In a recent AutoTechIQ live event, the Promotive team—Amy Gerardi, Joelle Pollak, and Lisa Coyle—shared insights on the intricacies of recruiting automotive technicians with Digital Vehicle Inspection (DVI) experience.

Why is DVI so important? It has become the technical wingman for automotive technicians, revolutionizing the way they communicate with vehicle owners. It’s like having a visual storybook for cars. Instead of drowning in technical details, auto techs can now capture issues with images and videos, making explanations crystal clear for customers. Plus, DVI keeps a digital log of the car’s health journey. Beyond being a cool tool, it’s a modern solution that showcases the shop’s commitment to cutting-edge practices.

Automotive Matchmakers

Promotive is dedicated to aligning our staffing efforts with the individual needs of the business. Our goal is to match our shops with an automotive technician that has the technical experience and culture requirements perfectly suited for them. Given the prevalent use of Digital Vehicle Inspection (DVI) in the industry, an auto tech’s knowledge and proven experience take center stage when vying for an open position.

Let’s take a closer look at a few key areas our recruiters will explore to ensure a great fit:

• Experience and work history are obviously the focus when determining how tech-savvy the candidate is and we also consider how much time they have spent using DVI tools.
• Assessments are optional if requested, but not required. Every shop owner has their preferences and we will accommodate those preferences to the best of our abilities.
• Their aptitude and understanding of diagnosing vehicles.

Amy points out that a tech’s level of knowledge is subjective and it means something different to everyone. This is important to consider when accepting a job requisition and also when vetting candidates. Some automotive technicians do not have formal training. And, many shops have their own apprentice program. We really like to understand how much investment they want to make in the candidate and, in retrospect, how much time does the candidate want to invest in training? It’s really a complex process to find the right fit and this is what makes our services so invaluable. We take all of the legwork out of qualifying and our goal is to present our clients with 1-2 candidates for a final interview.

Evolving with Technology

While DVI is a time-saving tool that is widely used, many shops have not yet fully embraced technology. Amy explains that Promotive does educate shops on the industry trends and tools that are important to automotive technicians; this is to help the business grow and attract the best talent.

When a shop uses cutting-edge technology, it’s a value-add for technicians but each shop has their own process. Some will do an inspection on every single car that comes in, some will not. Auto techs want to be busy and they want to be efficient so it’s important to understand both sides well and find the right fit. Working in a “busy” shop is also subjective. If the ARO is higher, the actual car count may be less important.

A Unique Approach to Recruiting

We call it a “360 approach” to recruiting, explains Joelle. Using a robust database of a few hundred thousand people, or “passive” candidates, we will reach out to see if there is a good fit. This allows us to hone in on keywords that are specific to the shop, such as specializations, certifications, etc.

Additionally, Promotive embraces a “speed to lead” philosophy, meaning our recruiters are responding to candidates immediately. We use job boards, we work with schools, we turn over every rock so that the shop receives every advantage to finding the best talent. Automotive professionals are not always the best at writing resumes. We try to talk to as many candidates as possible knowing that their resumes may not be optimized for tools like DVI even though they have that experience.

In summary, the art of recruiting technicians with DVI experience involves a multi-layered understanding of both the shop’s requirements and the candidate’s expertise. Promotive takes a strategic approach to matchmaking, aligning skilled automotive technicians with progressive repair shops.

About Promotive

At Promotive, we firmly believe that people should love their jobs and businesses should trust their staff. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to connect talented automotive staff with shops to create mutually beneficial relationships. With over 40 years of automotive aftermarket and recruiting experience, we know the industry like you know your way under the hood. Whether you’re hiring, actively applying, or just looking, Promotive can help.

About AutoTechIQ

AutoTechIQ helps car and truck owners identify problems their vehicles are having. Whether for your everyday car or small business truck, we provide proven auto repair work that has solved similar issues thousands of vehicle owners have faced.