Why Techs Really Leave Your Shop
Dealers blame pay. Techs point to respect. The truth is costing dealerships six figures in turnover and empty bays every year. From neglected work environments to lack of career paths, technicians are sending a clear message: money isn’t the problem, dignity is. In this article, Mandy Deveau breaks down where retention really fails, why it shows up in your financials, and how DriveHRIS helps dealers turn culture into a process that keeps their best people.
Fifteen minutes may not sound like much, but one technician running late just once a week adds up to nearly $1,600 in lost billed labor per year. Across a 10-person shop, that’s a $16,000 annual leak per rooftop.
The hidden cost isn’t just payroll, it’s manager time wasted piecing together punches, overtime payouts climbing, and repair orders slipping. Our new Tardiness Summary in DriveHRIS turns that blind spot into business intelligence: see patterns instantly, measure lost time, and hold teams accountable before small delays become big revenue drains.
Read the full article here
Every vacant technician role bleeds $1,200–$1,600 per day in lost labor revenue. Yet the average dealership takes 41 days to fill a role, well beyond the 30-day window most candidates are willing to wait. The result? Top techs accept other offers, managers waste hours chasing paperwork, and rushed hires drive turnover.
Our latest article breaks down the financial toll of a disorganized hiring process and shows how DriveHRIS recruitment tools turn chaos into clarity. With centralized dashboards, automated scheduling, and faster candidate screening, dealerships can cut weeks off time-to-hire, secure top talent, and protect every dollar of revenue.
Date: Thursday, Sept 25th, 2025 | Time: 2:00pm EDT | Hosted by: Sandra Conrad, CPHR, SHRM-SCP
AI is making its presence felt everywhere in the automotive industry, but how do you utilize it without creating new risks for your dealership? In this session, Sandra will break down the practical side of AI in HR and compliance, so you understand both the opportunities and the pitfalls.
You’ll learn how to:
Can’t make it? Register anyway, as we will be sending out the replay and workbook next week.
The Technician Crisis: Why Flat Rate is Failing
Cars have evolved into rolling computers, but technician pay has not. In 1980, a journeyman mechanic’s wages translated to nearly $97K in today’s dollars. Today’s median tech earns about half that, even as dealership profits soar.
Flat-rate systems cap diagnostic work at one billable hour while ADAS jobs can take three or more, driving burnout, turnover, and a dangerous talent drain. Chris Simpkins’ latest article breaks down how outdated pay models are pushing techs out, and what must change to keep the industry’s backbone in place.
23 New Features to Power Your HR
August was a big month at DriveHRIS; we rolled out 23 new product features designed to make managing people easier and smarter.
Highlights include Overtime Notifications to control costs, Profile Fields in Fillable Forms for seamless documentation, Position Pay Bands to bring clarity to compensation, and Tardiness Flags to spot attendance issues early. Every update is built to help your dealership save time, stay compliant, and retain top talent.
Book a demo and see how simple it can be to lead from anywhere.
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We’re more than just a software provider; we’re a Canadian company built for Canadian dealerships. From compliance to culture, every feature is designed with your unique challenges in mind. Supporting local businesses matters, and we’re proud to stand beside dealerships across the country as a truly Canadian partner.
