As a constantly growing industry, the automotive world is full of opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the automotive industry is growing at a strong and steady six percent a year. This industry is known for on-the-job training, and good salaries. But no industry, no matter how healthy and strong, is not without its challenges.
Before looking at the challenges, lets glance at some of the many job positions in this industry that are constantly growing.
Top Automotive Jobs
Production Operation:
Production operation is a key position in automotive staffing. Without production, no cars are made. This career generally involves setting up machines, testing machines to make sure they’re working right, checking machine output to make sure it’s accurate, cleaning machines, and more. Many people may start on this level, and then choose to explore other areas of the auto industry as they gain experience.
Automotive Tech:
The auto tech industry is constantly growing. An auto tech can start working in as little as two years of training. Some of the skills an auto tech could specialize in includes vehicle maintenance, parts distribution, collision repair, service consultant, etc. If you want to go further in education, and have a love for speed, you can explore motorsports engineering as well.
Automotive Sales:
Without automotive salesmen, the consumer is completely left out of the auto world picture. An automotive salesman isn’t just someone who works at car lots – they also can be people who come up with key marketing strategies for major car makers. This job mainly involves coming up with strategies for revenue growth and coming up with ways to appeal to diverse markets.
Automotive Staffing Support
With so many different positions and steady growth, one of the main challenges the automotive industry face is the likelihood of high turnover. This is where human resources staffing agencies must be completely strategic in their approach in maintaining talent, and properly recognizing skilled workers whereby they can be placed in the areas of their strength. HR is the backbone of most automotive companies.
Auto Dealer Monthly published a report stating that it costs $3,000 to replace an entry level, or non-C-level automotive employee. Imagine the cost to replace a higher tier employee. The automotive industry is a fast-paced industry; it takes a clear understanding of the nuances within the industry, to help an automotive company build a strong team.
One thing that’s helpful and essential is clear and open communication between HR recruiters and automotive clients, to get an understanding of what that individual company’s needs are. Lack of communication can result in choosing the wrong candidate.
Many people assume the issue with automotive staffing is training – but oftentimes the issue is simply wrong placement. Finding good recruits for open positions should be done only after evaluation of the candidate’s strength in relation to the company. This is essential to ensure that the main challenge in automotive staffing (i.e. its turnover rate) is not an issue when recruiting.
