Hiring Mechanics?

I'm an engineer for a racecar shop, and right now we're trying to hire a couple technicians and a fabricator. You'd think that'd be an easy problem, right? Surprisingly, it's not.

How do you go about finding racecar technicians? I feel like putting an ad on Craigslist or Monster will have a pretty bad signal/noise ratio. Word of mouth hasn't really been working.

Where are you guys located? I would see if you could talk with mechanics at competitors shops to see where they came from and possibly persuade them over lol, avoid the just out of UTI crowd IMHO.

Yeah, we're in the DFW area. I don't want to be too specific without the blessings of the staff here, I don't want this to be construed as advertising.

Unfortunately, it seems like most people get hired in this industry by knowing a guy. Just doesn't seem to be working right now.

Good luck, we cant even find a guy willing to change oil part time.

I have no experience with the site but am sure I learned about it here on GRM...
www.horsepowerjobs.com

JohnRW1621 wrote: I have no experience with the site but am sure I learned about it here on GRM... www.horsepowerjobs.com

I'll look into that, thanks.

Advertise with FSAE/Baja teams? Might be a few guys who don't want to follow the engineering firm route. Might not work if you want them to have certifications.

fritzsch wrote: Advertise with FSAE/Baja teams? Might be a few guys who don't want to follow the engineering firm route. Might not work if you want them to have certifications.

I came from an FSAE background myself, and we have no problem getting in touch with engineers who want a more hands-on job. We're looking for some different skills for dedicated wrench-turners to compliment the engineering types.

Dang where were you 15yrs ago when I needed a job like this?

I'll second horsepowerjobs.com. I get their email and there are some big names looking for people.

It's not easy, especially considering what a good wrench can make working flat rate. Make sure your compensation is appropriate.

Keith Tanner wrote: It's not easy, especially considering what a good wrench can make working flat rate. Make sure your compensation is appropriate.

Yep. We're willing to pay people what they're worth. We try to hire good people, and fit the job to them. Personnel isn't always the best place to pinch pennies.

I think there are people who would love to work in the industry, but it depends on where. I'd love that type of job here in Flagstaff, but if I lived someplace else, I might not.

Sent you email Unevolved and it bounced back. Had a question about a DFW roll cage builder and a potential lead on your mechanic position.

Drop me a line when you get a minute. passatglxforme at yah00 dot c0m

O's are zeros in the above address.

Sounds like you are looking for me. What is the time frame for your search? Any travel perks?

unevolved wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote: It's not easy, especially considering what a good wrench can make working flat rate. Make sure your compensation is appropriate.

Yep. We're willing to pay people what they're worth. We try to hire good people, and fit the job to them. Personnel isn't always the best place to pinch pennies.

Maybe I'll come work for you then!

We have the same problems on the restoration side. We interview techs who walk into the shop and have no idea what kind of cars they are surrounded by. When they realize it isn't flat rate work on modern Japanese cars they say thanks for the time and leave.

We can't find anyone who is interested in vintage stuff and has actually touched a carburetor before. It is strange. Been looking for a mechanic for 8 months now.

Too bad I'm not looking for another position right now, I'd have jumped all over you for a chance before I got married.

I'm just going to throw this out there:

I went through ERAU Daytona Beach's A&P program, which is really top notch. While there I received training in precision engines, their maintenance and inspections, decent metal and composite skills, the ability to inspect airframes for fatigue and damage, as well as various skills working with carburetors, fuel injection, electrical systems and turbo systems. As a race team you also would get the added bonus of people who have an understanding of aerodynamics and already have had the mantra that details matter beaten into them.

Most of the people in the program, generally speaking, came from an automotive background and would have loved to get on with a race team. I know if I would have had the opportunity out of school I would have leaped head first at it.

You won't get a working knowledge of suspension or transmissions but there's a lot of other skills to offer.

We had an aircraft guy working with us for a while. Had some good skills. That's not a bad place to look.

I can't give any suggestions based on experience, as our personnel search techniques are pretty laughable.

Good idea on the aviation side. I know a few people with an A&P.

Similar vein, you may want to try and nab some vets as they get out. There are tons of regional and local retirement programs going on all the time for every branch of service, and all of them have panels of employers looking to hire vets. Get in to a few local ones and you may be able to just take your pick of applicants.

I'm not sure who you would start with for a local contact, but it might be as simple as walking in to your local recruiting center or calling your local VA and asking around.

Thanks for the advice, guys. We got some resumes this weekend from Craigslist and Indeed, but nothing from HorsepowerJobs, actually.

For us, it's usually networking. We hire a fair amount of mercenary contractors for races only. Allows us to evaluate working with them. You find a few good ones, and you are a good shop, they'll start to bring in the better friends into the fold. A good fabricator is a little harder. We aren't exactly in a motorsports mecca geographically. Don't discount international mercenaries either. Even with a trip across the pond factored into the cost, it can be worth it.

This is the reason I have two friends that have moved on to other ventures. Hiring a good mechanic is evidently pretty tough.

unevolved wrote: I'm an engineer for a racecar shop, and right now we're trying to hire a couple technicians and a fabricator. You'd think that'd be an easy problem, right? Surprisingly, it's not. How do you go about finding racecar technicians? I feel like putting an ad on Craigslist or Monster will have a pretty bad signal/noise ratio. Word of mouth hasn't really been working.

I know nothing about the industry, but is it by chance one of those situations where the employer must have impoverished workers and a rich clientele for the business model to work?

It scares me how many industries now require skilled people to work for less than middle class incomes. Takes the form of low pay or part time hours.

NOHOME wrote: I know nothing about the industry, but is it by chance one of those situations where the employer must have impoverished workers and a rich clientele for the business model to work? It scares me how many industries now require skilled people to work for less than middle class incomes. Takes the form of low pay or part time hours.

I don't want to pretend to speak for other businesses, but we certainly don't operate like that. Our employees are paid pretty well for what they do, since a lot is expected of them. We've been pushed in the past to be faster, or cheaper, but we are very happy with the quality of the work we do, and our clients tend to agree. We're not the fastest or the cheapest, but that's not our goal. Our goal is to be the best at what we do.

All of our employees are full time with benefits, if that helps clear anything up. We occasionally contract out some work for an especially busy weekend or things like that, but we certainly aren't limiting anyone's hours to part time.