Jason Lightbody is co-owner of Houska Automotive, a 40-bay repair business in Fort Collins, Colorado. A military veteran with a background in tire shop management, he joined Houska in 2010 and helped expand its tire and heavy-duty service operations. His approach to hiring automotive technicians draws on that operating experience and the company’s investment in employee development.

In this episode…

An open technician position puts pressure on the people carrying the workload. Filling the position addresses the immediate schedule, but the person joining the team also needs the skills and support to meet the shop’s repair standards. Across multiple locations, those expectations need to hold from one shop to the next.

Jason describes an earlier approach at Houska that kept production moving but brought in people with little interest in developing a career. The company changed its approach to hiring automotive technicians by seeking skilled candidates and supporting them with strong pay and benefits. He reports low turnover and recalls more than 50 applicants for one technician opening.

Several candidates were worth bringing onto the team. Houska adjusted existing roles to make room, including moving a younger technician alongside a shop foreman for additional training. Recruiting experienced people and developing current employees became part of the same staffing decision.

The commitment continues after the offer. Houska tested technicians on electrical repairs to establish a consistent process and invested in technical and leadership training for managers. For operators overseeing several locations, the practical work is defining the repair standard and giving managers the training to reinforce it.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[02:03] Building automotive management expertise through tire and repair operations

[04:04] Using tire services to increase customer visits and retention

[11:55] Building a technician hiring strategy around compensation and development

[14:07] Establishing consistent repair standards backed by quality parts

[17:24] Using the 300% rule to guide transparent repair recommendations

[23:04] Managing shop expansion through operational lessons and complementary partnerships

[26:23] Strengthening shop teams through diverse employee perspectives

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Jason Lightbody on LinkedIn
• Houska Automotive Website
• Tread Partners
• Gain Traction Podcast on YouTube
• Gain Traction Podcast Website
• Mike Edge on LinkedIn

Quotable Moments:

• “100% of those inspections get estimated, and 100% of those estimates get presented to the customer.”
• “We had to learn how to run a tire company.”
• “Leadership is humility.”

Action Steps:

1. Make the employment offer concrete. Update the posting you use for hiring automotive technicians with a clear pay range and benefits details. Describe the training attached to the role so applicants understand how they will develop.
2. Review staffing needs across locations before making an offer. Have each manager identify the work that requires an experienced technician and the employees who need closer supervision. Assign a foreman and schedule training for technicians moving into apprentice roles.
3. Standardize one recurring repair. Ask each location to demonstrate how its technicians perform a common electrical repair. Agree on the procedure and required materials, then review the standard at the next shop meeting.
4. Audit inspection follow-through. Review five completed repair orders per location. Check that each vehicle received an inspection and that the findings were estimated and presented to the customer. Address missing steps with the responsible manager.
5. Schedule development and invite employee input. Have each manager select one technical or leadership skill to develop and book a training session. At the next team meeting, ask a newer technician to suggest a process improvement and assign someone to follow up.