I was getting no hits on my Careerbuilder advertisement.
Well, I was getting hits on it, but mainly the people applying for my Service Technician job were fry cooks and bank managers. I couldn’t hire them. They didn’t have any certifications, tools, or formal training.
I had to take a new approach. Since I had been recently chased out of a competitor’s garage with a water hose for passing out business cards, I knew I couldn’t directly recruit these guys on the job. The right person for the job would need to be computer savvy, so I wanted to keep the position listed online.
I gave it one last ditch effort on Careerbuilder. But this time? This time, I spoke to the people I was trying to recruit in their language. Shop talk. Shop talk is the banter that the guys in the garage have with each other. Shop talk is fun. Shop talk is you talking to your buddy like you would talk over a beer.
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Dealership GM Service Technician
Due to retirement and expansion, we’re hiring!
The right candidate for this position will be a Level A or B Service Technician. He/she will probably have dealership experience. He/she will have their own tools. GM certifications are going to give you a “leg up”. ASE certifications are a plus. If you don’t have certifications, don’t be shy. Send us your resume anyway. Good Techs are hard to find, and you’re probably really good. If you’re a big jerk with a bad attitude, you should not apply. Big jerks should send their resumes to other places, like to our competitors.
Requirements:
- Ability to pass a drug test
- Acceptable background check
- Shoes that match
- At least three years of experience
- Great attitude
- Burning desire to succeed
Pay based on level of awesomeness.
If you’re still reading this ad, you either thought it was funny or you think you want to work here. If it is the latter, please send a resume to Meredith. Don’t have a resume? We still like you. Just stop into any dealership and fill out a resume the old fashion way.
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Matching shoes are probably a given. I wanted everyone to be able to relate to the position.
But guess what happened when I wrote it like I was talking to someone on the shop floor? I BEGAN TO RECEIVE RELEVANT RESUMES AND APPLICATIONS!
I also received a few from people that do other jobs at dealerships that said things like, “Great job posting! You have the right attitude! If you ever need a General Manager…” and “I want to work here. I’m tired of working for corporate schmucks! This place seems fun!” and “Great way to get my attention with the title. I couldn’t help but to click through and now I’m at the end and sending you my resume.”
I’m telling you. This works. I grabbed their attention, I kept it entertaining, and I got down off of my HR high horse and wrote an advertisement that actually reflects the fun atmosphere that we have at the dealership.
If you’re not getting what you want, what do you have to lose? Try something new with your next ad.
Yes, yes, yes. I’ve been ranting about this for a while and I couldn’t agree more! If you want to attract great candidates, you need to write an ad they’ll be attracted to … not one that reads like a dry internal processes manual. This is great.
And my son laughed at me when I told him he may want to look into auto service tech work rather than go to college…
Being in the auto bidness, I empathize – excellent stuff as always, Meredith!
I love this approach – anyone who can’t appreciate a sprinkling of humor is probably not someone you want on your team, anyway.
BTW, I’ll be driving past Toledo next weekend on my way to a Notre Dame game; give me a compelling reason to get off the interstate for a break?
Right on Meredith! I tell my clients to do the same thing. Jobseekers will search for words they know, not what HR thinks they will search for.
Awesome post Meredith!
People find it easier to relate to any form of communication that’s in a human voice as opposed to “corporate speak.” The success of your job advertisement is not just a lesson for HR people to get off their high horses but rather for entire organizations. Companies should re-think how they communicate both internally and externally and just say it like it is as the message will be fat better received.
Awesome post Meredith!
People love to be spoken to in a “human voice” as opposed to “corporate speak.” The success of your job advertisement is not only a lesson for HR people to get off their high horses. Companies have a lot to learn in this domain as well – for both internal and external communications. There’s something to be said about “saying it like it is” and companies should consider this when they communicate as the message will be far better received.