Episode Description

In this week’s episode of Beyond the Wrench, Geoff Berman, Performance Coach, Automotive Training Institute, joins us as we discuss attributes to consider when making a new hire, how to become a better leader, and advice on different interview styles.

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Tips for Hiring Technicians

  • Be intentional in hiring to build a strong culture. Shops tend to be reactive in hiring when they should be proactive in finding the right candidate.
  • As a shop owner/manager, think about the type of person you want when making a hire. Don’t hire the first person you interview, hire the person that fits what you’re looking for.
  • When hiring, owners/managers should be looking for heart, head, and hands. Hire someone who loves what they do, wants to grow and learn, and has the desire to be there. If they have those three things, they will be a great hire.
  • Skills are the least important part of a hire, and that’s where hiring managers make a mistake. They start by hiring for skills first.

Becoming a Better Leader

  • Take advantage of personality tests and have employees take them throughout their career.
  • One of the biggest challenges as a shop owner/manager is saying, “I can’t.” I can’t means you’ve made a decision not to do it.
  • As humans, we don’t like to put ourselves in a position to fail. When in reality, we should want to fail because it’s failure that helps us find a solution.
  • Practice makes permanent. The more you do the wrong thing, the harder it’s going to be to undo. You have to practice twice as hard in doing the right things.

Advice on Interview Styles

  • Get Interviewees comfortable during the interview to see their personality and how they could fit into the shop culture.
  • Ask behavioral interview questions. These are questions that get the interviewee thinking. Avoid asking questions that can be answered with one word.
  • As the interviewer, anytime you hear an answer that is yes, no, or a one-word answer, get rid of that question. Ask questions that are going to provide more detail.

Show Notes

Resources:

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About Our Host:

Jay Goninen
Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay
jayg@wrenchway.com | 608.716.2122

About Our Guest:

Geoff Berman
Performance Coach, Automotive Training Institute
gberman@autotraining.net

Sponsor:

Diesel Laptops: Founded in 2015, Diesel Laptops originally set out to help clients with their diagnostic tool needs. Since then they have expanded into a full-service shop efficiency solution company offering diagnostic tools, diesel technician training, repair information, parts lookup tools, and more! If Diesel Laptops would be a solution you would like to add to your shop, check out diesellaptops.com to learn more.

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