Here’s how to not scare off talent

Automotive aftermarket businesses seem to work hard at scaring away the good talent they so desperately need, according to an expert.

In an industry that’s searching high and low for staff, it’s time to change your approach, advised Linda Brenner, managing director and founder of Talent Growth Advisors.

Many people may see a job posting and think it’d be a cool job or that it’s close to home or there’s something else enticing, like it’s a part-time gig they can add to their other job. So they apply.

“And then we literally torture them at every point we can until the only people that are left standing are the best of the worst. So we hire whoever’s available,” Brenner said at NAPA Expo 2022.

There’s an old school idea that hiring managers want the candidate to prove they want the job; that they’re willing to go to any length to get it because it’s some kind of honour to work in this company.

So the candidate is called back for multiple interviews. They’re called back to do a walkthrough or a test.

“But in this marketplace for talent, if those people are good, they have other options right now. They might have a job offer in hand after one interview. They probably do. So the best talent is picked up quickly,” Brenner observed.

“Here’s the reality: If you’re putting people through multiple interviews you are going to get the people that have no other options [and] not much else to do with their time.”

Yes, interviews have to be well done to ensure they’re qualified and will be a good fit. “But having multiple interviews, multiple hoops, multiple steps, it usually has nothing to do with our ability to up our game for the talent we’re looking for.”

That said, if you are going to put people through five interviews, tell them. “But we don’t tell them that — it just goes on and on,” Brenner added. “We take a long time. We’re busy. It’s a terrible cycle. We’re overwhelmed because we have open jobs. So we don’t have time to hire because we can’t it’s just really difficult.”

Brenner also recommends texting to keep in communication with candidates. People are more responsive and likely to pay attention to you if you text them. Phone calls and emails don’t work as well as they used to because they either don’t keep an eye on their email inbox or they don’t have voicemail set up in case of a missed call.

“We can either fight with them or we can just text people,” Brenner said. “So meet them where they’re at.”