Deciphering the secrets to successful job postings
Column by VENESSA DI VITO
Have you been posting your automotive job openings across various HR job posting sites, only to find that there are few to NO applications showing up for the positions you are recruiting for? Does anyone know what has happened to all the applicants?
If this has happened to you, you are certainly not alone. This is not a city, province, or country issue; this is an automotive industry issue that’s been going on for 15+ years now—and a very big issue at that. As the owner of a company that is heavily focused on finding solutions to big problems in our industry just like this one, I’ve spent the last few years doing a tremendous amount of research to determine the issues and challenges that often arise when trying to retain existing employees. During my research, I also found some new and innovative ways to attract, inspire, and encourage new people and new talent to become involved in supporting in our industry.
One of the most obvious opportunities I see is for employers and corporations to do a better job of marketing themselves—to really demonstrate to others why automotive is the best industry to work in, and why their company is the best place to work at. Now, when I say marketing, I am talking about expanding awareness of your brand within the local markets through various opportunities, such as automotive social media, email marketing, websites, blogs, and more.
If you’re an independent facility, marketing your business should be your first priority.
ONE OF THE MOST OBVIOUS OPPORTUNITIES I SEE IS FOR EMPLOYERS AND CORPORATIONS TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MARKETING THEMSELVES—TO REALLY DEMONSTRATE TO OTHERS WHY AUTOMOTIVE IS THE BEST INDUSTRY TO WORK IN, AND WHY THEIR COMPANY IS THE BEST PLACE TO WORK AT.
Marketing Your Company to Potential Employees
After studying more than 200 job postings across various automotive job posting sites, I’ve been able to identify a few common mistakes that are likely resulting in a lot fewer candidate:
• The business doesn’t market itself well.
• The wording of the job posting itself needs work.
• The ad is posted in only one place, i.e. Indeed, and not likely to attract hundreds of 5-star candidates.
As you know, we’re in the middle of an employee crisis in the automotive industry, and just doing the bare minimum is not going to get us out of this. Instead, we need to shift gears and change our approach.
The first trend I noticed as I reviewed these hundreds of job postings was the fact that almost every single collision repair facility would take the exact same approach in how they would market themselves to potential employees, with the first line of the ad usually being something like, “We are looking for ‘X’ to join our incredible team.”
Did you know that this opening line is one of the most important components in selling and marketing? The opening line is what draws a reader in and makes them want to read more, so this statement should be eye- catching, exceptional, and set your ad apart from all the other job postings.
People want to feel valued, appreciated, and to serve a distinct purpose in their jobs. I don’t care which generation you’re a part of—we all want to feel this way, and we all feel better when working in an environment that treats us with care and respect.
Another important factor to be aware of (and it’s one that impacts every single person on this planet, including you), is that we tend to think about ourselves first when making important decisions like “Where is the best place to work?” It always comes down to that famous question, “What’s in it for me?”—so be sure to tell them what’s in it for them! With so many automotive job opportunities available in our industry, you’re going to have to put in the effort to differentiate yourself in this competitive market. What advantages does your company have to offer that a prospective employee will find appealing, and that other facilities might not be able to match?
Here are a few examples of opening lines that would make your job posting more attractive to candidates:
• “If you are looking to make an impact by helping those that have gone through the horrible experience of being in a car accident, you’ve come to the right place! Our superior team fosters a culture of openness and innovation, making this a place where you can learn, grow, and flourish.”
• “Working together to grow together!”
• “Employees here at ABC Collision Repair get to accelerate their passion every day. Our teams are committed to making a difference in the communities we serve, driven by the desire to help and support those that have recently been involved in a collision.”
Here are a few helpful ideas to highlight:
• Air-Conditioned Facility
• Latest and Updated Technology
• Aluminum Certified
• On-Going Training
• Size of Facility
• Type of Equipment in Facility
• On-Site Parking
• Flexible Work Hours
Remember: The goal here is to emphasize to potential employees why ABC Collision Centre would be an amazing place to go to work each day. Simply stating your business is an amazing place to work is not enough!
More than promoting tangible benefits as a prospective employer, it’s vital to convey that you truly care about the people working for you, and that you strive to foster a work environment that invites and inspires individuals to be the best they can be. That is the key!
Social Media and Automotive Jobs
Another opportunity I don’t see many collision repair facilities taking advantage of today is the additional exposure afforded by posting on LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media platforms.
Did you know more than 85 percent of Canadians today are active on social media? The likelihood a potential employee will be active on social media is quite high. Why not give yourself the benefit of that additional exposure and opportunity?
There are many ways you can advertise a new job posting on social media:
• Post the position on a job search website like LinkedIn, or on your company’s Facebook page.
• In addition to your website, post a link to the job description on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms.
• Search out and join any social media groups related to local job opportunities.
• Post a Social Media Job Ad (see example below!) across your social media channels.
If you’re considering posting a job on social media, here is an example you can refer to. Here, we’ve started with a strong opening line, described the position and benefits for the employee, mentioned some of the great perks about the facility, and included a call to action.
Jobs outside of Social Media Marketing
Beyond the world of social media, there are many other sites that you can post on to attract the attention of potential employees: think HR Job Search websites, careers sections of your company’s website and government job banks, for instance.
According to the Government of Canada’s Job Bank, did you know that 73 percent of the workforce currently employed as motor vehicle body repairers (NOC 7322) Ontario actually works within the category of ‘Repair and Maintenance’ and that motor vehicle body repairers only account for 7 percent of the workforce?
This tells us there are a ton of people working in automotive, but more on the service technician and mechanical technician side. These employees could potentially be great candidates for future opportunities and training, as they have the demonstrated understanding, ability, and drive to work on vehicles today.
Putting it all together
Finding skilled employees to power the automotive industry will likely continue to be a struggle for the foreseeable future, but there are significant changes being made in our industry designed to attract, support and encourage new workers to come into our trade. With that being said, it Is also important to emphasize how valuable and important your current employees are to your business’ success. Treat them right! Listen to their needs, give them purpose, allow them flexibility, and express your appreciation daily. If you have a great culture, you will attract those aligned to your culture.
If you’d like help with creating Automotive Social Media job ads, support for posting automotive jobs on your Job Search Websites, or guidance to navigate your HR journey, reach out to us at info@autoplusperformance. com, or check out our website www.autoplusperformance.com. We have plenty of solutions to support the success of collision repair facilities, including yours!
VENESSA DI VITO is the owner and founder of Auto+ Performance, a full-service automotive marketing and solutions company specializing in generating growth in sales, traffic, and customer retention for a collision repair, dealership or auto repair facility within their local communities. For almost 20 years Venessa has been helping automotive businesses across North America with business best practices and will continue to find ways to support and grow this ever evolving, yet incredibly exciting, industry. You can learn more about them at www.autoplusperformance.com or send them an email at info@autoplusperformance.com.
