When you think about ways for your business to save money, employee retention may not jump to the front of your mind—even though it should. Holding on to your skilled and familiar employees is important for company growth and productivity, especially in the automotive industry.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) 2025 Recruiting Executives Benchmarking Report, it costs employers an average of $1,200 to hire a nonexecutive employee—and takes an average of 44 days—to fill an open position.
This cost includes recruiters spending time and money looking through resumes, setting up both initial virtual and in-person interviews, and scheduling multiple interviews for your final candidate. This doesn’t even include salary fulfillments, sign-on bonuses, and benefits.
After an employee is hired, time and resources are required to train them. This, of course, takes time away from other employees, who are now struggling to keep up with their own workload.
Why it Matters in the Automotive Industry
Data from the Auto Care Association’s 2025 Auto Care Factbook reveals that the automotive technician turnover rate is 30% annually, with half of all entry-level technicians from certified programs leaving their jobs at independent shops and dealerships within two years.
Why is it so high? Technicians cite poor management, lack of career growth, and low pay as the primary reasons for leaving their positions. How can shops prevent these things and keep the skilled technicians they have?
Recognizing what motivates your employees is the first step. Competitive pay, recognition, and safe working environments are all important to workers. However, it’s also incumbent on your entire leadership team to ensure your culture supports employee retention.
Below, we outline several tips and best practices to ensure your automotive team stays consistent and happy.
What’s Important to Your Automotive Employees
High turnover doesn’t happen by accident—it’s the result of unmet needs and unresolved frustrations. The good news? Most retention issues are preventable.
From quality uniform programs to leadership accountability, small changes add up.
Here’s what works.
1. Support: Technicians need leadership that shows up. When problems hit, managers and foremen should respond quickly and clearly. Equal support helps techs fix vehicles fast and keeps the shop moving.
2. Teach: Confidence comes from knowledge. Share what you know and push team members to do the same. Teaching makes the trainer feel valued, and it helps the learner grow stronger.
3. Address Issues Directly: Pay, hours, and working conditions will always cause tension. The key is to face problems head-on. Listen, involve the team, and settle issues before they push people out.
4. Engaged Leadership: Leaders set the pace. From owner to foreman, everyone has to stay aligned. If one leader ignores the culture, the whole shop feels it.
5. Foster a Team Environment: A shop runs better when everyone pulls in the same direction. Build fair relationships, keep communication open, and back words with action. Even uniforms can build unity and pride.
6. Recognize and Celebrate: Pay matters, but so does recognition. Celebrate good work, big or small. A raise, a thank-you, or a public compliment shows employees they matter.
However, these don’t have to be a huge celebration with cake and speeches, it can be simple attaboys, high-fives, and genuine thanks. Do it in front of their peers so that they feel inspired to do the same, and that the employee’s contributions don’t go unnoticed.
Building a positive, supporting culture takes some time. However, if your leadership team is doggedly consistent, your business will reap the rewards. It’ll make your life easier as a business owner, work a little more fun, and your dealership ultimately more profitable.
Additionally, those happy techs may just advocate for others to join the team.
Improve Auto Industry Employee Turnover and Retention with Better Uniform Service
Employee morale and safety have a direct impact on auto industry employee turnover and retention. Whether they have been at your company for 10 years or 10 days, your employees and their morale are necessary.
Techs and others have work to do, and poor uniform service can be a frustrating distraction that contributes to morale issues. Missing garments, poor fit, or uniforms that do not meet safety standards create daily frustration. Over time, those frustrations drive employees to look elsewhere.
At Ace ImageWear, we may not know how to perform a 20-point vehicle diagnosis. However, we do know how to provide quality uniform service—and have so for almost 90 years.
You’ll find our uniforms well-fitting, clean, and in excellent repair. Our deliveries are consistently complete, and we ensure that our billing is transparent and understandable. From online account access to our TrAce mobile app, everyone on your staff will be communicated with and treated as an important and valued member of the team.
By removing uniform complaints, we help shops reduce distractions, strengthen morale, and support long-term retention goals.
Get Started with Ace ImageWear!
Keeping good people is hard enough in today’s market. Don’t let poor uniform service add to the challenge. Ace ImageWear makes it easy to improve auto industry employee turnover and retention with uniforms that fit well, arrive on time, and stay in top condition.
Contact us today to build your customized automotive safety uniform program and keep your team focused, comfortable, and safe.