Everyone in the industry knows “the tool guys” talk to technicians about where they work and how they are treated. Word of mouth does not just bring in customers. It also attracts, or repels, top technicians. Roy Keiser has used that reality to his advantage.
Roy is a partner at Honest Accurate Auto Service in East Colorado Springs. In episode 85 of Maximum Octane, he and Kim Hickey talk about how he got into the industry, how to build a dream team of techs, how reputation creates a competitive bench, the importance of clear expectations, and what to look for when hiring a technician.
What You Will Learn
- About how Roy got into the automotive industry
- How to build a dream team of techs
- Use your reputation to create a highly competitive bench
- The importance of setting clear expectations
- What should you look for in a technician
How Roy Got Into the Industry
Roy opens with his journey into the automotive industry and what drew him to build a shop focused on integrity and a family-friendly experience.
Many shop owners come into the industry through personal passion, family connections, or a desire to provide better service than they experienced. Those origins often shape the culture they build. Roy’s focus on honesty and family-friendly service reflects a clear set of values that guides how his shop operates and whom it hires.
Building a Dream Team of Techs
Around the 5 minute mark, Roy discusses how to build a dream team of technicians. It starts with culture. Technicians want to work where they are respected, where the work is organized, where they can grow, and where their teammates are skilled and accountable. When those elements are in place, good technicians stay and refer others.
ATI’s Strategies to Hire and Train High-Performance Teams and How to Hire the Right Technician for Your Shop are helpful companions.
Dream teams are built over time. They start with hiring people who share the shop’s values, then invest in training, fair pay, and a respectful environment. As the team grows stronger, it attracts other strong candidates who want to work with skilled, positive coworkers. That cycle makes it easier to maintain a high-quality team.
Using Reputation to Build a Bench
Roy explains how reputation helps create a highly competitive bench of future hires. When technicians in your area hear good things about your shop, they reach out when they are ready for a change. That gives you a pipeline of candidates before you even post a job. Geoff Berman covers bench building in detail in Build an All-Star Bench for Your Auto Repair Shop.
Ways to strengthen your reputation as an employer:
- Treat every employee, including those who leave, with respect.
- Share your culture on social media and your website.
- Build good relationships with tool vendors and parts reps who visit many shops.
- Invest visibly in training and equipment.
Reputation spreads through many channels. Technicians talk to each other at training events, online forums, and social gatherings. Tool vendors and parts suppliers visit many shops and often know which ones treat employees well. Former employees share their experiences. Every interaction contributes to the shop’s reputation as an employer, which makes treating people well a strategic advantage.
Set Clear Expectations
Around the 11 minute mark, Roy discusses the importance of setting clear expectations. Technicians perform best when they know exactly what is expected, how success is measured, and how they will be supported. Clear expectations also make accountability fair, which is part of what makes Roy’s team strong.
Clear expectations should be communicated from the first interview and reinforced throughout employment. They include job responsibilities, quality standards, attendance, communication, and how performance is measured. When expectations are clear and consistently applied, employees know what success looks like and can hold themselves accountable.
Writing expectations down is what makes them stick. A one-page role description for each technician level, covering quality standards, comebacks, cleanliness, communication with advisors, and attendance, gives everyone the same reference point. It also removes guesswork from performance conversations, because the discussion becomes “here is what we agreed on” rather than a matter of opinion. One common mistake is setting expectations only at hiring and never revisiting them. As technicians grow, their responsibilities and goals should be updated so they can see a path forward. Regular, brief check-ins keep expectations current and make it easier to address small issues before they turn into frustration on either side.
What to Look for in a Technician
Roy closes with what to look for when hiring. He emphasizes personality traits over technical skills. Attitude, integrity, willingness to learn, and teamwork are hard to teach. Technical skills can be developed with training and mentorship. Hiring for character builds a team that fits your culture.
ATI’s From the Right Person to the Right Fit explores the same idea.
