Innovating to Recruit Technicians
We all know and understand how difficult it is to find people to work in our industry. Recent hiring numbers show that available diesel technician positions have grown over 26% from pre-pandemic baselines. However, the bucket of qualified diesel technicians continues to shrink fast from retirements and job changes, while the growth of the industry is rising. This makes the search for new talent for our dealership and leasing operations hard on everyone. The bottom line is that recruiting a qualified diesel technician is extremely difficult right now.
In addition to having a mechanical amplitude, the first skill today’s technicians require is a soft skill: they need to also be a people person with the ability to communicate well. The technician’s role is to solve someone else’s problem, which is difficult to do unless you can communicate with people and understand the problem the customer is having. Today’s truck technology also requires a technician who is willing to problem solve to overcome challenging fixes, as not every problem a truck has will be easily diagnosed. Because of this, those interested in computer technology are now prime candidates for our dealership and leasing shops.
According to Indeed, the diesel technician position is considered one of the most in-demand jobs. In our efforts to fill our current open positions, we have had to look for new ways to search for qualified candidates. We feel one of the best places to recruit technicians starts with the tech schools surrounding each of our locations. Minnesota’s diesel tech schools typically have around 300–350 students per year. However, for those parts of the state that don’t have access to a diesel program at a local technical school, we are forced to get creative in our efforts to find candidates. That includes exploring out-of-state schools like the Universal Technical Institute (UTI) and Wyotech in Laramie, WY. Other recruiting efforts that we have instilled at Rihm include attending career fairs and events, trade shows, truck shows, and high school career days, as well as visiting and advertising through career centers. Recently we have also started working with SkillsUSA, an organization that brings together students, teachers, and industry representatives to develop a skilled workforce by promoting involvement in skilled trades.
We have found that companies throughout the trucking industry are essential in building awareness of the opportunities in our industry, as well as getting the attention of future recruits. An effective way to do this is through the involvement and sponsorship of national competitions and trade schools. At Rihm Family Companies we have been lucky to be able to offer, with the help of Paccar, training platforms, like online Kenworth Essentials courses and other computer software and hardware, to schools with industry-related programs. Not only is it helpful for the industry in general, but we have also found that donating equipment gives us the edge in hiring by providing students exposure to Rihm as a premium dealer and leasing group as a potential place to work before they ever step foot in one of our facilities.
