The Chicken or the Egg Trap: Hiring and Marketing for Auto Repair Shops [THA 466]

Recorded Live at AAPEX 2025, this episode tackles the classic “chicken or the egg” challenge for auto repair shop owners: should the focus be on marketing to generate work or recruiting technicians to handle it? The answer is simple—both. Sustainable growth requires managing two throttles at once: marketing and recruitment. Neither can be set and forgotten.

Key takeaways include reframing the role as a high tech career with clear advancement paths, adopting an “always be recruiting” mindset, and not judging candidates by resumes alone. Many capable technicians want to move but are emotionally stuck due to fear, loyalty, or past instability. Long-term retention depends on engagement and making employees feel like part of the business, not just workers in it.

Consistency is critical, as marketing and recruiting take time to gain traction and lose momentum quickly when stopped. A shop’s website should double as a recruiting tool, confidently showcasing employees, culture, and benefits.

Ultimately, the challenge lies in the demanding nature of shop ownership. Owners tend to protect what’s working instead of continually investing in the systems—marketing and recruiting—that ensure long-term stability and growth.

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