Posts by Carm Capriotto, AAP

Employee retention is challenging for many organizations. Organizations want to keep the best employees, but it can be difficult for them to do so. There are many strategies a shop owner can employ to retain their best employees and keep them happy and engaged. The adage says, ‘Take Care of your People,  and They Will Take Care of Your Customers.’ Ever lost a team member for a $1/hour offer. It may be about the money or maybe something else. Please consider where you position in these strategies. 

• Develop a culture of trust
  • Provide one-on-one time with a manager or team lead. Listen. Managers must take time to listen to team members. Donnie Hudson says feedback from your team and transparent communication are keys.
  • Bryan Kelley from Valley Auto Electric in Covington, WA says trust is the biggest factor in satisfactory work. If your team member was hired because they have the ‘right stuff’, trust them to do the job. 
• Recognize them for their work. It is gratifying to be recognized for outstanding contributions, productivity, problem-solving, lending a helping hand, and community, among others.
• What unique situations are your people in? At home. With family. Would flexible work schedules be a benefit? What about time off?
• Engagement. Are you providing paid training and offering the best training available to keep your people as sharp as they can be. Productivity improves with knowledge. 
  • Can you offer leadership training or even a Dave Ramsey finance course?
  • Does your team have a say in new equipment purchases or a new remodel project?
  • How proud are they of their ASE certifications?
• Are your core values demonstrating appreciation, respect, integrity, and even sportsmanship
• Benefit package. Are your benefits competitive with top-tier players? A retirement package, health care, vacation, personal time off, life insurance, and community outreach support. Ask, you may be surprised that you are competitive with your benefits package or maybe not.
• Is there a ‘Lunch on the House’ day each week? It saves them money and allows some ‘team talk’ about life in their lane.

We had a great discussion on the 700th milestone episode on Remarkable Results Radio regarding employee retention. Well worth listening. Link HERE

Your people are your difference-maker. Be sure they are a well-oiled group and your culture and work environment supports retention.

A business is often more successful when owners are open and honest about their finances. Many of our industry’s business coaches guide shop owners to get their financial statements in order, then show and teach financial responsibilities to every team member. Show them the numbers. Here are five reasons you want to share your financial numbers with your team.

1. Being open about money can help you get ahead financially.
   1. Everyone on the team rowing in the same direction
   2. The realization of the work it takes to create a profit so the operation can afford raises and buy new equipment. This is the ‘V8’ moment when your people learn
   3. Many team members, for the first time, will receive the biggest money lesson of their lives
   4. We have a Town Hall podcast called ‘Where the Money Goes’. There is also a download, of the slides, available on the show notes page HERE
2. Sharing financial information can provide a sense of shared responsibility for the group’s finances
   1. Everyone understands the universal goals and respects financial decisions
3. You can help other team members get into better financial shape by showing them the path to success.
   1. Providing the lesson on money management can assimilate into your teams’ personal life
   2. Many in your employ are not good with managing money
   3. Learning how to live within your means and saving for a rainy day, retirement, or for a child’s college is good personal discipline
4. When it comes to making major purchases, the team realized that a calculated ROI on a significant piece of equipment requires us to sell the work to pay for it. 
   1. A better understanding of the finances and a team decision gets more play for the ROI
5. Transparency helps unify the team and build a strong culture.
   1. Perform this exercise at least once a year and when hiring new team members

Agree or not with these reasons why only a small percentage of shops have not implemented an apprentice program. You may find one of your favorite excuses below. If you’ve looked for a technician in the last few years you are investing time (money) hunting every day. If building your future bench was the smartest thing you could do, would you?

1. I don’t know where to find a candidate?
   • Schools are looking to help. Yes, they are. They realize that many of their students are not looking for college and they see skilled trades as viable opportunities for them. They want to reach out to local businesses (squeaky wheel gets the grease). Don’t wait to be contacted. You need to be proactive and reach out to the schools. Put a visit on your calendar for January 2022.
   • Educators are very aware of the number of skilled trade jobs available. It has sparked a renewed focus on great-paying jobs with no college debt. They understand that internships can turn into full-blown apprentice programs for all skilled trades.
   • Many of your clients have a young person at home or have a relative or friend that needs to start to prepare for their future. You can never start young enough to shadow or intern a student. If they want to take the next step will you have your apprentice program in place and ready to take on a student (how cool is that).

2. Too busy, no time.
   • You are too busy looking for help, writing ads, interviewing, and worrying about how you are going to handle your two-week backup. Your customers may not be so ‘waitful’ in the future. Imagine if you had started an apprentice program just two years ago. Oh, what a different perspective.
   • I can’t pull off my lead tech to help an apprentice. OK, then who will help mentor and teach. The alternative isn’t good. 
3. I Don’t have a good mentor.
   • A very legit excuse, but who says you don’t if you haven’t asked. There just may be someone in your shop that may be itching to teach someone what they know. And remember when you teach you learn (good for the mentor).  Also, remember a mentor is there for support and advice when asked.
   • Who says the owner can’t be part of the mentoring team.
   • The lead tech may not be the best mentor. 
4. What if I teach them and they leave?
   • This excuse if full of holes. What will your business be like in two years? Are you growing, improving your culture, making more money so you can have the kind of compensation program that keeps great talent. Are you improving your benefits? Have you created a great work experience, outlined a training career path, and equipped the shop with the proper tools, training, and equipment to allow your team to flourish? If not you may lose more of your own top talent and have a deeper hole to climb out of.
   • If they leave for all the right reasons, they will always remember who gave them their start. You may just get them back down the road. You’ve planted a seed that could grow again at your place. 
5. The program is too complicated.
   • So is a corporate tax form.
   • Anything worthwhile takes time to learn.
   • The network of shops that have apprentice programs that are in full flight are more than happy to help you on your way. Just ask me and I’ll get your help. Email Carm Here.
   • Curriculums are not hard. They are defined usually with a Learning Management System inside your approved apprentice program. 
6. My shop’s too small.
   • Do you plan to grow in the future? Add a bay? Move?
   • So you add an apprentice and find that upon graduation your graduate is better than one of your C technicians. A bonus.
   • You have shop owner friends in your marketplace who may need an entry-level technician. Maybe they are willing to support your costs and take the apprentice on full time. Remember they will never forget where they got their training.
   • A small shop is nimble and the candidate may get more hands-on experience.

Here is a link to podcasts where the industry speaks to the power and value of apprenticing.

Looking forward to a phenomenal 2022. The best to the New Year.

Building a strong belonging culture in any business requires a sense of purpose that all believe in. It is also about environment, leadership, values, and goals to name a few.

In the scope of environment, is your place a fun place to work? I’m reading the book The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack. He covers the power of having fun inside your business.

Are your bulletin boards just full of government-required postings? Or do you have other fun things, like company events, everyone’s goals (posted as a picture), notices of time off, upcoming training dates, or community involvement?

Do you need a Vice-President of Fun to lead the kind of family comradery that is so important to a business that hires superstars and retains top talent?

Do away with the grind and get the fun going. Use the upcoming holiday time to put fun into your business and keep it going every day of the year.

NOTE: Our Aftermarket Weekly shop tour last week from Mighty Auto Pro showcased that Bill Hill and Leigh Anne Best have created an incredible place to work. So many great ideas to create a positive culture in your business. Looks like Leigh Anne is their VP of Fun. LINK HERE to see inside their shop.