Hiring Mechanics is tough, there are not enough technicians out there and you never want to settle. You need a Rockstar Recruiter to find you a Rockstar Mechanic. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about what a recruiter actually does and how they can help. A Good Recruiter does way more than post job ads and pray they get lucky, we go way beyond the job board and can help you in several areas.
Here are 7 things that often go overlooked that a good Head Hunter can do to help you staff your mechanic shop.
- Confidential Recruiting
- Searching Out of State/Province/Country
- Finding Candidates That Are Not Actively Looking
- Recruiting Tips/Advice
- Trends and Compensation Data For Your Industry
- Negotiation
- Proactive Recruiting
1. Confidential Recruiting
Sometimes you do not want people to know that you are hiring. Maybe you don’t want your competition to know, perhaps you are looking to replace someone in your shop and you don’t want them to know. Using a good recruiter can keep your search confidential. Just make sure you tell us ahead of time that the search is supposed to be confidential so we can work appropriately.
We get a lot of calls from companies that are looking to bring in a new Service Manager or replace an underperforming Mechanic or Parts Person. It is really hard to let the person go without having their replacement lined up. We can work behind the scenes so that you do not have to make the change until you have the new person ready to go. This will lead to a seamless transition.
2. Out of State/Province or even Out Of Country Candidates
Have you already done in-depth searches in your local market and still can’t find the right candidate? Often times, especially with rural areas you already know everyone locally, you need to bring in someone from out of town. It can be very difficult to attract these people as your job ad is going to list your city and people from out of State are rarely searching for that. A recruiter can utilize their nation-wide network to find you technicians that are open to relocating.
When hiring someone that requires a full relocation make sure they have a good reason for making the move, relocating for a work can be a big decision and one that needs to be well thought out.
3. Finding Candidates That Are Not Actively Looking
Finding passive candidates is why you hire a recruiter. These are the candidates that are currently working and not actively looking for a new job. Often they do not consider applying for a new job until a recruiter calls them and pitches a role that is a better fit for them. These candidates need to be hunted, you can sponsor a job ad all you want but only about half of the available workforce is actively looking for work, the other half will never see your ad as they are not regularly on job boards.
4. Recruiting Tips/Advice
The interview is so important, most candidates you interview will also be interviewing elsewhere. You want to make sure the candidate feels welcome, valued and is meeting with people who know what they are doing. This starts by asking the right questions (for Mechanic specific interview questions click here.)
Also, knowing a candidates motivations will help you tailor the interview. A good recruiter should be able to tell you why a mechanic is looking to make a change, this may be better hours, room for advancement, better shop environment etc. Whatever it is, make sure you address that in an interview and highlight how your shop could be a better fit for them.
5. Trends and Compensation Data For Your Industry
The biggest factor for most mechanics when looking at a new job is base pay. Find out how your shop compares to the competition. A good recruiter should be able to give you compensation details for you area to make sure you are in the right ballpark.
They can also fill you in on what other companies are doing to stick out as well as what Mechanics are asking for. What people want out of a job is changing, make sure you stay up to date with the trends.
6. Negotiation
Long gone are the days where the employer is in control. You can’t just give a boilerplate offer and hope for the best. The prospective employee is often in the driver’s seat as they have multiple offers. A good recruiter can help you negotiate with the mechanic or negotiate on your behalf. They can fill you in on what else they have on the table and how your offer compares. For more info on avoiding rejected offers, click here.
7. Pro-Active Recruiting
When is the best time to start recruiting? Always! You should always be on the look out especially as good techs are always in high demand. A good recruiter can be out there keeping an eye open for techs as they come available. We can let you know when good ones come available. You do not necessarily have to hire everyone that comes up but at least you will know about them and can decide from there.
A recruiter’s bread and butter is working job orders, you give us the details and we find you candidates but we can do so much more. Your HR department is overworked already and doing anything beyond posting a job ad can be extremely time consuming, that is where a recruiter can help. If you would like to start hiring Rockstar Mechanics, (our specialty is Diesel Technicians, Heavy Equipment Mechanics and Automotive Service Technicians) give us a call at 1-833-937-3546 or e-mail info@rockstarrecruiting.ca.
