Faced with the prospect of a growing labor shortage, auto shop owners are hard-pressed to find new ways to hire new, qualified technicians and keep the ones they have. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some 46,000 automotive service technicians and mechanics will be needed to fill roles through 2026. This means that the limited pool of professionals available will have many employment options. For shop owners, attracting and keeping them engaged will be challenging.
The Automotive Training Institute (ATI), a national coaching and consulting company for shop owners, is proactively helping its members address this concerning trend. The company has partnered with E3 Solutions, a provider of employee engagement testing and training, to measure engagement in ATI’s member shops and then provide the tools and training to drive increased tenure and improved culture.
“We’re excited to partner with ATI to extend E3’s services and benefits to shop owners. This combined training model, which includes using E3’s survey tool for shop assessments and science-based strategies for increasing engagement, is sure to improve hiring and retention results for shop owners,” said E3 CEO Don Rheem.
The benefits of employee engagement go far beyond hiring and retention, according to ATI. Organizations that have the most engaged employees realize substantially better customer satisfaction, higher productivity, better retention, fewer accidents and 21% higher profitability – according to Gallup.
Richard Menneg, president of ATI, commented, “At ATI, we’re always finding new ways to improve member performance and long-term success. Recognizing the troubling workforce forecast, and our members’ hiring and retention challenges, we knew we needed to offer an effective long-term solution. Partnering with E3 will be that solution.”
