This email came in a couple of days ago from one of our shop owner clients... "I had a very good tech stop by yesterday. He read the ad and stopped in." Most shops are losing great techs because their ads read like a DMV form. Meanwhile, there are great technicians driving past your shop every day, but they never have a good reason to walk through your door. Here's what works: ✓ Write ads that speak human, not corporate ✓ Make it easy to apply ANY way that is convenient for them (text, call, or walk-in) ✓ When someone drops off a resume? Don't let them leave. 💡 Pro move: The moment they hand you that resume, say: "Got 15 minutes? Let's grab a coffee and chat right now." Build rapport immediately. The best techs have options—don't drop the ball and let them get sweet-talked by another shop. Your next A-player might walk in tomorrow (if you invite them). Will you be ready?"

Most shop owners are accidentally sabotaging their own hiring efforts—and they don't even know it. One of the things I like to do when I talk to a shop owner for the first time about hiring is to ask them what they've done in the past that didn't work. I also like to ask what worked for them in the past but that's a topic for another post. I just reviewed 62 of my initial conversations with shop owners over the past 3 months where we discussed their failed technician searches, and here's what shocked me: Every. Single. One. Failed because of outdated beliefs about hiring—not because of a "technician shortage." The brutal truth? The shops struggling to hire are playing by 1995 rules in a 2025 market. Here are the 5 hiring myths that are costing you time, money, and great technicians: Myth #1: "Good fit = one perfect interview" Reality: Top techs often test poorly in interviews but excel on the floor. Skills testing reveals truth that interviews hide. Have you ever hired someone who could talk a good game but when you got them in the shop their hands didn't fit the wrenches? Myth #2: "I need an exact clone of me" Reality: Your next A-player probably works differently than you. Complementary skills > carbon copies. Myth #3: "More applicants = better hiring" Reality: Quality beats quantity. One strategic hire beats 50 mediocre ones. Focus on what you say in your ads to attract the right candidates. It's important to 'prime the pump' with a solid flow of applications coming in but after that, it's all about narrowing down your candidates to the solid performers who are a good skill and culture fit. Myth #4: "I'll wait for the perfect tech I don't have to train" Reality: Hire for attitude, train for skill. You can't train ambition, attitude or aptitude. I get it, sometimes you just need someone who can come in, hit the ground running and produce. Just remember, while you're waiting for unicorns, your competition is stealing all of the coachable techs. Myth #5: "Job boards are enough" Reality: The best techs aren't actively looking. Selective, targeted recruiting that markets your shop outside of the job boards beats passive posting every time.