As an owner or manager of an automotive repair facility, you have many things to consider when training your employees. For example, who should you train, how often should you train, who should pay for the training, how do you pick the trainers or courses, and when should you train?

Who should receive training?
The answer is very easy - everyone! This includes technicians, service writers, office staff, managers and owners.

Technicians need to be trained in the technical hard skills of engine and transmission repair, suspensions, brakes, emissions, painting, body work, etc.

Your office staff that deals with financial issues needs to be trained in good accounting practices, taxes, payroll, profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and wage and hour laws.

Your administrative staff needs training in telephone skills, human resource regulations, and compliance with federal and state laws regulating your business, specifically pertaining to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Everyone on your payroll, especially service writers and receptionists, needs professional customer service training.

Managers need to be trained in effective leadership skills and team building principles, and be given an understanding of financial statements and business ratios.

Owners often need education on business secession, estate and retirement planning, and family members working together.

Special emphasis should be placed on bringing new employees up to speed as quickly as possible and indoctrinating them into the standards and manner by which you run your business. You should do much of this training in-house, and not rely on outside sources. If new employees resist going to training classes and don't want to be trained, you should think very seriously about whether or not you should keep them. An employee's eagerness to be trained can be a very measurable gauge in predicting their future productivity in the company.

The reasons (excuses) why some employees don't like to go to training classes are almost too numerous to list, but the major ones I hear from my clients are: "We worked all day," or "We don't want to travel," or "We already know it," or "We don't want to sit for four hours," or "We don't want to give up our personal or family time." And the number one reason employees don't want to go to training classes is: "We won't benefit from the training."

When you hear these objections, you should talk to the employees. Explain how training is a long-term investment in their future and that you are willing to make a financial investment in them and pay for their education (during business hours). Explain how training will pay off by making them more effective and professional. This should help since employees often don't see the relationship between training and making more money or getting a promotion.

How often should we train?
The answer is often driven by outside forces beyond your control. For example, the tremendous changes in automotive technology require you to train whenever the technology changes.

Changes in computer hardware and software upgrades require almost constant training. The shelf life of computer hardware is about six months and new software is coming out every day.

To take advantage of current marketing and communication tools such as Internet Web pages, e-mail and digital phones, you must constantly train. You cannot stand still in business - you are either moving forward or going backward - relative to technological advances and breakthroughs in your industry. An expression I borrow from the animal kingdom is: "Change, migrate or die." For business this means: Keep up with the latest technology, get into another line of work or go out of business.

Make training a measurable function in your business. I recommend having a yearly training program so you have a formal way to schedule classes and monitor and track the results of each employee's training record. Customize a training program for each employee - from apprentice training to ongoing continuing education credits - to ensure everyone is covered.

Employees should never go more than one year without receiving updated information about their specific work skills. Training is like high jumping - the bar keeps getting higher. It is an essential element for the professional development of every employee, regardless of their job description.

Who should pay for training?
There are three obvious ways to pay for training: employer pays, employee pays or it is shared. The most common is for the employer to pay for the training, including tuition, books and materials, and travel expenses. None of my clients require their employees to pay for their own training. Employers generally do not pay wages for training time unless the training is held during regular working hours. There is nothing wrong with the employee signing an agreement to reimburse you if they terminate their employment within a certain time after the training. You want some protection that your financial investment will pay off in terms of increased productivity and profitability for the company. If you have questions about paying wages or reimbursement issues, I suggest you understand federal and state wage and hour laws and regulations. "Protective legislation" protects the interests of the employees, and you need to stay within the current guidelines.

I recommend you allocate a certain portion of your budget to training. Make training a line item expense on your annual budget, just like an advertising expense. Training budgets should include attendance to association meetings and trade shows such as the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) and the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week.

As previously mentioned, let your employees know the financial commitment you are making to their education. Employees should realize that you are taking a double hit while they are being trained: You are paying for the training and the shop is losing productivity (maybe you are even paying overtime) while employees are attending classes.

Finally, you are not alone when you worry about paying for training and then losing the employee - all owners share this concern. When I am asked, "What if I train them and they leave?" my answer is, "What if you don't train them and they stay?"

Picking classes and instructors
When selecting programs, you first need to determine what you and your employees should expect to get from the training. For example, are you trying to qualify for Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) Gold or Platinum status, achieve the Automotive Management Institute's (AMI's) Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation or receive certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)? Are you training your employees to increase their loyalty to your company? Are you training for certification to get more business from insurance companies? Be very clear on your reasons for training your employees and the specific results you expect.

In choosing a program, I strongly recommend you check references and get feedback from your peers who have attended the classes or used the instructors you are thinking about using. It might be useful for you to determine if the classes are AMI-approved, or sponsored by I-CAR or other credible organizations. When possible, choose programs that qualify for continuing education credits that lead to a certification.

Make sure it is hands-on. Students like to be involved and want to learn by doing. Workshop formats are usually more effective than lectures. Students want to disassemble and assemble products and use the equipment.

