Hiring Techs
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I was just curious, how many of you are finding it hard to find good bodymen and painters out there? I have to replace one and I am finding that the ones out of work are for a reason and there doesn’t seem to be many new guys coming in. I find that some are intimidated by flat rate. My new guy I hired last year paints and does some body work and he is on pace for about 70k this year. I guess there is no money in flat rate.
I find that up here to, its difficult to find good techs. I guess thats why I’m stuck on the floor.
Our office manager does the hiring and goes by gut feeling sofar so good everyone here has been with us for 7 or more years.As for finding a good tech goodluck.I had a guy come in who just finished at wyotech and he wasn’t even ready to handle an easy frnt end hit.Kinda felt sry for him head of his class and they didn’t teach him squat about collision work.I’d like to start an apprentice program but its hard to find someone who will stick with it.I kinda did that with our current preper and after three years myself and the painter will throw him in the booth and have him paint small jobs and he does a pretty damn good job.
I find their are plenty of older guys who refuse to get with the times out their. Will defend priming 40 scratches to the death. Its really hard to find a good committed young guy also, like mentioned, not too many getting into it.
where I live the oil field has stole good techs from all kinds of trades. Autobody where it is or was suffered worst. You can’t find any one willing to work for these kind of wages and no benefits any more. :dry: It takes up to 10 years to make a good tech. I saw it comin and there seemed no way to stop it.
now it’s a one man show :woohoo: I may be crazy but it keeps me from goin insane :woohoo: B)
I find it hard to find a place that will pay enough. If you are not willing to pay out $75,000 for a top tech they are not going to be beating down your door.
I’m going to throw in my 2 pennies here.
I’m not in this field at all, but am trying to learn as much as I can so that I can work on a few projects for myself. I love working with my hands, and is something I thoroughly enjoy.
I would love to work in this field as I find the work interesting, but also the chemistry behind it facinating. I’m 24 now with our first kid on the way in 8 weeks.
The only thing holding me back from apprenticing as an electrician, plumber, or in this case an autobody tech is the wage during an apprenticeship. At $15/hr my wife and are are getting by…but we are living paycheck to paycheck…which sucks. To apprentice at minimum wage for 2-3 years, and then climb to $20-22/hr (based on Goverment of Canada statistics) for a fully trained tech I think is one of the reasons many of us younger guys are holding back.
I’ve quickly realized the autobody business is a penny business…in that insurance companies control how much they pay, and also there are so many body shops competing for business that profit is “pennies”.
That is however, only my perspective from the outside in. If a shop offered me $15/hr to start my apprenticeship, and I could grow from there….there is no doubt in my mind I would change fields in a heartbeat…but that is being unrealistic…I think.
new to the forum I am a bit diffrent as I have always worked as a manager……….whats out there is scarey indeed
My main beef is ” it’s not my job to do that”, but maybe its because I am a female in a male oriented business……… been doing it for 20 years. Although I never actually worked on the floor I pay attention and can advise without actually doing it
Took all kinds of courses to be sure that the wool has not been pulled over my eyes Interesting business but tough and getting tougher. We need to show the younger generation that this is a worth while profession
thats my thoughts for what they are worthThis trade doesn’t seem to be attracting to many people either, I just finished reading an interesting article stating many training courses & schools are canceling their programs due to lack of participation.
finding techs that are commited to this industry is getting tougher and tougher each year..nobody seems to want to invest the time and energy this trade requires to become a productive member of this industry..every one is wanting that instant gratification that they see on TV ,they just do not understand what it takes to produce quality work.there are several schools out ther that teach the minimum basics in a crash course in several months, when they reach the body shop they are clueless on where and how to start and then they crash and burn, before you know it they are out the door…the schools are not teaching sound basics from hammer and dolly to color theory,,also there is no emphasise on detail,and finish work…i have been in this industry for 34 years and have seen my share of tech come and go..when you talk flat-rate you scare most away:S :S :S :S
would ya do it again ?? or go into somthing else :dry:
I have had a ad with apprenticeship and my replys are for mechanical etc ………I am glad thay are so eager to get the jobs but do they read the ads what are you going to get when they do not even pay attention to what the ads say or is it maybe a problem with thier attention skills or perhaps reading
Boy it sure is scareyi live and breath auto body…. i enjoy all phases..i will keep going as long as i still have my desire and motivation each day …
KEEP GOING WE NEED MORE LIKE YOURSELF
LOL gin your a little young for a bodyshop manager.lol were you this years new years baby?:woohoo: B)
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