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How the Best Shop Owners Reduce Turnover in Key Employees

Written by
Motor Supply Co
Published on
March 14, 2022 at 8:58:50 AM PDT March 14, 2022 at 8:58:50 AM PDTth, March 14, 2022 at 8:58:50 AM PDT

There is this common belief that every high-performing tech is looking for a different job. It’s almost as if a cloud of panic and worry has set in about the “great resignation.” It’s gotten so bad that the #1 concern of shop owners has become “hiring enough of the right people.” 

While it’s undoubtedly true the quit rate for professionals is at its highest point since the U.S. Bureau of Labor started tracking the statistic in 2000, it doesn’t mean every employee is on the brink of quitting.  

In fact, if autoshops put as much effort into retention as they do in recruiting they would be in a much better position. This is why the best shops are winning the war for talent by focusing on retention over recruiting. 

The best autoshops are winning the war for talent by focusing on retention over recruiting.

It’s never been more important to have a healthy autoshop culture because the best techs aren’t going to settle for a toxic or average work environment. 

Prioritizing Retention Improves Recruiting 

Recruiting talented techs to join a team or organization will always be critical to long-term success. However, something phenomenal happens when shop owners prioritize retention over recruiting. I refer to it as the “Retainment Cycle.” Here is how it works: 

Great Culture + Engaged Employees + Optimum Results = Attracts Talent 

Are you looking for ways to prioritize retention with your techs and other shop employees? Here are some great places to start.  

1. Make Retention Everyone’s Responsibility 

It’s tempting to believe that retention is only the shop owner’s responsibility, but that wouldn’t be true. While shop owner’s play the biggest role in the retention of an employee, retention is everyone’s responsibility. Encourage every shop employee to participate in engaging each other daily.

2. Share Common Values

Money is easily the most popular incentivizing tool organizations use to retain and recruit employees. While pay is significant, it’s not the most important. People give their best effort when on a team that shares values and purpose.  

People give their best effort on a team that shares values and purpose.  

A consistent and systematic approach to aligning core values and communicating the deeper purpose behind the work is imperative. Here is an example of the core values at MotorSupplyCo. We leverage these five core values to ensure the behaviors of all employees are aligned and consistent.

3. Coach and Train Like Crazy

People stay longer when they feel invested in and cared for. As Sir Richard Branson famously said, “train them well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” 

One way to train and care for employees is to have shop owners who act as a coach. A coach, by definition, trains, and instructs. If you don’t think of yourself as a coach, think of improving the current and future performance of others to achieve higher levels of excellence. 

Coaching is improving the current and future performance of others to achieve higher levels of excellence.

Whether it’s technical skills or sales skills, now is the time for you to coach and train like crazy.  

Closing 

Making retention everyone’s responsibility, sharing common values, and coaching like crazy are just a few of the critical things shop owners can do to prioritize retention over recruiting. Other best practices include: 

  • Benefits Programs 
  • Promotional Programs 
  • Mentorship Programs 
  • Rewards and Recognitions Programs 

The key is to find what works best for your shop and go all-in on executing it relentlessly every day.