Write Job Ads That Excite Techs

April 14, 2023
How Shawn Gilfillan of Magic Lube & Rubber changed the focus of his shop ads to attract better techs.

Sick of bad interviews with candidates who aren’t the right fit for your shop? The problem may not be a lack of talent, but how you’re going about finding new hires.  

While there are some great finds right out of school, the reality is that most of the best candidates are working for your competition. The question is, how can you get them to want to work for you?  

“Most people aren’t looking for a job, they’re dealing with the job that they have,” Shawn Gilfillan, owner of the two-location Magic Lube & Rubber in New Jersey, says.  

Knowing this, Gilfillan knew he needed to find a way to get these candidates out of their comfort zone to look at his shop. How? Reinventing his job postings.   

 Backstory:  

Gilfillan has been in the industry since he left high school and worked for franchise and private shops before deciding he no longer wanted to answer to anyone else. He opened his own shop in 2003 when he was 27 years old.  

“I was sick of people who didn’t value me as a tech,” Gilfillan says.  

Gilfillan recalls a time when he was told to work slower because he was making the rest of the team “look bad.” He knew he did not want to run his shop or his team like this. At Magic Lube & Rubber, everyone gets a chunk of the profit and everyone has access to the financials.  

“I want them all to be mini business owners,” Gilfillan says. “That’s what we want, someone that wants to own their own business and is winning at the game.”  

Gilfillan has created a culture of success at his shop, but it didn’t happen overnight and it definitely didn’t happen by hiring just to fill a position.  

Problem:  

Up until a few years ago, Gilfillan was writing the typical job post—what he was looking for in a tech. He was able to find quality employees but the hiring process wasn’t ideal.  

“The people we called in, it wasn’t always a good fit,” Gilfillan says.  

He realized that if he wanted to improve the hiring process and create the culture he had always dreamed of, he was going to have to change how he was communicating in order to attract his ideal candidates.  

Solution:  

Gilfillan realized he needed to start communicating exactly what he was looking for in a candidate in order to weed through people that just wouldn’t be a good fit. Roughly three years ago, he enlisted the help of Chris Lawson from Technician Find to help overhaul his job postings. With Lawson’s help, Gilfillan realized he needed to make the position he was hiring for—not his shop—the hero of the ad.  

“People want to know what they’re going to get out of it,” Gilfillan says. “Good people are already working so they have to be sold on coming to you. A lot of people we want are at shops and not that happy. When they see an opportunity that seems more fun, they’ll give you a call.”  

What exactly does making the technician or service advisor the hero of the story look like? Instead of a long list of requirements for applying and why your shop is so great, write down exactly the type of person you’re looking for and what they’ll get out of coming to work for you. Gilfillan prides his business on its culture, so he really hypes that up in his ads. He hates the idea of “work” and wants the people that come to his business to apply to really enjoy what they’re doing. In his job postings, Gilfillan lists the benefits that the employee will receive, such as health benefits and a 5-day work week, and photos of the up-to-date equipment that the shop uses.  

Aftermath:  

While switching over to this type of job posting, Gilfillan was opening his second location. These new job ads allowed him to staff that entire location with five people and he found three others to work as his original location. All eight are still with him today.  

Takeaway:  

For those out there that are still doing the same exact type of job posting they’ve always done, Gilfillan wants them to take a step back and ask if it’s really working. Are they getting the type of candidates that they want?  

“If you’ve been doing the same thing over and over and getting results that you’re not happy with, it’s the definition of insanity. If it’s not working for you, you have to try something new.”  

The key, Gilfillan explains, is knowing exactly the type of person you want and clearly communicating that within your job posting and selling them on why they should want to work for you.  

