Toronto, Ontario — According to a recent survey, shop culture, management and overall team environment have a significant impact on technician career satisfaction and longevity.
The survey—which compiled 2023 data provided by I-CAR, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and made available through Ducker and Carlisle—questioned over 800 respondents from across the United States on their overall satisfaction with the compensation, culture and career opportunities of their position.
The survey also provided a basis for comparison to the automotive repair space from the eyes of diesel and mechanical technicians, which often compete with the collision repair industry for technician talent.
According to the survey, as a whole, collision repair technicians expressed higher satisfaction levels when compared to their dealer service technician counterparts as based on previous data provided by Ducker Carlisle.
However, in this area, the survey also noted that there is area for improvement as over a quarter of collision technicians are unsatisfied and considering leaving their current roles within the next two years, and Collision repair shops typically see 30 to 40 percent employee turnover every year.
The survey further noted that collision repair technicians have a high earning potential throughout their careers but that entry-level technician compensation is an area for improvement.
Shops that pay on a flat-rate system have a significantly lower employee satisfaction rate than shops that use other compensation models. Specifically, more than 60 percent of technicians surveyed said that they’re paid on a flare-rate system and that they would not recommend their career to friends or family as a result.
Similarly, 15 percent of survey respondents said that the shops they work at lack benefits because they are either not offered or because there is a lack of available awareness.
Contrastingly, the survey found that technician satisfaction with career advancement opportunities was around 43 percent and that advancement opportunities strongly correlate with overall technician satisfaction.
When asked about potential future industry improvements, respondents said that the top areas for advanced training were knowledge of special tools and equipment as well as technical training. Likewise, when it comes to new technology, collision techs are generally excited about the opportunity to work on emerging vehicle tech, with more than 50 percent expressing enthusiasm.
“The whitepaper’s groundbreaking results shed light on critical areas that need attention within our industry,” said Dara Goroff, I-CAR planning, and industry talent programming vice president, in a news release. “We’re already starting to provide solutions that address the issues contributing to attrition with the goal of enhancing technician satisfaction to help the industry attract, engage, educate, and retain the top talent that will foster the industry’s sustainability, growth, and success.”
To read the full report, click here.
