How to Tune Up Your Automotive Job Interview Strategies

The interviewing phase of your recruiting process is vital, offering you an opportunity to get to know your candidates better—and for them to more about you.  

It might seem natural, or even a little obvious, that you’ll get more insightful answers from your job candidates when you ask the right questions in the right way, but it’s worth a deeper discussion. 

When you think about it, there is much more to consider when hiring an auto repair technician than their trade skills, or what their former employers share in a candidate reference check. 

Even if you know how to conduct an interview and have successfully onboarded excellent technicians, everyone can improve their job interview process to benefit their organization. Here are three interview strategies to help you get to know your automotive candidates better and feel more confident about the hiring process. 

1. Decide on the Number of Automotive Technician Job Candidates You Plan to Interview for the Role 

No matter how many highly qualified candidate resumes are piled on your desk, it’s not a good idea to set up a job interview for everyone – and it certainly won’t save you any time. 

The first and perhaps best step to developing an effective interview process is deciding how many candidates you will interview, and which members of your organization will participate. By doing this early for each available position, you can avoid overbooking your team and creating scheduling nightmares for department managers and others who might like to ask their own questions of each candidate. 

Finally, by paring down the number of candidates you interview, you can show you value their time and avoid drawing out the hiring process.

2. Ask Specific Automotive Technician Job Interview Questions  

Automotive technician job candidates will probably pick up on canned questions that an interviewer asks everyone. While there will always be necessary generic questions, ask a few questions that show you’ve reviewed their application and like what you see.  

For example, questions to ask in an automotive interview might address the restoration of a classic car noted in their resume. Ask them more about how that project transpired, the overall process, and the final result. By asking specific questions like this, you’ll likely get an enthusiastic response that gives you more detailed insights into your candidate’s approach and personality.

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3. Set Expectations About Your Interview Process for Automotive Job Candidates  

Before the interview, offer candidates tips and tools for a successful and stress-free process. Via email or phone, lay out the details of what will happen the day and time of their interview. Provide helpful information such as how to get to your facility, where to park, what to bring, what to wear, and where to go once they arrive. If you’re conducting virtual interviews, give candidates instructions on setting up the right video conferencing software. These efforts add up to ensure a positive candidate experience. 

Additionally, ask candidates to research your organization prior to their interview, recommending they visit your “About Us” or “Our Mission” webpages to learn about your history and vision. This gives you a chance to see if they take the time and effort to learn more about your company and helps them get a better idea of whether they will enjoy working for you. 

Using these strategic steps, you’ll conduct an automotive technician job interview that will help you find the right hire. Focusing on a few talented candidates, concentrating on specific components of their automotive background, and giving them tools for success makes the process far less stressful and more effective for everyone.