Shawn's Ad

Auto Technician (great pay / family-owned shop / no weekends)

Automotive Technicians: Tired of the BULL?
So are we…
For over 18 years we’ve seen Automotive Technician ads promising everything under the sun. They all say the same things and you don’t know what you're getting yourself into till you go and work in the shop.
And by then, it’s too late.
We do things differently, right from the start.
HERE’S WHAT WE PROMISE OUR TECHS…
✓ GOOD PAY AND BENEFITS – We offer a NO B.S. pay plan that includes GREAT performance-based bonuses so when the shop does better, you do better! Our top techs earn up to $3,000 per week and we have plenty of work! We also offer a health benefits package.
✓ WORK-LIFE BALANCE (GET YOUR LIFE BACK!) – We’re committed to you being happy and your life working. Paid vacations, Paid Holidays and a 5-Day Work Week will help you rest and spend time with your family and hobbies.
✓ WE WILL KEEP YOU BUSY – We're a growing business. We have a growing base of awesome customers that care about their cars and aren’t afraid to keep their vehicles highly maintained. We invest in year-round marketing campaigns and maintain deep roots in the community that keep the work flowing in. This allows us to offer you job security and plenty of work so you can stay busy and kick butt!
✓ YOU WILL LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY – There’s lots of variety in the types of work we run into and you get to share ideas with professional co-workers who are motivated, team players who like to grow. Enjoy new opportunities every day to build and test your diag and troubleshooting skills.
✓ YOU WILL BE APPRECIATED (OPEN DOOR POLICY) – We are an independent, family-owned & operated shop. Everyone is part of the family here and you'll get constant support from the team. Your opinion is respected, you can talk to the boss and you can really make a difference here.
✓ WE WILL HELP YOU BECOME MORE VALUABLE (WE INVEST IN YOU) - We are big on personal growth and continuing education for our team is one of our priorities. The shop sponsors both onsite and offsite training that will make you worth more in the industry and increase your skills.
✓ WE PROVIDE A SAFE AND PRODUCTIVE WORKING ENVIRONMENT  Uniforms are provided. We heavily reinvest in our business with constant upgrades in tools, equipment, and a well-lit facility, allowing us to have the most organized and productive shop in our area. You’ll have a clean, heated, productive facility and everything you need to do your best work.
✓ WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK (NO POLITICS!) – We go out of our way to make sure that our employees are taken care of and everything runs smoothly. We listen, we care and we want your life to work, inside and outside of the shop. We like to communicate and get out in front of issues before they become problems and we all get along on the team.
✓ YOU WILL ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOU STAND  We have a clear process for handing out work, checking on progress, and monitoring performance (no Prima Donna’s or playing favorites). Everything is accessible, transparent and above board.
✓ YOU WILL BE PART OF A TEAM WITH LONGEVITY – Our employees stick around. We have the lowest employee turnover rate in the area because we take care of our family and they stay.
✓ YOU CAN BE A PART OF SOMETHING SPECIAL – We’ve been a pillar in the community for over 18 years and we love our customers! When you win, the shop wins and our customers win. It’s Win, Win, Win. That’s how we do business.
Take a look at our reviews to see what we mean: https://bit.ly/MagicReviews
ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE MAGIC:
Automotive Magic is a full-service auto repair and maintenance facility serving Kenvil area drivers since 2003. Along with providing consistently high quality work, our technicians and staff always treat clients like family and their vehicles like our own.
Automotive Magic is currently looking for an experienced AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN/MECHANIC with a great attitude who takes pride in their work.
We are looking for a solid tech with outstanding diagnostic skills who is willing to grow and when you join our family, you will be appreciated, respected and well-compensated for your knowledge and skills.
If you’re a self-starter who can work independently... who is tired of the Bull.... and you’re ready to check out a new opportunity, give us a call. We look forward to speaking with you.
You can apply here on Indeed.com.
Call (973) 601-5841
Or bring your resume in person to:
Automotive Magic
34 Berkshire Valley Rd.
Kenvil, NJ 07847
#AutoTechnician #AutomotiveMechanic #AutomotiveTechnician #AutoMechanic #Technician #ATech #CarMechanic #MasterTechnician #MasterTech #AutoTech

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