John Melendez is the owner of JDM Collision in the Chicago area, which recently underwent an expansion, making it necessary to hire more quality employees.
The Collision Vision podcast, driven by Autobody News and hosted by Cole Strandberg, wrapped up its “Beyond the Surface Innovations in Automotive Refinishing” series with a visit from Melendez, who shared how he has built a successful paint team at his shop, and why doing so is a critical factor in his business’ success.
Strandberg asked Melendez what traits and skills he looks for when hiring for his shop’s paint department.
Melendez said he networks with local high schools, colleges and tech schools, as people who have paid for training in a certain trade are looking for a return on that investment in the form of a good job.
“I look at [education] as a starting point,” he said.
Melendez said he looks for potential employees who have a passion for the industry.
“I mean, everybody wants to make a good living,” Melendez said. “But at the same time, knowing that when you take them and walk them through a new updated paint shop, and you could see that glimmer in their eye, I think I found the right person.” He has been fortunate to meet several people who fit the bill.
John Melendez, far left, with new techs Diego Ramirez and Lamont Walls Jr., second and third from left, and Samantha McCauley, far right, new team lead.
Melendez met one recent new hire, Lamont Walls Jr., at a career fair hosted by I-CAR at Lincoln College of Technology in Melrose Park, IL. As of today, Walls has been at JDM Collision for a year.
Another time, Melendez was volunteering with the Collision Repair Education Fund (CREF) when he met Kenneth McMillan, an instructor at Kennedy-King College, another Chicago-area school. That led to two of McMillan’s students being hired by JDM Collision. Diego Ramirez is entering his second month with the shop, and the other will start in mid-January.
Walls and Ramirez are both in the paint department, while the incoming third new hire wants to be a body technician.
“The two that are in the paint shop today [Walls and Ramirez] are truly wanting to go into the paint field. They want to get more acclimated and they want to paint cars. And they made that very clear,” Melendez said.
Attracting Young Talent to Collision Repair
Mentoring is a big part of attracting and retaining young talent, Melendez said.
“I enjoy being hands-on in the trenches, in the shop with our staff and assisting,” he said. “I'm seeing more of a reception from our new hires that they enjoy the direction, and not just tossing them out..
“Being in [the shop] on a day-to-day basis and communicating, and then getting them proper direction, I think is going to give you a long-term employee,” he added.
New hires also like to see a career path -- and that an employer follows through on it.
“I'm not selling them a false bill of goods,” Melendez said. “I’m saying, ‘Guys, I'm very fortunate that you're here, and I definitely see you within a year’s time doing different tasks’ -- and also telling the truth.”
He said he also gives entry-level techs tasks that make them feel important, and rewards them for quality work.
Melendez said one of his new paint department hires will use the shop’s new digital color-matching camera to find paint formulas. Another new hire will do masking.
“He feels important. He knows he's going to do that day in, day out. And having them do that repetitively is getting them very acclimated,” Melendez said.
After a month, they will switch roles.
“I've given them each the opportunity to learn each other's job, so they complement one another,” Melendez said. “Then, in this sense that they have a bigger job now, that team effort is going to get that job done that much more efficiently. So we can keep a steady pace inside of the paint shop.”
Once the paint shop starts hitting its production goals, the team will get a monetary reward.
“To put it in layman's terms, having a carrot in front of them, but yet making them feel like they're responsible, is how you're going to grow a strong employee for a long time,” Melendez said.
A well-equipped shop is also a draw. Melendez said the new hire about to start work was impressed with the shop’s new electronic measuring system.
“That's how I was able to sell this young man to come on board, saying, ‘You're going to start off on the identification, disassembly, assembly, but it's going to be very important that you learn how to measure that vehicle, so you understand what has to be repaired,’” Melendez said.
“Having the updated shop has been a big selling point for me to acquire some of these kids that are very tech savvy and truly do have the ability to fix the car, but putting the right type of tool in their hand, I think is going to help me solidify me having a strong team in the future,” he added.
Continuing Collision Repair Training and Education
Melendez praised the I-CAR Academy program, a comprehensive entry-level curriculum designed to support both new technicians and the shops that employ them, which will be available to shops early this year.
“I want these entry-level technicians to go through every single aspect [of the I-CAR Academy curriculum], even though these two [new hires] in particular want to be in paint exclusively,” Melendez said. “They have to understand the whole repair concept.”
He has already set up a room in his shop as a training center, with a large monitor and computers, where they can complete the training during down time.
“It's very private, and at the same time they've got their instructor’s assistance,” Melendez said.
I-CAR is continuously upgrading its training modules for all technicians. Part of that process involves talking to shop owners to learn what they need in an employee, and working with OEMs to learn about their repair procedures for increasingly complex vehicles.
Melendez said shop managers should also look to their paint manufacturer, which often provides training on how paint techs can optimize their materials. Melendez said he attends his paint manufacturer’s training “religiously.”
“That's where I acquire additional skills, to where I could help make it that much easier for our staff understanding the product,” Melendez said. “I think that's where it's going to stem from, to build a strong paint team.”
New Technician Success Stories
Strandberg asked if Melendez had any success stories to share about helping new hires thrive.
Melendez said Walls once took the initiative to sand and feather a car’s hood. Later, Walls’ team leader pointed out some imperfections that would have to be fixed. Melendez said he noticed Walls’ face fell a bit, so he took Walls aside and told him he got an “A” for effort.
“I could not chisel the smile off of that kid's face, by just recognizing that he did truly try to help out the business, help out the department, really want to get ahead,” Melendez said. “Those are the things that really make my day.
“And that was just one instance in which I felt that just by recognizing that he truly does have that passion, I really think I'm going to get a whole lot more out of him.”
The Future of JDM Collision
Melendez is a member of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Illinois (AASPI) Board of Directors.
After being named chair of the association’s education committee, Melendez has a plan to work with I-CAR to put together a platform to help other shops use it the same way he does in his own shop. He is also working on establishing a charter high school on the North Side of Chicago to expose students to the collision repair industry.
The goal is to continue to build his shop’s reputation based on quality. Melendez credited that reputation, along with his working relationship with five local GM dealerships and recent equipment upgrades, with his success as an independent shop operator in the age of consolidation.
Another key will be getting further involved with local schools and perhaps establishing a co-op training program to acquire new talent.
“That's going to help solidify the continued growth of my business as being a pillar in the industry,” Melendez said.
Abby Andrews