A major worry among for government officials, who manage public fleets, is the deficiency of skilled auto technicians to engage and it is now clear that as vehicles and equipment are innovated, this lack will be more serious. Thousands of experienced and skilled auto technicians are lost through retirement, promotions, career shifts, and the salary gaps between government and private institutions making recruitment a nearly impossible task.
New specialists are expensive to find and it is often a tedious task. The new technicians, due to the unpredictability of many fleets also have to be retrained to repair and service any special equipment needed. These problems coupled with disbursement limitations among other problems often lead to outsourcing of additional work to stay aggressive.
This puts pressure on the administrators to utilize the resources they have wisely while still maintaining their performance levels as high as possible. Since budget cuts are not the answer, equitable resource allocation is the best solution.
Well-founded Mission statement
A well-founded mission statement allows for the reaching of goals and achieving organizational success. A popular philosophy, Total Quality Management (TQM), states that mission statements are vital in strategic planning. The statements enables the organization to understand where they are going and how they will get there. A leader not only has the vision, he also understands that it’s the employees that fulfil it. Feedback should therefore be taken from them and they should work together to achieve the set objectives.
Personal skills are vital
Since management is measured in terms of productivity, subordinates must be evaluated in terms of production as their production affects your production. Personal skills help in communicating with employees. This enables managers to know their wants and needs and know how to correctly motivate them to accomplish their goals
Reorganize to inspire
When the job is available in different levels each with its own perks such as higher salaries and other benefits, the employees are incentivized to develop an edge so as to climb up that proverbial ladder. It enables them have a level of accomplishment every time they are promoted to a higher level which encourages them to work even harder.
Sharing knowledge by Cross-Training
Cross training or knowledge management training programs are cost effective way of training employees. Employees who are willing to trade information will be motivated to try new and challenging ways of performing tasks. This information trade allows promotes progress in the organization. Evaluations of technicians should be done to identify leaders in respective- this will make training easier and more customized. Cross training then enables the organization to have ready available skilled technicians in future.
Incentives facilitate retention
Rapid changes occur in automotive technology, diagnostics tools and software have to be updated often. Incentives besides increased salaries can help keep employees motivated in their tasks- benefits packages in public sectors are what give it an edge over the private sector. A multi-pay grade system coupled with incentives guarantees that the organization is very economical when compared to dealerships and private sector repair rates.
The auto technicians’ glut is being felt by both public and private sector- Mark Davis, automotive programs manager at Seminole State College of Florida says Ford and GM need up to of 15,000 new technicians while Industry analyst Harry Hollenberg (Carlisle & Co.) adds that 20% of luxury brand mechanics are leaving their jobs each year for another dealership, to an independent shop, or even to a non automotive job.
Accordingly, luxury brands and dealerships are at the forefront to solve this problem within their ranks by improving salaries, allowances, benefits and perks, as well as overall working environment to attract the best and retain them. Policies listed above a a great place to start.
