FEATURE BY JOHN BASSO NEW PATHWAYS TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN The Direct Purchasing Model is the Latest, Greatest Tool to Recruit and Retain Tech Talent T he standard way the automotive service and repair industry recruits and retains qualified automotive technicians simply can't keep pace with demand. According to the National Automotive Dealers Association (NADA), the industry needs to replace approximately 76,000 technicians each year. Unfortunately, only about 39,000 new service technicians graduate from training programs each year - leaving an annual shortfall of about 37,000 trained technicians. In short, the industry must change their recruiting process to halt falling further behind in hiring and retaining technician talent. Automotive service and repair leaders need to completely rethink and reimagine how they hire and retain the talent they need to meet this ever-increasing demand. THINKING LONGER TERM BEYOND THE SIGNING BONUS Many shops and dealerships have responded to the technician shortage by providing increasingly larger signing bonuses upon hiring. This method falls short in building loyalty and truly supporting the technician workforce through their respective careers. Instead of a signing bonus, employers can provide a long-term career development support system, such as with the 36