Hospitality industry ripe for fixed ops recruiting

Some industry observers believe furloughed fixed ops employees won't return in droves to their jobs for various reasons. Other business sectors hard-hit by unemployment may offer fertile ground for hiring replacements with service-oriented skills.

Take the leisure and hospitality industry, for example. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics compiled in April shows that this sector has suffered staggering job losses, with more than 7.6 million people out of work — or nearly 47 percent of total positions.

Furthermore, about 75 percent of hotel employees have been laid off or furloughed — an impact that's nine times worse than the devastation following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

"Some furloughed [fixed ops] employees might not want to come back to a new role," says David Long, executive general manager of Hansel Auto Group in Santa Rosa, Calif. "But I think it will be super easy to find some really good talent that has the skill sets we're looking for. ... The hospitality industry — or any industry that requires good customer service — will be a good area to look, for sure."

Rick Wegley, an instructor at the NCM Institute run by NCM Associates, an automotive consulting and training firm, says he knows of one dealership group that has hired seven people who worked in retail sales for a major cellphone carrier.

"Those employees have the people and selling skills, plus they're comfortable with technology," he told Fixed Ops Journal. "So they're a perfect fit for the automotive industry."

As service managers recruit new employees, Wegley suggests that attributes such as energy, personality and good communication skills are more important than technical skills.

"You can teach people whatever they need to know to become a service adviser, for example," he says. "But you can't train someone to be personable or energetic."