In classes where there is no product, students want to participate in the discussion by asking questions and sharing their opinions.

Choose classes that minimize theory. Knowing "why" is important, but most students want to know "how." A good rule of thumb is two-thirds of the time should be spent "doing" and one-third "reading or listening."

Make sure the courses are relevant. Does the instructor use real-life situations and examples? Does the training pertain to the size and operation of your business? Don't get involved if the training is not relevant to your business situation in terms of gross sales, number of employees, customer base, etc.

Speaking of realism, don't ignore the opportunity to meet your peers. Many of you are probably involved in Ten Clubs. Whether they are called "Ten Clubs," "Twenty Clubs" or something else, the concept is the same. You and your key managers should meet on a regular basis with owners you trust and with whom you share a common business philosophy. Open your books and discuss real examples. You can invite guest speakers or just share information among yourselves.

Technical training should include a pretest and posttest. This is one way to measure the effectiveness of the training and how much the employee learned. Look for classes that include some type of testing process. For example, the instructor's evaluation could include not only pretesting and posttesting, but also the employee's participation in class, their verbal and written skills, and their attendance record. Ask the instructor to suggest the next appropriate level of training for your employees.

Use current vendors and suppliers for courses. Many vendors will provide training at no cost, so why not take advantage of this opportunity? Of course you hear the stories about vendors who are just pushing their products and slamming the competition, but I think this practice is decreasing. Explain to the vendor you don't want a sales pitch. You want a professionally qualified instructor to train how to use the equipment and provide the latest information in the industry.

Many vendors are providing "value added" training. They will sponsor training in areas outside of their primary products or services. For example, some paint and major equipment manufacturers provide management training and customer service classes, either by their own employees or third-party trainers. Contact your vendors and inquire if they will provide classes on topics you need. It is certainly in the manufacturers' best interest to increase the survivability and success of their customers.

When should we train?
Weekdays, weekends, evenings? All of these times are appropriate, and it often depends on the availability of the classes.

Your in-house training is probably done after work. For evening courses, whether you have classes on your premises or go to a local hotel or meeting room, I suggest you stop the training by 9 p.m. No matter how important you think the material is, remember your employees have been at work all day and may have another hour to drive home. It is better to have two or three shorter evening meetings than to go too late. Training tends to be most effective in shorter, more frequent sessions - rather than a marathon meeting. If you meet once a week, you may choose different nights to accommodate your employees' prior commitments.

Please give the employees as much notice as possible. Don't surprise them with one or two days' notice and then expect them to have a positive attitude about training. They will attend because their jobs depend on it, but they won't appreciate the lack of respect you have for their personal and family lives. If you have evening classes, serve food. You should not expect the employees to give up dinner. Pizzas or sandwiches usually work fine. Never serve alcoholic beverages at these training meetings.

When you send employees to classes, it is most often during the day and you don't have any choice for the scheduling. However, you should give them as much notice as possible. Allowing your employees to choose the classes they want to attend will increase their commitment and enthusiasm for the training.

Many companies stick to the traditional school year training, September through May. This schedule often works out best for vacation schedules. Of course you should consider your seasonal workload and schedule your training at slower times.

Other keys to success
Focus on in-house training as much as possible. When practical, dedicate a part of your facility as a training room. Equip it with a VCR, overhead projector, screen, reference library, white boards, etc. Make it an environment that reflects your commitment to training. Require employees to read and study on their own. Set up an internal schedule of material you want them to study, and include written tests - just like taking a correspondence course. You can also establish internal performance standards and have the employees take hands-on tests while you measure their time and accuracy.

Have employees teach each other. Pick a topic and have an employee, or team of employees, prepare a class for their peers. Have them include handouts and other material. This is excellent training for the employee who is teaching the class. Or, if you paid for employees to attend classes, have them teach what they learned to the rest of the employees. You shouldn't expect them to be professional trainers, but give them the opportunity to share what they learned. If done properly, this can be a motivator and enhance their status in the company.

Make training a reward. Give employees special recognition for doing an outstanding job. Send an employee to a seminar, trade show or convention and allow them to take their spouse or significant other. Let them spend an extra day or two at the training site (just as you probably do when you attend out-of-town classes). If you want to really emphasize the value of training and education, allow your technicians and office staff to enjoy some of the perks that go with attending seminars and shows.

Encourage your employees to participate in local association and other industry meetings. Local chapter meetings usually have guests speakers and your employees can be exposed to new ideas and information. It also enables them to get involved in your industry - for the price of a dinner.

Finally, remember that "the great aim of education is not knowledge, but action." Training should focus on results. The results you want are: fewer comebacks; less waste; increased productivity; increased customer satisfaction; better leaders; and more competent, effective and professional employees.

Beau Hamilton founded Hamilton Consulting Inc. in 1984. His automotive clients include collision and mechanical repair facilities, dealerships, recyclers and aftermarket parts distributors. He is an instructor for AMI and conducts automotive seminars and training programs throughout the United States. For more information, contact Hamilton at (800) 965-1115.

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