MY STORY BY ROBBY VILLANUEBA MY FIXED OPS JOURNEY A fter 34 years working in Fixed Operations I decided to switch gears and accepted the position of Vice President of a company that does staffing and recruiting in the automotive industry. In Fixed Ops, my responsibilities included managing technicians, advisors, driving efficiency, hitting sales targets, and delivering an exceptional customer experience. I thrived on the fast pace and the variety inherent in fixed ops. No two days were ever the same! One aspect of my job that I especially enjoyed was mentoring for up and coming employees. I took pride in recognizing raw talent and potential in our younger technicians and advisors. I enjoyed coaching them on best practices and giving them room to grow into the dealership's top performers. DISCOVERING MY PASSION Seeing people develop their skill sets and advance their careers was incredibly rewarding. I soon realized that helping match individuals to the right positions was a true passion of mine. Although fixed ops was in 56 Expanding Fixed Ops to Include Finding Top Talent my heart, I was ready to parlay my talent for identifying and cultivating talent. THE AUTO INDUSTRY IN NEED Technician retention is currently affecting a large majority of dealerships nationwide due to retirement, unfortunate management choices, or competing dealers (local and out of state) offering thousands of dollars in signing and relocation bonus money. These factors