The collision repair industry is struggling to attract enough new technicians, but it’s also having trouble holding on to the ones who do give it a try.
The Collision Vision podcast, driven by Autobody News and hosted by Cole Strandberg, recently spoke to three leaders on the subject of attracting, onboarding and retaining top talent in the industry: Kristle Bollans, national sales director at CSN Collision, Olivia Peterson, instructor trainee with I-CAR, and Kayla Williams Clark, senior vice president of business development with Classic Collision.
The discussion explored what shops can do to create a more welcoming and supportive work environment, modernize hiring and training practices, and move away from outdated mentalities that discourage new collision repair technicians. It also looked at how to make the industry a great place to work for women specifically.
Attracting New Talent to Collision Repair
Clark said she has visited several high school auto body programs across the U.S., and usually, only one or two students know for sure they want to work in the industry after graduation. The rest are in the classes to fulfill a credit requirement.
Getting students involved in those programs at a younger age could help get more intrigued enough to consider making it a career, Clark said.
“The second thing is the parents,” Clark added. “I think a lot of parents are not adequately informed about what our industry is. They're pushing college and they're pushing what they hear…They just don't have enough knowledge on our industry to support that and push that.”
Bollans said there was a shortage of collision repair technicians before the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was exacerbated by the rise of remote work in other industries.
“Not to say that in the collision industry there aren't positions that would allow for such a thing, but if we're looking at a technician or a painter that's in the body shop, that can be a little tough to compete against,” Bollans said. “I think we have to somehow make it exciting, and create that culture to get employees to stick.”
Peterson said the industry needs to market itself better.
“It still has this connotation of being the dirty, gross, blue collar hard work. And I mean, in some ways it is. Don't get me wrong, I was rarely clean when I went home from being a technician,” she said. “But there's so much more technology in science and art involved in this industry. It's not just fixing busted cars.”
Clark suggested creating more opportunities to show what the industry does, like through job shadowing.
When trying to attract more young employees, shop owners need to understand they have a different mindset when it comes to work, Peterson said.
“They're much more interested in having that work life balance,” she said. “The hustle culture is a thing in the past. We'd rather take time to do a job correctly and be proud of the things that we're doing.”
Bollans said work culture is “huge” in attracting new talent, as is making sure employees feel “connected” to their work.
“I definitely see this, even with my kids, who are 15 and 11,” Bollans said. “Why am I doing the work that I'm doing? And how does that have a greater impact on those around me and the community around me?”
“Two things that came to my mind about this were ownership and belonging -- creating a sense of ownership and pride for whatever your role is in that in the shop,” Clark added. “And then belonging to the bigger picture, the shop, the organization, and cross training people in different roles.”
Strandberg asked if the industry is making it unnecessarily hard for new collision repair technicians with the attitude that “We’re going to put you through the wringer and strongest are going to survive.”
“Absolutely,” Peterson said. “I think that's one of the biggest reasons that people don't stay in the industry, because tough skin shouldn't have to be a job requirement. It really does need to shift away from this, and it needs to be more supportive, because I don't think people realize that it is really just driving this next generation out.”
The younger generation doesn’t have a tolerance for that treatment, Peterson said. “We need to start adapting to the way that this new generation coming in expects a workplace to be, or else they're going to try to find another industry where they're actually respected, and where they can be comfortable in their learning environment and just go in and do their job.”
Clark said the relationships she has built with others in the industry are a large part of why she has stayed in it so long, and there are a couple things organizations can do to help potential or new collision repair technicians create them.
First, she recommended staying in contact with auto body students who show any interest in pursuing a career in a shop.
Second, she said when a shop does hire a new employee, they could be assigned a “buddy” or a mentor in the company to check in with them at certain intervals -- for instance, 30, 60, 90 days and a year into their employment.
“That relationship really cultivates from there on its own, to [be able to] pick up the phone and call people,” Clark said.
Bollans said shops should set very clear expectations for new hires.
“There's a way to be structured or explain what the boundaries or expectations are without having it feel like you're being micromanaged,” she said. “That helps create a very healthy environment when you know exactly what you're supposed to be doing.”
Why New Technicians Leave
Clark said employees leave the industry because they don’t see a clear career path.
“Back to what I said: setting up a buddy, a mentor, to make sure they're achieving what they want to achieve, and they feel comfortable,” she said. “Are they hitting their goals? What are those goals? Are they meeting satisfactory processes of the shop? Sometimes they're not told these things.”
Clark said new collision repair technicians also leave because they don’t feel they’re getting training and other resources needed to keep improving in their role.
“Really supporting that and making sure they have all those resources to continue to elevate themselves in the repairs that they're operating on is super important,” she said.
Peterson said a lot of new technicians either find themselves in a “gray area” where they feel like being an apprentice will never end, or like they are being sent out on their own too soon.
“There is a world of difference between being an apprentice with a guided mentor who's sometimes holding your hand, there to save you when you're struggling, and then when you go on your own and you have to learn how to do everything they were doing on your own, it's a completely different world. I was blindsided when it happened to me,” she said.
That’s why it’s important to set a clear path for advancement, and then regularly check in with the new employee on their progress.
“They're not going to be thrown a frame rail their second month on the job, because they're still just trying to figure out how to be a technician on their own, but they're not going to be doing bumpers for the next four years,” Peterson said.
