Saeli: Train to Attract: Why Your Shop’s Training Program is Your Secret Recruiting Weapon

Every general repair shop owner knows the hiring struggle. Whether you're looking for a solid diagnostic tech, a dependable B-level tech, or a sharp service advisor, finding the right person can feel like pulling teeth. And with the skilled labor shortage growing, the pressure is only getting worse.

But here’s a shift in perspective: Training isn’t just for after you hire—it’s how you attract the right people to begin with.

In fact, some of the most successful auto repair shops use training as a recruiting strategy, not just an operational tool. If you can show prospects that your shop is a place where they’ll learn, grow, and build a real career—not just turn wrenches—you’ll rise above the crowd fast.

Let’s look at how to turn your training efforts into your most powerful recruiting asset.

Most Techs Want More Than a Job—They Want a Future

There are still plenty of technicians out there who are hungry to grow, but they’re not going to jump for a dollar or two more per hour. They want to know:

“Will I get better at what I do?”
“Can I learn diagnostics here?”
“Will this shop help me stay current with changing car tech?”

If your shop doesn’t offer that, or doesn’t communicate that clearly, you’re off their radar.

So, if you already offer ASE reimbursement, access to webinars, in-house coaching, or mentorship, say so. Put it on your website. Add it to your job ads. Talk about it in interviews. That’s the kind of thing that gets real attention.

Training Shows That Your Shop Has Direction

When you talk about training during the hiring process, it sends a clear message: we have a plan.

That’s a big deal to experienced techs who are tired of working for shops that “wing it,” or younger employees who need some structure. It shows:

You don’t just hire people and hope for the best.
You’re committed to quality, consistency, and professionalism.
You’re thinking long-term, not just filling a spot today.

That builds trust right out of the gate. And trust is what makes good people say “yes” to your offer over someone else’s.

Hiring for Potential Gets Easier When You Have a Training Path

Let’s face it: everyone’s chasing that golden A-tech with diagnostic experience and no bad habits. Problem is, there aren’t enough of them—and they know it.

If that’s all you’re aiming for, you’re fishing in a pretty small pond.

But if you’ve built a system for growing your own talent, whether that’s online learning platforms, peer mentoring, or monthly in-house training, you can confidently hire based on potential instead of just experience.

A motivated quick-lube tech? Trainable. A recent trade school grad? Trainable. A former diesel tech looking to switch? Definitely trainable.

By broadening who you’re willing to consider, because you can develop them, you open up a much bigger pool of talent.

Put Your Training Commitment in Your Job Ads

Look at your current job postings. Do they say anything about training?

Most ads sound like this: “Busy shop hiring experienced tech. Must have own tools. Flat rate. Benefits offered.”

That might’ve worked 10 years ago, but now it sounds like white noise. Everyone says it. Nobody’s impressed.

Instead, try this: “Join a team that invests in your growth. We provide in-house and paid external training, ASE support, and a mentorship track for ambitious techs.”

That gets noticed. It shows that your shop is about more than just punching the clock. It sets you apart. It communicates you as a modern business that people want to work for.

Follow Through After the Hire

Talking about training is one thing. Delivering it is another.

The worst thing you can do is promise growth and then shove someone into a bay without support or direction. That’s how you lose people fast.

From day one, you should have:

A simple onboarding and training plan based on their level.
Someone assigned to them to help them get comfortable (not just the foreman barking orders).
Milestones they can work toward.
Encouragement to ask questions, without fear of looking dumb

This kind of environment is rare—and that’s why it’s powerful. It makes people want to stay.

Trade Schools and Local Programs Love Shops That Train

Most shop owners say, “We can’t find young people who want to work.” But trade schools are full of them. The challenge is that those students don’t know where to go.

And guess who instructors recommend? Shops they trust.

If you can show that your shop has:

Trained and retained young techs before.
Offered internships, apprenticeships, or mentorships.
Sent employees to continued education.
Actually developed people into real techs … you’ll be their go-to recommendation.

Bonus tip: Build a relationship with a local instructor. Offer to speak in class or bring students in for shop tours. They’ll remember it, and so will the students.

Your Existing Team Helps You Recruit

Your current employees are walking advertisements. If they feel supported, challenged, and proud of where they work, they’ll talk about it. They’ll post about it. They’ll refer people to you.

But the opposite is also true.

If your team feels stagnant, underdeveloped, and overlooked, no one’s sending their friends your way.

Training and development lifts your whole team’s energy. It turns employees into ambassadors. And that’s some of the best recruiting you can ask for.

Build a Reputation as a Training-Focused Shop

Ask yourself: What is your shop known for locally? Is it:

“That place that does a ton of oil changes.”
“That shop with the crazy backlog.”
Or … “That shop that really invests in its people.”

Shops with a training reputation don’t have to work as hard to recruit because good people already want in.

So, if you do something right, show it off!

Post pics of your team at a training event or class.
Celebrate techs who pass ASEs or complete courses.
Talk about employee growth on your website.

The more you build that brand, the easier recruiting gets.

And this has an added benefit of your customers knowing that your business cares about the team—people want to frequent a shop that supports their crew.

Use Training Events to Build Your Talent Pipeline

If you’re hosting or attending a training session, think beyond just your current team. Invite a new tech you’re mentoring. Bring in a student who shadowed for a day. Let a candidate you’re courting sit in.

This does two things:

It gives them a taste of your culture.
It shows you’re serious about development, not just saying it to sound good.

Sometimes that one gesture is what tips a hesitant candidate into becoming your next great hire.

Train to Retain So You Don’t Have to Hire as Often

Here’s the big secret: the more you develop your current people, the less often you need to go out and recruit.

People leave when they feel stuck. When they feel like they’ve hit a ceiling. When they stop learning.

But if you’re offering a path forward—even small steps like monthly goals or new diagnostic skills—they’ll stay. They’ll improve. And your shop will be stronger for it.

Your Front Desk is a Key Element of This Tactic

This approach to training as a recruiting tool applies just as powerfully to service advisors as it does to techs.

Great advisors want to work in shops where they’re supported, coached, and given the tools to succeed, not just thrown on the front counter and expected to perform. When you offer training in customer communication, sales techniques, workflow management, and even technical understanding, you show potential hires that your shop is serious about developing their skills and setting them up for long-term success.

It also attracts advisors who want a career, not just a paycheck—people who care about growth, consistency, and being part of a professional team.