Recruiting, Retention Recognition

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Recruiting, Retention & Recognition: The Necessity of Your Business Today and in the Future

By Jay Gonien, WrenchWay

Joe Clementi, MobilityWorks NMEDA Conference Sneak Peek

It’s often said that people are our

biggest asset and priority, yet our actions typically fail to reflect that.

We get caught up in our day-to-day activities, working to put out fires, and finishing whatever is next on our to-do lists. As a result, the people-side of our business tends to fall by the wayside as we continue chasing our tails trying to use a garden hose to put out a 5-alarm fire.

You might be wondering what retention has to do with you? Here’s a shocking statistic!

According to the Bureau of Labor statistics there are 703,800 open

positions for skilled technician

labor. That same report shows there are less than 68,000 qualified

applicants.

So we need to ask the questions:

Where does your next-level of talent come from? AND

What will set your business apart from the employment noise coming at potential candidates?

Finding qualified technicians for our adaptive and accessibility industry is no easy task. From understanding how to get in front of these technicians, to coming up with a compelling offer for qualified candidates, and finally doing what it takes to keep these techs satisfied is hard. Doing it without a plan is almost impossible.

Yet, we find almost every mobility shop goes into recruiting blindly. There’s no real plan other than to post ads on Indeed and become frustrated when we don’t see immediate results. Sure, you may network here or there and maybe even work with your local tech school, but that’s not enough. with the noise coming from multiple aftermarkets competing for a candidate’s attention.

Is the Technician Shortage Painful Enough to Change How You Recruit?

The shortage of talent in our industry is not getting better. There are all kinds of statistics clearly showing this, and we’re sure many of you are feeling the pain each and every day. Is the pain you’re feeling enough to drive you to make changes in the way you approach finding and retaining quality talent? You’d think so, but labor shortage is at a tug and pull

Is the pain you’re feeling enough to drive you to make changes in the way you approach finding and retaining quality talent?” “

For many, the challenge is that our industry, and specifically your operations, are not a name brand recognizable in the industry, similar to your local Ford, Honda, Toyota, or Chrysler store. The challenge is in and of itself when trying to compete in constant flux creating uncertainty about this very subject.

We’re here to remind you that there are no magic bullets! No shortcuts, easy fixes, and magic wand to be waved. We’re sure you’ve read it in

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a business book or been told by a consultant, but you need to find ways to work ON your business rather than IN your business. A context requiring leaders to rethink their business strategy not merely for the immediate, but rather long-term. Finding quality people for your shop falls in the working ON your business category.

Making a Change with Employee Marketing

As we mentioned earlier, having a plan is essential, but you don’t need an elaborate plan that is difficult to execute. You need something tangible that will allow you to pivot and alter your habits so you are able to consistently do the things needed to change your luck. You need a way

Most qualified technicians already have a job and aren’t actively looking for work. So, why would an employee leave a good job to “

come work for you?”

You have all experienced the “whirlwind”, right? You know the whirlwind—which is a representation

of the important/urgent activity needed to run the every-day

functions in your business. The whirlwind of day-to-day activity can suck up attention and make it difficult to focus or make any progress on your strategic priorities.

The client emergency, the production job in hold-pattern as you adjust from one equipment solution to another, more suitable product. The complicated diagnostic that you could not anticipate, to the immediate need of a client stuck in their wheelchair accessible van.

Once you get the people-side down, it will allow you to take a break from putting out fires so you can focus on the stuff that matters. The more tactical and strategic elements that will grow and stabilize your business. to change the problem you currently have into a strength that sets you apart from other industries.

That’s where employer marketing comes in. Employer marketing is telling the story of what it’s like to work at your organization to help attract and retain employees who will thrive there.

Most qualified technicians already have a job and aren’t actively looking for work. So, why would an employee leave a good job to come work for you? They won’t… unless you give them a compelling reason to make a change.