The other big problem, Peterson said, is a lack of transparency around pay. She said new techs hear they can earn six figures, but aren’t told how long it will take to get to that level. Then, when they aren’t earning that much as quickly as they expected, they may think “I’m not cut out for this,” or even start cutting corners to finish repair jobs faster.
“We need to be a lot more transparent about, yes, you can make six figures in this industry, but you’ve got to be willing to put in the work and it's not going to happen immediately,” she said.
Attracting and Retaining Women in Collision Repair
Bollans said the first step is to let women know they can do this work, they are valued in this work, and they can excel in this work.
“That's coming from the beginning -- high school, middle school,” she said. “This is a path for them as well; this isn't just boys’ work.”
Second, women need to be assured they don’t have to tolerate anything that makes them uncomfortable.
“If we mention that or speak up…we have to think about the repercussions of that, our reputation or what a person might be thinking of us, because we aren't going with the flow or laughing at the jokes,” Bollans said. “That's a tough one -- being able to find your voice.”
Clark said promoting and recognizing talented women in the industry shows collision repair is not just “the boys’ club.”
“That needs to be amplified out there for the public to see,” Clark said.
Peterson said if shops want to be welcoming to women, they need to “be ready for them before they get there” -- making sure there is a women’s restroom or locker room before hiring one, for instance, or offering a women’s cut uniform.
When the shop waits until a woman is hired to add the same accommodations the men have, it can be alienating.
“Sometimes it's interpreted that she's somehow getting special treatment, when the reality is she's just getting the exact thing that the men have, things that she is also entitled to,” Peterson said.
More importantly, “the shop needs to have a welcoming culture established before she even shows up,” Peterson said, “If she feels more alienated by you taking the steps too late, she's not going to stay around.”
Shops also need to hire women for the right reasons, Peterson said.
“Are you hiring her just because you think she's going to look good on your company website? Are you hiring her because you are working towards your diversity efforts, but really, you're just checking a box?” Peterson said. “Or are you genuinely invested in what she has to contribute? Seeing her grow, knowing that she brings different perspectives than people who may have typically been working for you, and do you value that? Do you just want her there because you think having a chick at the back of the shop is going to make your men work harder, or do you want to create a different atmosphere back there?
“You really need to think about why you're hiring her and do it for the right reasons,” Peterson said. “Or, frankly, don't do it, because it can drive a woman out of the industry after enough situations where she's just the diversity hire or she's like a zoo animal. Everyone's just standing around watching her because they've never seen a woman do it before. Treat her as a technician.
“From the perspective I speak from -- give her the respect that she deserves and make sure that you're giving the support that she needs,” Peterson said. “Actually give it. Don't just say that you're giving it. Be there for her. It is a very difficult situation for us to be in, being so much in the minority. And we need all the help we can get, but we really want to be here and we really want to do it.”
The Future of Hiring
Clark said what the industry is doing today to address the shortage of collision repair technicians is not working.
“We need to come together as the industry community that we are and really advocate for all of us. This is for the sake of all of our businesses,” she said. “When you're throwing out a dollar more [in hourly pay] here and there and people are hopping across the road, it's not creating an atmosphere for people to grow, be conducive and learn and be part of the team.”
Bollans said the industry needs to “make some minor mindset changes,” and acknowledge “this isn't a problem with the new generation coming in. It's that we really need to change. We have to look at what is important to this next generation coming up, because something that we're trying to hold on to so tightly is just not going to be there.”
Shops also need to embrace new vehicle technology, like AI, ADAS and electric vehicles.
“This generation that's coming up, this is all they've ever known,” Bollans said. “I've said forever that I think EVs might actually save the collision industry by getting a different sort of technician or employer or employee through the door.”
Peterson said collision repair has the foundation of being a “cool job” going for it, but it needs to also be a “cool work environment.”
“The more that we start building culture from the inside, the better it’s going to be with hiring and retention, the more people are actually going to want to be in this industry,” she said.
She reiterated the need for defined career paths and continued training through programs like I-CAR, so new employees see collision repair as “something greater than just something to wake up to and pay your bills.”
“The more that we emphasize that, the better chance we have of drawing and retaining this talent down the road,” Peterson said.
One Last Bit of Advice
Strandberg asked all three panelists to provide one piece of advice for shop operators struggling to build a strong teamof collision repair technicians.
“Clean your shop,” Peterson said. “Because when somebody comes through and sees your shop, it's going to leave a big first impression.”
She said shops with “40 years of dust” can be off putting to students who have been training in clean classroom facilities.
“I know that can be quite an undertaking to clean up the shop, but just think about what you're putting out there,” Peterson said. “The more you can lean into that high tech side of where the industry is going and this scientific, almost laboratory-type setting that we're moving towards, the more the young people are going to want to be in that sort of environment.”
“Define your brand,” Bollans said. “Who are you? What are you about? What are you looking for? What are your values?”
She also advised operators to ask for help when they need it. “Reach out to others in the industry, the body shop up the road, form relationships and ask for help,” she said. “Ask for better -- what's a better way to do things? What am I missing?”
Clark’s advice was to make sure to hire the right people, not just whoever is available.
“Right now, we're grasping for people, and they're not always the right people,” she said, if they’re not aligned with the company’s values or mission. “They're just people that you're trying to put in the seat.”
She recommended asking more questions about potential hires’ “authenticity, their personality, and their drive to go into your shop to lead,” as other skills can be taught to the right person who fits in best with the company.
Abby Andrews