Preventing high turnover of marine technicians

Every business, big and small, has its difficulties recruiting high-quality employees and even more difficulty keeping them happy. The Association of Marine Technicians (AMTECH) has found that turnover is extreme for marine technicians in the marine industry, especially during the winter months in the northern United States.

We need to recognize the reasons that cause this and work together as an industry to improve our service professional's career opportunities.

Year-round service

Many dealerships look at the marine industry as being a seasonal business. Although boating may be considered a seasonal recreation, dealerships are doing themselves a disservice if they treat service or their employees seasonally. Every service department should have a strategic plan in place to actively employ their staff year-round. In order to provide year-round employment to technicians, it is important that we recognize the value in the work the technician does for our industry. First of all, it is important to note that there is a severe shortage of qualified techs in our industry. Secondly, the marine industry has done very little to assist in the recruitment of new technicians into our industry over the years. As our current group of technicians reach retirement age, the industry is having a difficult time in finding qualified personnel to take their place. As a result, the shortage is now reaching the critical state, and it will only continue to get worse unless the industry makes a collective effort to turn the tide. Therefore, if you have a good tech, you'd better keep him. How can we create year round employment when our business is not constant throughout the year? Start off by saving all your major extensive repair work and major overhauls, such as rewiring the entire boat, for the fall and winter months when your business slows down. During the summer season, if a customer needs extensive repair work, take the motor or boat in trade on a new or used one.

Your peak season should be spent keeping your customers on the water. By that I mean performing minor repairs and routine maintenance. After the fall winterization frenzy has faded, it's time to pull out all the trade-ins and start refurbishing and rebuilding. Then, when spring-time comes around, you have lots of product sitting on the front line, ready to sell. Then, the cycle begins again. This practice will prevent a large percentage of winter layoffs and preserve the job security for the quality technicians that are already employed. For those exceptions that can't be persuaded to trade, consider using remanufactured units that can be quickly exchanged. For those of you that are not confident in your ability to produce a quality rebuild, it's time to get the training required to equip yourself to be successful in this area as it can be highly profitable.

It isn't always about money

At first glance, everyone says work is all about the money, but it really isn't. Surveys show that money alone is a short term motivating factor. Usually when an employee receives a raise, they are surprised and excited about the increase in pay. When the next paycheck is received, it is viewed with anticipation and final validation by the employee that the increase is real. At that point, the excitement of the pay raise immediately begins to wane and the employee starts thinking about when his or her next pay raise is going to come. The pay raise is no longer a motivating factor and it is now taken for granted.

These same surveys show that what employees really want more then money is to be appreciated and given a feeling of inclusion with the business. It's that recognition of a job well done that actually motivates the longest.

Don't get me wrong, higher wages is a must for any employee, but for recruitment and retention purposes, job seekers are now looking at the quality of the workplace as well. Shop owners and managers can develop a loyal crew if they keep them motivated and happy about the work they are doing and if management is appreciative of the job they are doing. Sometimes all it takes is a free lunch and an open ear from management. Talking about the work employees do, and more importantly the work they want to do, goes a long way in building employee loyalty. I guarantee they won't turn down a free meal either.

The importance of benefits

When technicians attend seminars, conventions or continuing education forums relevant to their job, do you as a shop owner or manager sponsor them? Or are they traveling on their own dime and missing part of their weekly salary to better themselves and your business at the same time? The overwhelming majority of technicians that attend AMTECH's annual National Marine Service Expo trade show attend at their own expense. Not only do they have to pay for the trip on their own, they lose salary for the days they are gone from the shop. These technicians are attending the trade show and technical workshops to improve their knowledge of marine repair, which is a direct benefit to their employers, yet the employer doesn't see the benefit and refuses to pay for the training. Is there any wonder why many of these technicians have left to start their own service repair business, or leave to work for another dealer? Where is the loyalty on behalf of the dealer? Would you feel appreciated if you were treated this way? If you aren't paying for your employee's training, it's a great way to lose quality technicians. And remember, replacing these employees is becoming harder all the time due to the shortage of trained technicians we mentioned earlier.

Loyalty works both ways. If management shows commitment in an employee, that employee will more than likely feel he is part of the team and in he will return his loyalty in your business. That being said, do you pay for their professional association dues? By doing this, you once again show your employee that you have an interest in their personal and professional growth and development. You should also consider paying for their subscriptions to industry related publications or to at least pass them your copy when you are done. Encourage them to keep up with trends in the industry as discussed in the media. Even if your budget is tight, it is important that you look at your employees as an investment. You may not realize it, but you have invested a tremendous amount of money in all of your employees. Once they are acclimated to the way you do business and they do things your way, the worst thing in the world is to lose an employee and have to start all over again. This is money that is needlessly wasted in our industry over and over again.

Improving relationships

Another factor to consider that goes into a good employer-employee relationship is how you treat your employees. Do you treat them as you would like to be treated? Are you treating them with respect, or are you guilty of dealing with employees in a harsh way? Don't expect your employee to treat your customers with a smile if your treatment of the employee is not a pleasant one. Don't forget, your employees are a reflection of your business.

Offering employees rewards

Reward programs are also a great way to attract and retain top quality technicians and keep the ones you have.

We're not talking about getaways to the islands or bags of money. We are talking about low-cost ways to recognize good work. For instance, establish a spot on the wall to recognize personal achievement of employees or to mark their outstanding performance. In general, find a consistent way to recognize your employees for their achievements and make sure prospective employees are aware of such programs. It is also helpful to keep these achievements within eyesight of your customers when they visit your place of business.

We're doing our part

AMTECH promises to continue working with the marine industry to establish new and accredited training programs for marine technicians. Our goal is to improve the career paths of marine technicians and increase the quality and quantity of technicians industry-wide, but it's up to the shop owners to keep them in the marine industry. To become the leading service provider in the region, owners and managers need to look inside their own business and find ways to recruit and retain marine technicians. As the technology advances in today's marine engines, such as the use direct injection and four-stroke, to be EPA compliant, the knowledge and expertise required to repair and maintain these engines is becoming more and more critical. Therefore, the role the marine technician plays has never been more important to the success of the marine industry than it is today.

Greg Hoffman

Marketing & PR Director

AMTECH