Every dealer says they’re struggling to find technicians. Few can explain exactly what they’re doing about it.
However, Ryan Carlstedt can.
The details: As EVP of Fixed Operations at Willis Automotive Group, Carlstedt has spent the past decade turning what most see as a staffing crisis into a competitive advantage by treating technician development like a long-term investment, not a short-term fix.
“Business is great,” he told Daily Dealer Live hosts Sam D’Arc and Uli de’ Martino. “Years ago, across our group, I think we had 14 or 16 technician jobs open, and that was when I really said, ‘You know, I’m gonna focus in.’”
That moment was a turning point, because instead of waiting for experienced techs to switch shops, Carlstedt started looking for ways to grow his own.
Eventually, the answer came through a partnership with Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), now one of the key pieces to Willis Automotive’s technician recruitment strategy.
“I’ll bet we’ve hired 24 students out of there in the last three years,” he said. “Our senior technicians, they’re bought in on taking these students under their wing, and they know that they’re growing the next generation of automotive technicians.”
“They take pride in that,” he said.
How it works: Carlstedt leads recruiting himself by showing up on campus, hosting lunches, and building trust before students ever enter the shop.
“We bring in pizza, we buy ’em lunch, we get to know ’em,” he said. “We developed an apprenticeship program a few years ago. We bring in four kids in the summer, and we say, ‘Learn about us. I’m so confident that once you come in and meet us and get to know us and work with us, that you’re not gonna leave.’”
Carlstedt says the in-person approach is what really sticks.
Students spend a summer at Willis, then head back to school, telling everyone about it.
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Worth noting: During the show, Carlstedt revealed that he modeled his program after successful OEM frameworks like GM’s ASEP, but adapted it for local needs.
“I didn’t revolutionize this thing,” he said. “I just looked at a lot of different programs and built one for us.”
What separates Willis from many others, Carlstedt says, is patience.
Each apprentice enters with a defined “learning curve.” Four years for high school hires. Two for college grads before moving to flat rate.
“I think [other dealers] think, ‘Okay, you finished two years of local community college, you’re gonna come in and just hit the ground running,’” he said. “I just don’t think they have the patience to get through that first couple of years, and they give up on [techs] too early.”
Willis reinforces that philosophy with a three-year deferred compensation program that rewards attitude and effort, not just productivity.
What they’re saying: “At the end of the year, we’re gonna put a discretionary amount into your deferred compensation account,” he said. “At the time, it was up to $3,000 per guy, per year.”
When the program rolled out, every technician got three years of back pay credited immediately. And when they retire, they get the full lump sum.
“Our goal is for everybody to retire from Willis,” he said. “Technicians, us fixed ops guys, we don’t really care about a Rolex watch, but hand me a check for 12 grand on my last day—yeah, that’s a pretty nice little going away gift.”
Bottom line: Carlstedt’s message encourages patience, which is not the same as encouraging low standards. And knowing the difference between the two is what’s key to building a long-term vision for how to staff and train new techs, shortage or not.
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