understanding if those opportunities are available at your shop, along with how you’re going to help techs meet their career goals is extremely important.
5. Hiring Process
How many times have you had technicians interested, but then they realized that they have to take a drug test or complete an assessment so they choose to not move forward (or even better, they ghost you)? Being transparent about the hiring process up front will save you time, as well as the candidate’s time.
Give Techs the Information They Need to Apply Confidently
Ultimately, what it comes down to is if there is something a technician is going to ask in an interview, why wait for the interview to give it to them?
By being transparent and providing all the information a tech wants to know about a job before they even apply, you will:
- Stand out from your competitors’ boring, generic job postings
- Get better applicants because techs know they’re applying for a job that is a good fit for them
- Save time by not having to answer the same FAQs you always answer interviews
We need more technicians in this industry. We need more technicians to STAY in this industry. So, let’s do whatever we can to get them here and keep them here.
