Human Resources

When you start to see a pattern in behavioral issues, such as a tech, manager or service advisor coming in late, here are three things you need to consider.

If there is one thing our industry has done since the very beginning, it has put technicians into the role of service advisors. The rationale is that they have a good understanding of automobiles, which will enable them to be competent advisors. Unfortunately, that’s the furthest from the truth.

While conducting reference checks on potential employees is a sensible way of managing your business risk, employers must carefully follow legal limits on the type and extent of background checks they can conduct.

Years back, when I was looking to hire a technician, my first criteria would be the person’s skill level. In fact, I based my decision mainly on the tech’s skill, ASE certifications and experience. The result? High turnover.

Managing difficult employees and holding them accountable in a litigation-happy environment often feels akin to walking a tightrope while wearing a blindfold. And, while not every under-performing or disgruntled employee will take legal action, companies can discourage litigation by instituting and consistently following good discipline and performance policies.

Without question, it is getting harder and harder to find the really great technicians. We just need to bear in mind that they’re out there, and that they’re more than likely relatively happy where they are. So how do you reach these superstars? Well, you may want to consider what your competitors would never dream of doing, and offer a referral reward that gets the attention of everyone in our industry who resides in your community.

If you want to build a successful auto repair business, you will need to have a number of things in place, yet nothing is more important than having service advisors who can sell in a professional and ethical way.

The only ticket to growth is freedom. The only ticket to freedom for an entrepreneur is a team you trust to follow your business vision. Established businesses fall into certain ruts. Things are moving along and people on your team will leave, and others will be hired to take their place. This can become routine and done without a lot of thought as long as there are enough people to get the job done. Your job, or your manager’s job, is to simply manage the process.

One of the challenges that shop owners have faced for years is finding and hiring qualified technicians. Here are 5 of the most successful techniques that I used to find the superstars when I was still operating shops.

Payday. While it is music to an employee’s ears, payday presents logistical and legal challenges for your company. One of the chief challenges is ensuring your employees are paid properly under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Why does FLSA matter to you? Money. Improperly paying employees opens you up to potentially massive liability from a collective action.

Having difficulty finding talented employees? Take a good hard look at the engagement level of your existing employees first. Spending the last 20+ years in business consulting, the past 10 in my own practice, I have too often heard the plea “we can’t find good people” from business owners and/or management personnel. In fact, if you’re a shop owner or manager, there’s a very good chance you’ve said this yourself at one point or another.

When it comes to business, there are so many things that owners need to do, the last thing they need is a lawsuit related to employment matters that can be easily avoided. Here are five tips to avoid employment lawsuits.