North Carolina's Leith group recruits techs at Cars and Coffee event. It's a success.

For the thousands of auto enthusiasts attending Cars and Coffee Morrisville each month in North Carolina, the free event is an opportunity to see classic cars, hot rods, supercars and modified trucks in a family-friendly setting.

For Leith Automotive Group, of Raleigh, N.C., it's a great place to recruit badly needed service technicians, along with porters, greeters, cashiers and staff for the parts department.

The event draws up to 3,000 cars and brings in people from inside and outside the Raleigh-Durham area on the first Saturday of the month.

The Leith group, which operates over two dozen dealerships, began using the popular event last summer to interact with car shoppers, showcase its own vehicles and find new service employees in the crowd of car lovers.

"Our original goal was to hire technicians, as there's a shortage in the industry," said Kevin Mills, fixed operations director at Leith Autopark Honda in Cary, N.C. "We have found that we have not only picked up on technicians, but support people."

Mills said the group has hired seven service technicians after setting up a recruitment booth at the gathering.

Leith also has recruited six people as porters, greeters and a cashier. Some of those support staff are interested in training for basic service jobs, such as express oil changes, and potentially moving up the ladder to technician.

"Where better to find a technician than at a car show or a racetrack or something of that nature, because that's what they're interested in," Mills said.

The idea of recruiting at Cars and Coffee came during a brainstorming session at a management meeting, Mills said. A manager noted what a big crowd of car enthusiasts the event attracts. The decision to give recruiting a try has turned out well.

Leith employs about 1,900 people in the Raleigh-Durham area and sells about 37,000 vehicles a year, new and used. Many factors are driving the need for more technicians, said Mills, who spearheads the effort.

The Raleigh-Durham area is growing, as is Leith, and the tight supply of new vehicles means there's a lot of service work for vehicles already on the road.

Leith has good retention of its current technicians due to favorable working conditions, Mills said, but there's always a need for more to support the growth of the business.

"We're always looking for techs, no matter what store it is," he said. "From Chrysler to Mercedes and Kia. We need somebody everywhere. That's one of our biggest hurdles, getting enough technicians — and support staff, for that matter."

At the show, Leith sets up recruitment displays with a QR code that connects directly to the auto group's hiring page, where an application can be filled out.

Up to eight employees — including service managers, technicians, service advisers and parts staff — are on hand to answer questions.

"There's nothing better if you're looking for a job than to talk to the people that work there already," Mills said.

The low-pressure environment is an opportunity for informal discussions and "to find out what their goals are, what they're thinking, maybe why they're not happy where they are, or if they are happy, are they just looking for a change in life or want to move?" he added.

Leith's recruitment booth includes brochures and a big-screen TV with a video on a loop that introduces the dealership group and includes testimonials by service technicians.

Leith offers competitive salaries, good benefits and long-term career opportunities, Mills said. Those factors often entice independent technicians from rural areas who want to jump-start their careers.

One of the technicians Leith hired wasn't even at the Cars and Coffee event but heard about the job opportunity by word-of-mouth. Two relatives walked by the recruitment booth and passed the information on, along with the QR code. A few weeks later, the technician was hired, Mills said.

"We may not meet the person there," Mills said. "But we may talk to someone who knows someone and puts them into contact with us."

In another case, the event crew met a service technician from another company who was happy with his job and didn't want to change. But Leith hired his wife as a cashier.

Leith is committed to continuing the recruitment drive at Cars and Coffee, Mills said. The event is good for hiring, good for the group's profile in the community and even good for sales.

At a recent Cars and Coffee that was focused on Jeep, the on-site staff brokered the sale of a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon along with four lift kits and seven sets of wheels, Mills said.

Leith also recruits technicians from Wake Technical Community College, the Universal Technical Institute and the automotive program at Chapel Hill High School. Mills said he recruited two part-time service workers at Cars and Coffee who are still in technical school.