So, you landed a “green horn” — a new, inexperienced tech. Congratulations! With today’s employment environment, count yourself lucky that the individual showed up and made it through your interview, drug testing and the rest of your hiring process. That’s great! But now, what are you going to do with him or her? Hopefully you have a plan in place for making this individual not only a great employee but a productive technician while not scaring them away by just putting them in a bay.
During the hiring process you should have gotten a good idea of the employee’s experience and knowledge. Just the same, I’d recommend that you double check it for your own safety and liabilities. Many individuals will tell you what you want to hear so that they can get their foot in the door. Another reason to recheck the capabilities of your new employee is to put together a training program for them. With this knowledge you can start from the point that they can most benefit from. In other words, if the individual shows some good basic knowledge and skill, you do not necessarily have to spend time on these things; instead, you can move forward to what they need to know.
My recommendation is to have the new tech shadow you or one of your seasoned techs for maybe a week at first. What I mean by shadowing is that the new employee is only to watch and pay attention to the tech they have been placed with. During this time the newbie is not permitted to do anything except watch and ask questions.
I know that some of you may question this method, especially since it will be costing you money, because the new tech isn’t bringing any cash in. You may ask, “What are they actually learning by shadowing?”
During this time the newbie will learn how your shop flow works along with your other procedures that are in place to get the vehicles in and out efficiently. Watching how the leading tech goes about their day, the new tech will learn the best ways of doing things instead of having to muddle through and figure it out on their own, which may cost you money in vehicle damage and inefficiency.
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The other advantage of shadowing and being told only to watch the lead tech is that you will see how well the individual follows directions and is motivated. Does the new person start ignoring the “just watch” rule? Do they hang close and ask questions? Do they look interested or are they mentally somewhere else?
If you find that they do not follow directions well or don’t look interested, you can address these items before you put them in a position where they could possibly cost you money or do real damage. Realize that for a young person, just watching can be a challenge and can indicate whether they will follow shop rules and best practices later.
When the individual proves themselves through shadowing, then put them to work doing oil changes. The lead tech should have them start pulling vehicles into the bay and putting them safely up on the lift while they watch and check each step. Set up a process like what follows. Make the newbie do every step each time:
- Open the hood. Remove the oil cap and pull the dipstick partially out so it swings in the air to remind the tech that there is no oil in the vehicle when lowered.
- Raise the vehicle partially up and check tire condition and pressure, adjusting it as necessary.
- With the vehicle completely in the air, show where the oil drain goes when not in use, how to position it for minimum spillage and shifting it as the flow decreases.
- Remove the old oil filter and not only look for but feel the filter base to be sure that the filter gasket has not been left behind.
- Lubricate the new filter gasket and install by hand. Install and torque the oil pan plug. Clean up any oil that may have gotten on the engine or exhaust, etc. Move the oil drain to its spot. (Drain it if needed.)
- Lower the vehicle, get the proper oil type and amount and pour into the engine. Replace cap and insert dip stick.
- Start and run the engine, peeking underneath the vehicle to check for any leaks.
- Shut off engine, reset the maintenance minder, check and clean up any spilled oil under the hood, pull the dip stick and verify proper oil level.
- Close the hood check that it latched, apply reminder sticker and pull the vehicle out of the bay.
This may seem to be ridiculous, but it does serve a purpose. Again, you will see if the individual follows directions. Do they perform every step consistently? Are they focused? Are they putting together a system that makes these steps flow smoothly? Another advantage is that, if followed properly, you can almost eliminate the mess and destruction that occurs if they double gasket the filter or install the oil pan plug improperly or not at all.
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From this point onward, when the newbie has completed all oil changes or other work they are assigned, the lead tech can start giving them other jobs to complete while at the same time monitoring their work.
Over time the employee will become more adept to performing many services and jobs on a vehicle and will be weaned away from the lead tech working independently with little oversight. But don’t think that the training ends here. It needs to go on.
With technology constantly evolving in vehicles, training must continue to keep up with the changes. Any shop that does not believe this is risking life, limb and their business. No one can afford to learn by poking around in today’s vehicles like you could twenty years ago. Bad things will happen that could really hurt or kill someone.
Yes, training costs money and takes time, but you will find that with proper training your efficiency will improve, and you will have less comebacks. You can also reduce your liability because you know better being less likely to make a fatal mistake.
“Where can I get this training?” might be the next question you have. The answer is most anywhere — all you must do is look! As it has become more evident how important training has become, more training is appearing. Parts companies and stores see the importance of training, so they see providing training as a way to get their products in front of you, hoping if they train you, you might buy their products.
An example of this is Garage Gurus. Garage Gurus has created a “Tech First” initiative sponsored by Federal-Mogul Motorparts. They have shops with classrooms scattered across the country. Going to their website you will find that not only do they have actual classroom courses, they have a mobile unit that can provide training anywhere. Additionally, you will find that they also have on demand training on their website.
The training that is provided by Garage Gurus covers many of the systems that you will see every day from brakes, steering, engine sealing, and more. There is aslo a “quick tips” section where you can you find tips that may help you with a vehicle. They allow technicians to share any tips that they might have to help others.
Look for local organizations that support shops like yours such as The Automotive Service Association (ASA). Many states have their own local ASA groups that sponsor training events across the country. Vision in Kansas City is one of the larger events. Hundreds of techs from across the Midwest travel to the event to take part in the many classes that are offered. The courses are many and varied again covering the automotive systems that you see every day. Also, be aware that connecting with your local ASA also provides other advantages for your shop, so check them out.
Training needs to be a required part of the technician’s job. It is too risky to learn as you work on a vehicle; mistakes can be fatal. Whether they are a newbie or experienced tech, everyone will benefit from training. Shop owners and managers need to stop looking at the costs and time required and understand that training needs to be a part of your shop’s success plan. Fortunately, training is available — all you need to do is look for it and get it done. Make it happen.
