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It’s the twenty-first century! Does your shop’s website have a career page?
No?
Why not?
Tired of the third degree? Okay, we’ll stop.
Seriously, though, a career page is a pretty much a must for the diesel repair world these days. We can bemoan the tech shortage all day, everyday, but that’s why it’s so important to have a spot on your site where would-be techs can a) see what jobs you have on offer, and be) apply for said jobs.
To learn more about why you should have a career page on your shop’s website, we sat down with Dieselmatic’s Operations Manager, Patti Moore.
SO…WHY DO YOU NEED A CAREER PAGE?
Alas, we as an industry have not yet emerged from the tech shortage. And unless things start changing really fast, that shortage is going to go on for a while.
The scarcity of techs means the techs that are out there can pick and choose what shops they work at. Which means your shop needs to appeal to the people you want to hire. That’s where your career page comes in. Patti puts it this way: “We [at Dieselmatic] see that career pages aren’t just a list of jobs; they also represent part of the culture of the shop.”
Yes, culture has become kind of a buzzword for every industry—but look, your shop can get a lot of value from a good culture. “So many employees are looking for a work environment that does more than just pays well,” Patti says. “They feel good about what they’re doing and what they’re contributing. There’s opportunities to advance, and they’re working with a group of people they enjoy working with.”
Wait a sec, Dieselmatic, you might be saying, how are we supposed to shove all that into a career page?
It can be done!
WHAT DO YOU NEED ON YOUR CAREER PAGE?
For starters, you need pictures. Good pictures. You want shots of your shop, of the kind of vehicles you work on, and—if you work with Dieselmatic—a group photo of your entire staff to provide a strong visual indication of your shop’s culture.
You’ll also need actual job postings. Your page itself can have a list of each job you have available and a basic description of each, along with links to each job’s landing page.
Patti recommends each landing page include the following:
- A clear title: “Senior Technician” is a yes, “Rockstar Wrench Rogue” is a no.
- The position itself: Include 2-3 sentences about the job.
- A little bit about your business: Tell applicants your story! They want to know where you started from, where it is now, where you’re looking to go, and how the position in question fits into that.
- Clear expectations of the role: Make sure any applicant knows what responsibilities they’ll have and what’s expected of them. You should also lay out what a candidate needs to bring to the table (such as certain certifications or years of experience).
- Other perks of the company: Do your techs enjoy a great work-life balance? Do you offer PTO, health insurance, childcare, flexible hours, paid training, or other benefits?
- Salary expectation: Whether it’s an hourly or annual salary, you need to be clear about the wage range for the position. This is really important. “In this market, if there’s not a wage range listed, they won’t even bother applying,” Patti warns.
Last but not least, you need to include an easy way to apply.
Don’t make candidates open their emails and copy and paste addresses into fields. Include a big, shiny APPLY NOW button that opens the applicant’s email and allows them to compose an introductory note (how long or short is up to them!) and upload their resume. They hit send, and BAM. Straight to the shop owner’s inbox.
It’s direct. It’s fast. It builds a pipeline for you.
Actually, let’s talk about that.
BUT WHAT IF I’M NOT HIRING RIGHT NOW?
Yes, we believe you should always have a technician pipeline open. Some shop owners aren’t too thrilled with the idea: “I’m not hiring right now,” they say, “why should I keep job ads up?”
Everything might be fine now, but most independent shops feel a pinch whenever a tech leaves. That’s more work for everyone until a replacement gets hired. Building a pipeline insulates you somewhat from being left high and dry if someone gives notice or retires or is abducted by aliens to help them win an intergalactic civil war.
Also, Patti adds, “If you’re marketing with Dieselmatic, we’re gonna get you busy…so you may need to hire again.”
If keeping ads open really grinds your gears, though, you can add messaging along the top of the page (or along each posting) that indicates you’re not hiring at this time…but inviting applicants to send in their resumes. Yes, shop owners are busy, but looking over resumes and calling promising candidates for a quick conversation can go a long way. Say hello to them. Be honest: “We don’t have anything right now, but I wanted to talk to you, and we’ll keep you in mind if anything comes up.”
“That kind of positive touchpoint can have a big impact on an applicant,” Patti says.
HOW CAN A CAREER PAGE HELP YOUR BRAND (NOT JUST YOUR HIRING)
So, yeah, your career page is mainly for people who are looking for jobs. But even people looking to partner with you (say a fleet manager, or the operator of a heavy-duty truck) will see your career page and get a sense of your shop.
“They’ll see what you offer your team—and figure you’ll offer it to your clients as well,” Patti tells us. “It gives a fuller picture to everyone who lands on your page. And the sense is, if you care about your team, you’ll care about your customer.”
Newsflash: Customers do want to be cared about. Story at 10.
HOW DOES DM MAKE IT SUPER EASY FOR YOU?
Well, think about all the stuff that goes into building a career page. You’ll need a web developer (or summon up some webdev skills of your own). Your writer (or you) will need to research how to write a good job description.
Patti has some tips for you on that front: Don’t just throw together a document of what you want in a role. Look around and see what other shops put in their job descriptions. “How can you take that and elevate it so you stand out?”
Sure, you can do it, but it will take time, and you’ve got enough on your plate. Good luck!
We’re kidding. We definitely suggest you hire us to do all that work for you. We’ve got many, many years of experience in writing job ads for commercial diesel repair shops—and in building the kind of page that makes people want to apply.
We’d be happy to put that expertise to work for you.
Hit us up for a conversation—and get ready to be wowed.
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