Recruiting technicians, and the more affordable half of the issue.

Replacing staff is pricier than retaining them

The obvious cost of a departure is advertising and interview time. The bigger costs are those that go unbilled.

A bay underutilised while the role is vacant, the productive time senior staff spend covering, the ramp-up before a new hire is fully effective, and the customers who notice the service change all incur real costs over months.

In contrast, most retention strategies are low-cost. This imbalance highlights the need to examine why staff leave before investing in replacements.

The reasons staff leave are consistently dull.

Pay is important but rarely the sole factor, as a satisfied technician won't typically leave for a minor raise.

• Disorganised scheduling, where the day is unpredictable and overruns are common.
• Being held accountable for time estimates they didn't set and couldn't achieve.
• Waiting for parts, which is unpaid frustration in a performance-based role.
• Worn or missing equipment, causing simple tasks to take longer than necessary.
• Lack of clear progression, especially for skilled technicians in their late twenties.
• Feeling that the front of house makes promises the workshop can't fulfil.

Four of those six issues are operational, not financial, and all four can be resolved without altering anyone's pay.

Fix the day before addressing the offer.

A garage where the schedule is kept, parts arrive before work starts, and estimates are accurate is a far better place to work, and it costs nothing extra to operate that way.

These improvements also boost sold hours, meaning retention and profitability are driven by the same factors rather than competing for the same funds.

This is why hiring technicians and managing the garage effectively are not separate tasks. The reputation that attracts talent is built on the same elements that enhance efficiency.

Where to find candidates

Advertising in a shortage is costly and slow, and effective sources are often nearby.

Current staff know who is unhappy elsewhere, and their recommendations provide insights no interview can. That's why a well-paid referral scheme is often the best recruitment investment a garage can make. Local colleges and apprenticeships take longer but build reputation, and a garage that has trained staff for years is recognised by potential hires.

Competing solely on pay against larger employers rarely succeeds. If pay is your only selling point, you're in a losing auction.

Interview for untrainable traits

Technical skills can be assessed and taught. What determines if someone succeeds often isn't on their certificate.

Diagnostic reasoning, honesty about gaps in knowledge, and the ability to explain faults to non-technical people predict performance better than qualifications. A practical assessment on a real vehicle reveals more in an hour than a three-hour chat.

Being honest about the garage, including its challenges, helps filter out those who would leave within six months.

Deliberately retain the good ones.

Retention is often unintentional, relying on stability rather than action.

The intentional approach is simple: biannual discussions on goals, actual training bookings, and clear communication about progression. If there’s no next step, honesty is better than suggestion.

Workshops that face fewer hiring issues are those with low staff turnover, a slower and cheaper fix than improving recruitment.