Hi, it’s Alex from Progi.
To wrap up Capacity Month 2025, I want to talk about your employees, and more specifically about Robert.
Robert is that reliable guy. A native Canadian, probably in his fifties or older. He might grumble now and then, but never in a serious way. He can do any job quickly and perfectly. He’s got strong work values. Most importantly, he does what he’s told, and he does it well. The dream.
The good news is that Roberts make up the largest demographic in the collision repair market right now—31%, if memory serves.
The bad news is they don’t have a hundred years left in the workforce. Another bad news: there aren’t enough Roberts to go around. And one more: not all Roberts have the same skill level.
Still, I know plenty of managers who, if they had a magic wand, would fill their shops with Roberts, in search of that oh-so-sacred experience.
But now, Roberts are leaving. So, what are our options?
We can beg Robert to stay. And we’re seeing all kinds of strategies to keep him: stay, but just two days a week; stay, but only half-days; stay on as a trainer; stay and work whenever you want. It’s interesting, sure, but it’s like patching a rusted exhaust with caulking. You know it’s only a temporary fix.
Automation? There are certainly some interesting options available, especially for the paint booth, but they require significant investments. Plus, they don’t do everything, and it’s important to remember that a skilled technician needs to stay nearby to adjust the machines.
So, these are not the most relevant solutions because they don’t develop the skills your shop needs in-house.
That leaves us with two other main options: youth (sometimes almost youth) and immigration. And trust me, if you think these are easy solutions, you’re in a for a ride.
Other generations and people from diverse backgrounds come with different work values and with skills that are less developed or developed differently. If you’re not careful, and unless you get lucky, you will likely fall short on the quality, output and overall balance you want to achieve.
It calls for a mindset that goes beyond wanting to hire people. It’s about shaping your shop under desirable conditions and creating a strong culture within your company.
Simon Sinek once said in a keynote that we shouldn’t run a business like we play a football game, as if the clock eventually runs out, we tally the score, and boom, we win. No, it’s an infinite game. Investing in your culture (as well as training and innovation) is something you do every day, forever. Ignore your culture, and it will manage itself, with results like high turnover, a heavy atmosphere, and work quality that doesn’t measure up.
You don’t need to hire a senior consultant to know what you want your shop to feel like. A starting point can be a sheet of paper where you jot down a few words about who you want to be as a company and how you want to embody that. Start small and build from there.
A few tips for building your organizational culture:
- It starts with you. If you don’t lead by example, others will think your behaviour is acceptable and will copy it.
- It’s an everyday effort, through both formal and informal messages.
- You need the courage to make decisions that support the culture you want. That might mean reluctantly letting go of someone who is not aligned with what you want for your organization, even if they’re talented.
- And above all, the most direct advice: it all starts with hiring. Make sure your processes are rigorous. I know sometimes it seems hopeless and you just want to hire whoever’s available. If you do it because you have no other choice, keep the position open and wait for someone who will elevate your organization or who will simply fit in with your company and what you want it to be.
At the end of the day, running a business is a human journey. No matter what preconceptions you may have, there are talented young people who will shape your future and gems to be found in diversity. It’s up to you to offer them a space where they can reach their full potential.
Want to make sure every resource is used at the right time and at its best? It’s time to discover ProgiPlanning.
I’ll leave you with a pro tip for your disassembly/reassembly technicians: mechanics can be an interesting pool of candidates for you. They know their way around a garage and have reference points. They can sometimes make great recruits.
Article by Alexandre Rocheleau
