WrenchWay gives mechanics a look at dealership perks

It just might be easier for technicians to change a vehicle's transmission than get the skinny on prospective employers.

But WrenchWay, a job-recruitment platform for both technicians and service departments, is changing that dynamic by giving techs an insider's view of dealerships' operations, equipment, pay levels, company culture and other pertinent information.

"We give dealership fixed ops departments a way to differentiate themselves in the marketplace," says Mark Wilson, the Wisconsin-based company's CEO and co-founder with Jay Goninen. "It's not so much a ratings system for service departments — it's more about transparency."

WrenchWay accomplishes this with its Top Shop program. Dealerships pay a $150 monthly fee to be listed as a Top Shop, but the listing is much more in-depth than a typical job-board post. Dealers are required to include specific information before posts are accepted, including pay levels for technicians, workplace amenities offered (think air conditioning and heating) and available equipment, he says.

In addition, the posting must include videos that show what the shop looks like as well as interviews with technicians and fixed ops management who talk about what it's like to work in their shops, Wilson says.

He likened WrenchWay to the real estate website Zillow.

"You can't go to every open house and you also want more than just a description of a home — you want to see room layouts and a house tour," he says. "The same is true for technicians. It's not realistic for technicians to interview at 30 different dealerships, so we use modern technology to show them great places to work that might be a good fit for them, as opposed to those one- or two-paragraph job descriptions that always seem to sound the same.

"It takes more effort than just posting a job ad," Wilson adds. "But it works better because it allows independent shops and dealers to authentically show what's really out there."

Rich Bebout, fixed ops director at Texas-based Country Auto Group, agrees. He has tried a few different recruiting services but says WrenchWay works best.

"Our two stores are about an hour outside of Amarillo and the population of the two towns is about 16,000 each," he explains. "So it's tough to get technicians to move here.

"But WrenchWay enabled me to build a mini-website and post pictures to entice technicians to come here," he adds. "It offers a very neat experience. And it's pretty easy to use, too."

Wilson says the system is essentially self-vetting to prevent dealerships from making their operations sound more enticing than they are in real life.

"If shops lie about things like pay levels and equipment, we hear about it," he says. "Shops are quickly exposed if they lie and are removed from the program."

Established in 2020, WrenchWay has about 700 Top Shop participants. About 60 percent of them are car dealers (its largest client is Lithia Motors) and the rest are independent repair shops. Another 4,000 dealers and independent shops utilize free postings that don't include as many features as the paid listings, he says.

WrenchWay also offers a reverse job-post option that enables technicians to anonymously fill out and post a self-profile then let dealers and independent shops find them, Wilson adds.

"You really need both shops and technicians to make this work," he notes. "Our goal is to provide solutions for technicians trying to find good places to work and to help shops find good technicians. We want to promote and improve careers in the auto and diesel industries."

And make job hunting for technicians a lot easier than changing a transmission.