Less Turnover, More Torque: How to Keep Your Best Techs from Bolting

We write a lot about techs.

How to attract them, how to hire them, how to stick ‘em in a stew—

Oh, hold up, I’ve been informed we are not stewing techs in this article. Instead, we’re addressing a topic that is just as important as hiring, but often gets overlooked, because, well, hiring is just more exciting. 

Yes, folks, today we’re talking about technician retention.

Why is Tech Retention So Important?

Generally speaking, you want your techs to stick around. If they’re with you for a long time, it’s safe to say they know the ins and outs of your shop and its daily processes. They’re past the awkward onboarding and learning period and can jump right on a job when it arrives. A solid, reliable group of technicians generally translates to reliable work and a sense of stability in the business.

If your techs like working for you, odds are they’re telling their friends and colleagues about it. Your repair shop is developing a reputation as a good place to work, and believe us, you want that reputation when you’re hiring. 

It’s kind of like dating. The hiring process is you pitching yourself to potential partners. You’re putting your best foot forward. Concerts, candlelight, PTO, no required overtime — all good stuff. But also like dating, there has to be something substantial to keep things going after the honeymoon wears off.

(Also…it is really, really expensive to hire. Like it costs thousands to advertise, interview, hire, and onboard a newbie.) 

We have some concrete tactics to share with you, but we’re going to lead with the absolute, #1 thing you can do to improve your retention numbers. Are you ready? Here it is: 

Make Your Shop a Place Heavy-Duty Techs Want To Be

Think of the following advice as an overarching philosophy that can guide the rest of your actions. Everything in your technician retention strategy should ladder up to making your shop a good place for heavy-duty techs to work. 

“I treat my people the way I want to be treated,” says Keith McMaster of Fireweed Heavy Truck & Equipment Repair. “Create a good place.” 

That means creating a kind and respectful environment. Emphasize teamwork and helping each other out. Say good morning to your crew. Ask how they’re doing, and give a damn about their problems. They’re human beings, not automatons. Seriously, just being decent to your folks can go a long way in any industry, but far too many techs have dealt with a heavy-handed jerk for a manager. Give them props for jobs well done, be receptive when they have questions or problems, and provide snacks, and you’re 75% there. 

Find Out What Techs Want

Okay, so you’ve created a welcoming and friendly environment that techs want to work in. But what else can you do to beef up your retention scores? Start by finding out what real live techs want from their workplaces. You could ask your own people that (and you should be talking to them anyway), but if you want a low-risk place to start, head over to WrenchWay’s Voice of Technician Report. In it, they describe what actual breathing technicians want most from shops.

Here’s a sampler:

• 87% of responding techs said proper equipment in the shop was a “must-have;”
• 89% of responding techs said paid vacation was a “must-have;”
• 72% of responding techs said a retirement fund was a “must-have.” 

And there you have it. Three concrete desires from actual working technicians. How does your shop handle equipment, anyway? Do you provide PTO, and if so, how much of it? These are all questions to ask yourself while examining your retention strategy. 

The Voice of Technician survey also covers areas like preferred work schedules, pay structures, commute times, and more. Seriously, it’s a wealth of information for any shop owner who wants to build a better environment for their employees.

Six Steps You Can Take To Improve Tech Retention  

Now let’s talk action. These six technician retention strategies tackle the things heavy-duty techs care about most—flexibility, growth, compensation, and follow-through. They’re practical, proven, and designed to turn your shop into the kind of place where techs actually want to build a career.

Flexible scheduling. 

You know what everyone likes? Three-day weekends. You know how you can get it? By running two four-day, 10-hour shifts a week (say Monday through Thursday and Tuesday through Friday). Your shop gets full 40-hour coverage and everyone gets a three-day weekend. Whoa! Or maybe you look into staggered start times so early birds can come in while the normal people sleep. Flexible scheduling is definitely gaining more ground in this industry — you can learn more about it as a perk here!

Career pathing. 

Yes, you will have the occasional tech who has found their sweet spot and doesn’t want to move. But career pathing is a “must-have” perk for established technicians (36%) and up-and-coming students (49%), per the Voice of Technician Report. That’s just a hair under half of students. And there’s a hint about the future embedded in that answer: What are students, mostly? Younger people. And younger people really want career pathing. They want to know they can grow their knowledge, skills, and income with a shop. 

Tool reimbursement and allowances. 

Tools are expensive. Like really expensive. And they’re not getting any cheaper. So why, praytell, are we still expecting techs to fully foot the bill? Start a reimbursement or allowance program and treat it like an investment in your workforce (which, frankly, it is). Heck, if you buy the tools for your shop, then you own them and your entire crew gets to benefit from them. A program like this — whatever variety you choose — is especially helpful for younger and newer techs, who may be trapped in Matco Purgatory for the foreseeable future otherwise. 

Frequent check-ins and reviews. 

Let’s focus on reviews for a moment, because these are still a tough one for the heavy-duty industry. A yearly review should not contain surprising information to an employee — if it does, you’ve failed them. We have all heard too many stories about someone emerging from the manager’s office with a scowl: “I didn’t know I was using the wrong wrench!” or “No one told me to refill the coffee when I finished it!” (OK, to be fair, that’s a fireable offense.)

If someone is doing something wrong, they need the correction sooner rather than later. Nip it in the bud, as they say. But the contrast is also true: If they’re doing something right, or knocked out an especially tough job, praise them! “Hey, Flora over here just knocked this rebuild out in record time! WOO!” 

A slice of the profit pie.

We are not going to pretend that people are working in your shop just because they like you. It is entirely possible that they do like you (and we hope they do!), but they are also present because you’re paying them. And look, money is important. You should be paying a fair wage to them already, but look into bonus programs, too. Sure, there’s basic stuff like bonuses for weekly or monthly hours worked, but you could also look at things like:

• If a shop hits a particular profit margin, everyone gets $XX;
• If a shop beats last year’s revenue, there’s a payout.

It gives people some skin in the game. Instead of “Ugh, more work,” the mindset becomes “Heyyyyy, that’s my money.” 

Keep your word. 

By now, you’ve probably noticed that these retention tips could probably do some heavy lifting in the hiring arena, too. And yes, they can. Hiring and retention are kind of like yin and yang. They go together. The key to retention is keeping your word. You can say, “We have bonuses and great snacks and flexible schedules” in a hiring interview. If your shop doesn’t follow through on those promises, well, your techs are not going to linger long.

Say what you mean and do what you say. Hold yourself accountable to yourself and your employees. 

It’s All About the People

The steps above will help you improve your tech retention rate, but the big part of the job is still largely depending on you making the shop a place people want to stay at. Create a workplace where people are treated well and highly valued. Then give them snacks. Everything else will fall into place.

Want to know more about retention? We sponsored a fantastic webinar about recruiting, training, and retention a few months back, and it’s well worth a watch (or you could read our recap if you’re pressed for time). We also have a whole free ebook dedicated to the topic, which you can read here. 

Want to sweeten the deal even further for your techs? We’ve got some more articles for you about:

• Setting a tech’s hourly rate.
• Building teamwork amongst your employees.
• How and when to get started with benefits.

And hey, if you want to give your techs a digital tool that will make their lives easier, the Fullbay demo is right this way. You should totally check it out…just don’t forget the snacks.