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Under The Hood
Is the shop heated? Air conditioned?
Our shop is heated, and we have huge fans to circulate air in the summer through the large bay doors.
What is the size of the team I’d be working with?
Our Technician Team is a 3 person team, and we are growing. Our entire staff is a team of 9.
What are the shop hours and what are the shift timeframes?
We are open from 8am-5pm on Monday - Friday.
What tools does the shop provide that are available for all technicians to use?
In addition to normal equipment like Wheel Balancers, A/C Machines, and Floor Jacks, we also provide Scan Tools (Snap-On Solus & Autel Maxisys), Battery Testers, Jump Packs, Bearing Service Tools, Tap & Die Kits, Torque Wrenches, Flash Lights, Bench Grinders, Cordless Drills, Sawzall, and a Grease Gun.
What type of break room facility is provided?
We have a break room/kitchen with a full refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven, and lockers. It's bright and airy, with plenty of seating.
How many bays does your shop have?
We have 6 bays.
How many repair orders do you average per month?
We average about 90-100 repair orders per month, including oil changes, new client car assessments, and repairs made to donated vehicles.
What is your parts ordering process?
We use PartsTech which is linked to our shop management software for easy estimate creation and parts ordering. We also order directly from vendor websites when needed.
What is your policy on side work?
We allow side work as long as it doesn't interfere with your regular work hours here at ChangingGears. Employees may work on their own vehicle or a vehicle from their immediate household, after hours, with the expectation that the vehicle is out of the shop by the beginning of the next business day.
Are there any other unique features of the work environment worth noting?
ChangingGears is an enjoyable, purposeful and fast-paced place to work. Our team takes our work seriously, but has fun and celebrates along the way. We have annual team outings to places like Reds Games, bowling, etc. We encourage growth and learning for our team.
Do you offer any skills training or continuing education opportunities?
Yes! We want our team to continuously develop and grow their skills. We have two full time Master ASE Technicians on staff to work alongside and learn with. We also compensate our employees for annual training and development certifications. We pay for ASE Testing (under the condition that you pass) and aftermarket offsite training (NAPA/O'Rielly/CarGurus). We have an annual budget set aside for each Technician's development.
Can you describe opportunities for career growth at your business?
We have been growing and continue to grow! Our hope is for our team members to stay on staff for many years and take promotions as they come available.
Can you describe your performance review process?
Our teammates have a weekly or bi-weekly 1:1 meeting with their manager to check in on how things are going. In addition to that, we have an annual review process that goes both ways, for the employee and the manager to provide feedback to each other.
What type of safety training is required?
We have standard safety training requirements.
Can you describe how Techs work with and mentor younger techs?
Our team works together to learn from each other. We have two full time Master ASE technicians on staff that are available to support younger technicians.
How does your shop get involved with the local community?
Our shop's mission is to empower people in our community who are working towards prosperity by providing affordable private transportation solutions. We have partnerships with other local non-profits, other shops and dealerships, and neighboring businesses like FC Cincinnati CityLink Center, and more.
Do you do anything with local high schools or tech schools to encourage more students to enter the profession?
We have our own Automotive Technician Training Program which is a free 4-week training. It includes hands on training with ChangingGears® ASE Master Technicians, enabling students to master the basics of oil changes and tire repair & replacement. We also provide connections to local employers for shadowing experiences and job opportunities.
Do you phone screen applicants before doing in-person interviews?
We usually do a 20-30 minute phone screen with a candidate to cover some basic logistical questions, making sure there is potential for a good fit.
What do your in-person interviews entail?
Our in person interviews entail meeting the team, spending time shadowing in the garage, and answering some questions about your skills and experience.
Do you perform background checks, drug screening, or personality tests before hiring an applicant?
Yes, we perform background checks and reference checks.
Do you perform a skill assessment before hiring an applicant? If yes, what does it entail?
Applicants will have the ability to spend time in the garage with our technicians to showcase their knowledge and abilities.
After an in-person interview, approximately how long should I expect to wait for a rejection or an offer?
Timing depends, but we usually will have an answer for applicants within 1-2 weeks.
Approximately how long does the full hiring process take from submitting the application to the time of the hiring decision?
This is dependent on number of applicants and schedule availability.
A Level Technician
Pay Range: $30.00 - $40.00/hour
Rate is hourly, and current full time positions are 40 hours per week.
B Level Technician
Pay Range: $25.00 - $30.00/hour
Rate is hourly, and current full time positions are 40 hours per week.
C Level Technician
Pay Range: $20.00 - $25.00/hour
Rate is hourly, and current full time positions are 40 hours per week.
Student Tech / Apprentice
Pay Range: $15.00 - $18.00/hour
We occasionally have a part time position for an apprentice.
- Health Insurance Offered
- We provide a Healthcare Reimbursement Arrangement Account that can be used for Health and Dental Plans that you choose.
- Dental Insurance Offered
- Our Healthcare Reimbursement Arrangement can be used towards Dental Insurance costs.
- Vision Insurance Offered
- Our Healthcare Reimbursement Arrangement can be used towards Vision Insurance costs.
- Retirement Plan Offered
- We have a retirement fund and match up to 3% of what you contribute.
- Sick Leave Offered
- We want to make sure you can stay home and get well if you are sick. We offer sick leave to support this.
- Vacation Offered
- We have paid time off in the form of vacation, personal days, and volunteerism days.
- Paid Holidays Offered
- We have 10 paid holidays per year.
- ST / LT Disability Not Offered
- Life Insurance Not Offered
- Uniforms Not Offered
- Not offered at this time.
- Other Offered
- We have team lunches once a month, team outings to fun places around town, and we celebrate milestones such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc. At ChaningGears we celebrate you as a person, not just an employee.
Shop Talk
Top Shop Challenge: What are a couple of things you'd like to highlight that happened last month?
This month we hosted a graduation for our tech training students and celebrated the 20 students who went through our program in 2024, becoming certified lube and tire technicians ready to enter the workforce! We are now hiring another experienced Automotive Technician to join our growing team.
ChangingGears was featured on Auto Pros: On The Road. What a fun duo - we enjoyed having them here. Watch the episode here: https://www.shopownermag.com/auto-pros-go-on-the-road-to-changing-gears/