Behavioral interview questions can reveal personality traits. Asking candidates how they handled a difficult customer, a mistake, or a conflict with a coworker provides insight into their attitude and values. Reference checks with previous employers can confirm these impressions.
A structured interview helps owners evaluate character consistently from one candidate to the next. Asking every applicant the same set of questions, then comparing answers, keeps the decision grounded in evidence rather than a gut feeling about who seemed likable. ATI’s guide to successful hiring interview questions offers a useful starting list. Many shops also add a short shop tour or working interview so the candidate can meet the team and the team can weigh in. When current technicians help evaluate a newcomer, they become invested in that person’s success, which supports the peer accountability Roy’s shop is known for.
Accountability Among Peers
Roy’s shop is known for technicians who hold each other accountable. Peer accountability develops when team members share standards and care about the shop’s reputation. It often reflects a culture where quality is a shared value rather than something enforced only by management.
Leaders can encourage peer accountability by involving technicians in setting standards, sharing quality metrics openly, and recognizing teamwork. When technicians feel ownership over the shop’s reputation, they naturally support and challenge one another to do excellent work. That kind of culture is a powerful recruiting tool, because skilled technicians want to work with others who take pride in their craft.
Common Mistakes When Building a Technician Bench
The most common mistake is waiting until someone quits to start recruiting. By then the shop is under pressure, the remaining team is stretched, and owners are tempted to hire the first available candidate. Building a bench means staying in touch with promising technicians year round, keeping a list of people who have expressed interest, and maintaining relationships with local schools and training programs so the pipeline never runs dry.
Another mistake is tolerating a talented technician who undermines the culture. Skilled people with poor attitudes can drive good teammates away and damage the shop’s reputation in the local technician community. Owners also sometimes underestimate how quickly word travels after a rough exit. How a shop handles a resignation or termination, including final pay, references, and tone, shapes what that person tells others. Finally, many shops talk about culture but never show it. Photos of training days, team celebrations, and new equipment on the shop’s website and social media give prospective technicians a real look at what it is like to work there.
Questions About Your Employer Reputation
- What would technicians in your area say about working at your shop?
- How many unsolicited inquiries from technicians do you get each year?
- Are your expectations written down and shared with every employee?
- Do your interviews focus on character as much as skill?
For more on employer branding, listen to Your Brand Is Costing You Talent. Don Rheem explains what truly engages employees in How to Turn Satisfied Employees Into Engaged Internal Customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I attract good auto technicians to my shop?
Good technicians are drawn to shops with a strong reputation as employers. That reputation comes from fair pay, organized workflow, investment in training and equipment, respectful leadership, and skilled coworkers. Technicians talk to each other, to tool vendors, and to parts reps, so how you treat your current team becomes your recruiting message. Show your culture publicly on your website and social media, stay connected with local training programs, and keep in touch with promising candidates even when you are not hiring.
Should I hire technicians for attitude or skill?
Many successful owners prioritize attitude, integrity, and willingness to learn, because those traits are hard to teach while technical skills can be developed through training and mentorship. That does not mean skill is irrelevant. A shop needs enough experience on the team to handle its work and to mentor newer people. The practical approach is to set a minimum skill level for the role, then choose among qualified candidates based on character and fit with your team’s values.
What is a technician bench and why does it matter?
A bench is a group of potential hires a shop has already identified before it needs them. It might include technicians who have reached out about working there, students in local programs, or people referred by current employees. Having a bench means that when someone leaves or the shop grows, the owner is not starting from scratch under pressure. It shortens the time a bay sits empty and reduces the temptation to make a rushed hiring decision.
How can I build peer accountability among my technicians?
Peer accountability grows when technicians share clear standards and feel ownership of the shop’s reputation. Involve them in defining quality expectations, share comeback and quality data openly, and recognize teamwork as well as individual production. Hire people who care about doing the job right, and address behavior that undermines the team promptly. When leaders model accountability themselves, by admitting mistakes and following through on commitments, technicians are more likely to hold themselves and each other to the same standard.
