Great Employees

May 1, 2016
Nominations are open for the Ratchet+Wrench All-Star Awards

What makes a great employee? At a time when we’re reminded daily that there’s a shortage of qualified auto care workers, it seems an appropriate question to ask.

Stop for a moment to think about it­—what traits and qualifications do you look for when hiring? We actually did a little research on this in a survey of collision shops for our sister publication, FenderBender, last year. That industry, like most of the skilled trades, is also struggling for workers, and I think their sentiments are probably shared with you. When shop owners and managers were asked what traits make a good tech, technical skills won out. But close behind were a passion for the job, trustworthiness and an ability to learn. Anecdotally, we hear often from both collision and mechanical shop operators that they prefer the right attitude over anything, regardless of the position.

Your best employees—the ones you never want to lose—probably embody all of the above. Those are the auto care professionals we hope you’ll nominate this month for a Ratchet+Wrench All-Star Award. In its fourth year, our awards program is designed to give hardworking, talented, inspiring individuals in positions spanning the industry the recognition they deserve. Because we know there are many different characteristics and accomplishments that can make an auto care pro great, our criteria is broad. We’re looking for examples of business achievements, community impact, industry influence—we want you to tell us what makes your employees or peers worth recognizing.

To nominate, go to ratchetandwrenchawards.com, click on the category that best fits your nominee (owner/executive, manager/advisor, administrative support, shop worker, or wild card), fill out the short nomination form and click submit. You have until June 18 to nominate. After that, our editorial team will carefully go through each nomination to select winners, who will be profiled in the September issue.

New this year, qualified winners will also receive a pass to the Ratchet+Wrench Management Conference, where they will be recognized in front of hundreds of industry peers. It’s an opportunity to thank some of the industry’s best on a grand stage.

Jake Weyer, Editor
[email protected]

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