Mike Cioffi: Hiring process plays key role in shaping shop of the future

If you serve business-to-consumer (B2C) customers in any retail establishment, the everyday consumer controls a large part of your destiny.

As an automotive and tire shop manager, you see most of your customers only when they have a problem, which means they already may associate negative feelings with your business.

There are several stigmas at play related to auto services, such as high ticket prices, wasting time in a shop waiting room, sketchy service advisers and inadequate procedures.

Whom you hire makes a difference when it comes to changing your customers' feelings about having maintenance done at your shop. Having the right people in place to provide an experience that aligns with the expectations of today's customers largely will affect your shop's ability to flourish.

As a specialist in industrial recruiting, I can say that the first step toward making good hires is understanding the trends, demands and technology in our field.

With this information, it's easier to decide what kinds of skills to look out for in automotive shop hiring.

In the tire and automotive industries, we mirror prominent trends across all markets in the U.S. economy retail sector. Brand loyalty continues to diminish, and the best way to earn a customer is to provide value, speed and convenience.

Traditional service businesses such as tire and auto shops that want to be competitive need to have an online presence so customers can take advantage of promotions, order and receive service, buy parts and more, while on the go.

Investing in technology and training for employees to handle back-end order processing applications, social media and other related tools is a must.

Here is where the question arises: In a shop environment, what kind of employee can meet the customers' needs and work through all of the technology you now have in place?

Hard and soft skills are equally important.

Most automotive shop's hiring consists of customer-facing employees. These are your crucial front-line team members who should embody your brand's positive image.

Whether you are hiring sales counter personnel, service advisers, inside sales reps or mechanics, you should look for six key attributes:

1. Adaptability
2. Teachability
3. Computer Skills
4. Technical Skills
5. Communication
6. The Golden Rule

Let's get into specifics on each of these.

In most businesses today, employees are faced with having to learn and regularly manage their tasks using multiple computer applications.

These applications often are updated or, in some cases, become obsolete and need to be replaced with new ones. Because of this, workers frequently have to learn how to do things a new way, which can be disruptive to the flow of productivity.

Your employees' ability to adapt to change, whether it's related to technology or other aspects of operations, can make or break your workflow.

For this reason, I believe that adaptability is the No. 1 quality any automotive leader should look for when hiring shop employees.

If you are looking for someone who will help your shop to flourish, you should look for a person who enjoys learning. In the automotive and tire business, the variations of new developments and products are never-ending.

If your employee naturally likes to learn about new things, you and your customers will benefit from his or her ability to stay informed on product, process and industrial enhancements as a whole.

Depending on the position you're filling, you may need a higher or lower level of technical expertise.

For mechanics or installers, you may want to conduct an on-the-spot "show me" test during interviews. You can have your interviewee take on a few simple tasks or exercises by demonstrating on training equipment.

These tests will allow you to observe the prospective employee's actual skill level and demeanor while troubleshooting. If you're hiring employees with little work history in the field, you can ask them about related personal experiences.

Did they grow up helping a relative work on a project car every weekend, or are they self-proclaimed gearheads? These are just examples, but verifiable experience or interest in cars, trucks, and vehicles will be of benefit to you.

Do they have a friendly speaking tone and demeanor? Do they speak up in a positive way if they don't agree with something that's being done? Do they listen to ideas put forth by others?

I'm not saying they need to be an expert in public speaking or negotiation, but you want to see that your prospective employee has the interpersonal skills to get along with your customers and the shop team.

As mentioned earlier, your shop employees will need to use the tools you have in place for online and mobile applications.

Luckily, computers are a daily part of life now, and many computer-based business tools are user-friendly. They can be learned quickly by someone who uses computers in their personal life, even for things like gaming, interacting on social platforms, online banking, e.g.

Be flexible, because if you want to hire only people who have worked in the specific systems you use, your pool of available talent will be a lot smaller, and that can drag out your time to fill an empty position significantly.

In an environment where safety comes first (even before technology), you want to hire employees that are considerate of others.

Indifference for others puts everyone at your shop, and your customers, at risk. Hire employees who care about their well-being and that of others. This way, your shop will earn the reputation of being both careful and honest.

In our industry, staffing a shop with great employees is one of the most challenging things a retail manager dreams of achieving. Sometimes it's hard enough to find one good employee, let alone stack a full team of superstars.

To avoid being understaffed, it's vital to leverage your relationships with existing employees and other people in your network.

Ask them to suggest people they know. You can even implement an employee referral program as an incentive, but you'll often find that if you ask, people are simply happy to help each other out.

Another key to automotive shop hiring is to network with fellow service center owners or managers in our industry.

They may have an overflow of resumes or have that one candidate they'd love to hire but can't because they're already at capacity.

How have you been able to find employees who have done well in advanced automotive and tire service facilities? I'd love to hear from you: What's worked, and what hasn't.

Let's get the conversation started.

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Mike Cioffi is founder of TireTalent.com, a boutique recruiting agency whose mission is to align top talent with top tire companies.