Story-Telling is a More Compelling Way to Attract Technicians

Creating content is a great way to differentiate yourself as an employer. The incredible part of the mobility industry is the amount of purpose it provides. What makes the mobility industry so unique are the clients we serve. The unique set of skills required to fabricate a solution to serve a client with a solution to provide them with the freedom and accessibility is our calling. There are no other industries that have the true impact that the mobility industry has. It takes special people to do the things that all of you do every day.

You may be asking yourself, “How does this pertain to finding quality talent for our shops?” Well, it’s huge. Your employer brand is core to putting a good recruiting plan together. Telling stories of the people in your business helps create a pull type of marketing strategy that helps technicians follow you. The current strategy for most mobility shops is asking people to come work for you. That message gets stale really fast, and you find yourself beating your head against the wall.

Instead of doing that, focus on telling your stories. I’m jealous of the amount of content that each of you has rolling in the door each and every day. Some of the projects that you’re working on may seem really mundane because you see it everyday, but much of it is really interesting to those that don’t get exposure to it.

Take reality TV shows for example. People love to see this type of content. It shows because the ratings are consistently high and they keep creating more of it. We’re not suggesting that you need to create a reality TV show based on your work mix, but the concept of it should tell you that this type of content works.

What you’re ultimately trying to do is position yourself as a “cool” place to work. You want to create a destination shop that works toward a purpose rather than just another job that isn’t any different than who

they are already working for. Imagine having a tech walk in the door already feeling like they know the people they are about to interview with. Think that would do anything for how comfortable they would be walking in the front doors?

THE SCIENCE OF RECRUITING PEOPLE

Research into the great resignation of 2022 has provided incredible evidence for having the right culture, a mission that serves a purpose, and a work-life balance. The impact on the economy is in the millions of dollars in lost production, lost wages, and the employee shortage.

The science behind what drives engagement to your organization shows that “students who have been surveyed nearly 90% of them narrowed their search to 3 key areas.” Hint, there’s a direct correlation with the research on the “great resignation.”

• They want to align themselves with a purpose driven company.

Stakeholders continue to demand more from their organizations.

Employees are leaving companies that are not aligned with their core values that offer a greater sense of purpose.

• Future employees want a flexible schedule and the ability to prioritize their quality of life with work. They want to know their families are just as important as the company’s finances.

• They want to know that their work is contributing to others.

Technicians in particular, see themselves as artists that render unique paintings. They want to know the work they perform is more than a commodity of hours. All of these Key technician needs can be met through the adaptive community. Your business fills a void that these technicians are looking for. They just don’t know it yet!

Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

A key piece to creating this type of content is being comfortable with who you are as a business. Are you truly a great place to work? If we’re being honest, most mobility shops are good, but not great. If you don’t find yourself in that great category, get to work on making yourself great. It’s easy to fall into the status quo, but you need to push yourself further.

Many times, we find that shops aren’t comfortable creating content because they don’t feel great airing out their dirty laundry. When we don’t think we’re great in some certain aspect of our business, we tend to bury our heads in the sand. We would challenge you to embrace where you currently are. There isn’t a shop, regardless of size, that is perfect. Documenting your journey to improving your offering is incredibly important.

Doing it in an authentic way helps you build trust. I think a lot of people have probably worked at a place that promised the world and tried making themselves look better than they actually were. This causes a lot of issues because the person signing up to come work for you immediately has trust issues because they already feel like they’ve been lied to. Rarely does that get better after the start.

Transparency is Key

By being transparent with who you really are, you are showing security in yourself. This speaks volumes to people that might be looking at you as a potential employer and makes them happier once they join your team. With that being said, don’t let this be an excuse to not get better. You need to constantly strive to deliver a world class experience to your people, regardless of how big your shop is.

Ultimately, recruiting is not as complicated as we make it. Be a good place to work, create raving fans by getting them to follow your journey, and hire people that fit your company’s culture. Creating content isn’t the most natural thing for most people to do but once you embrace it, it can completely change the success you have in regard to finding great people.

All it takes is being proactive and getting a little uncomfortable

Recruiting, Retaining, & Recognizing Top Tech Talent

I bet this article got your wheels turning. For a deeper dive into this topic be sure to check out the education session at conference! See page 31 for the full education line up and information on how you can get registered.