What Makes a Great Auto Repair Shop Employee?
November 26, 2018
A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the damage that a high-performing jerk can do to your auto repair shop. It might seem like it’s impossible for your shop to survive without them, until you get rid of them. Then everyone else’s performance improves, and you learn about all the problems that were simmering under the surface every single workday.
It’s easy to talk about destructive employees, though. How about finding a good one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg?
If you’re looking for an employee in this market, especially a technician, that doesn’t want a six-figure salary, you’re going to be looking for someone with dedication, growth potential… and not a lot of experience. These employees are among the most difficult to assess. You can’t test their knowledge to determine their value to the team. You can’t call a long list of references, because their career is limited in duration. You can’t even judge them based on certifications, because they don’t have many.
That doesn’t mean you have to take a shot in the dark. Patrick Lencioni’s book The Ideal Team Player identifies three characteristics to look for in any candidate:
Humble team players aren’t ego-driven. They’re quick to talk about the people who have helped them succeed, and slow to assign credit to themselves.
Hungry team players are always focused on what else they can take on. Growth and success are natural consequences of their self-motivation.
Smart team players understand how to interact with others due to their intuition and good judgement. Smart in this context isn’t about book-smarts, but about people-smarts – knowing how to deal well with people.
If you can find an employee with these three characteristics, the sky is the limit for their ability to help your shop succeed. And although it’s somewhat implied by these, it’s almost important to mention Honesty. If your employees aren’t honest, nothing else matters. You’ll lose every time.
To learn how Repair Shop Websites can help your shop improve its hiring process with our Hiring Assessment Survey, call us at 866-665-1605 or email us at Team_RSW@RepairShopWebsites.com.
