5-24-2017 -- A leader should unite and inspire the team, not only innovating and making the workplace more efficient, but allowing others around them to feel energized by their passion for the industry. Troy White is the newest addition to the team at Cartronix in Valparaiso, Ind. and has filled the position of service manager. When White planned to relocate from Iowa in order to be near his new grandson, he hoped to find a workplace that fit well with his values.  

“I had, through my research, already got the feeling that Cartronix was aligned with my values and beliefs as far as how things should be done and how customers should be treated,” he said, adding that he appreciated the business’s high standards. “When you work for someone who doesn’t have those standards and you have to compromise, it’s almost demeaning.”

All of Cartronix’s staff members have been with the company for two-plus years. Eric Carter, owner of Cartronix, stated that when he’s looking for a new hire, he generally looks on the Internet for someone who might be interested in relocating. He checks the 12-volt industry website, and also Facebook. What’s he looking for? “Someone who wants to gain new experiences,” Carter said. “I also talk to friends in the industry.” For two to three years, Carter needed a service manager for the shop, but just couldn’t find the right fit. It’s important to find the right person for the job, and each business has its own hiring practices—some more complicated and in-depth than others.

The Hiring Process

When interviewing candidates for any position, carefully assessing responses and the body language of the individual can be utilized to gain some insight. While it’s great to agree with one’s coworkers, having a good mix of different viewpoints can bring new ideas and concepts on board. Without these new ideas and fresh mindsets, an organization can become stagnant. Mike Bartells of Extreme Audio, Inc. in Mechanicsville, Va. stated they have a complicated hiring process to help weed out anyone who isn’t serious.

“In a way, we overcomplicate our hiring process to naturally weed out the people not willing to put out the effort,” Bartells said. “Someone who is not going to put in effort now won’t do it two years down the road as they’ve gotten comfortable.”

Jeff West of Benchmark Auto Sound & Security in Springfield, Ill. has a similar approach to hiring. Certain answers give him an indication as to the individual’s mindset. “There’re many trick questions I ask,” he said. “Like what’s more important, making money or doing a job well? If someone answers making money, well, that’s fine—but you don’t want to take a shortcut just because you want to make commission. Generally, the answer I’m looking for is ‘doing a job well,’ because if you do, money will follow anyway.” West added that the candidate interviewing for the position should demonstrate friendliness and enthusiasm. They should also believe in “the golden rule,” he added. “If I get a good read on all that kind of stuff, then they’re generally going to work out really well.”

Carter, like the others, aims to hire for the long haul. “I always know there can be turnover,” he said. “It depends on the individual’s family and relationships. There’s a lot of unknowns that can happen. I try to think they’re going to be there for the long haul. I see five, six, seven years.”

Before White joined the team at Cartronix, he explored the situation to gain a feel for it. For Carter, it was clear his new service manager knew what he was doing. “When I first met Troy, I could tell within a few seconds that he was very knowledgeable of what he did,” Carter said. “He was very confident in himself, in his mannerisms, so I knew right away that he’d be a perfect fit.”

The hiring process and seeking employees for management positions is different for each company, but there are still a lot of similarities—including the difficulty of attracting new people to the industry, according to Bartells. “I believe we need something to create interest in this industry,” he added. “It was always driven by hobbyists and people who just did it because they enjoy it. With the amount of technical knowledge needed now, I think what we’re missing is [people who have] the desire, the interest to learn the inner workings of this stuff.”

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