Investing in the Future

The future of the UK tyre industry belongs to those who invest in their staff, believes David Boulton from Entyrety. Boulton, technical sales manager for the Birmingham based supplier of tyre and fleet training and support services, is concerned that a lack of investment in training will not only perpetuate existing bad workplace practices, but also will ultimately drag these businesses down.

“It is well known that in certain areas of retailing there is a shortage of good tyre technician/fitters,” comments Boulton, adding that this problem stems from a lack of investment over many years in the people who carry out this function. As a consequence, he believes, in some areas the ‘interface’ between the tyre industry and the public has been found wanting. “There has been some improvement in recent years,” admits Boulton, “but this is only in the businesses who recognise that to safeguard their future they have to invest in their staff and provide training and development schemes. These will be the companies that survive long-term, and those that do not invest could face a bleaker future.”

With levels of competence and professionalism within the tyre industry, as David Boulton observes, varying widely, the approach a business takes towards staff training is crucial. “Smaller retailers tend towards more in-house self training, where experienced staff train new recruits,” he says. While undoubtedly an approach that is easy on a business’s bottom line, Boulton cautions that this DIY solution to staff training can have a hidden cost. “The danger with this is that bad habits can also get passed down.”

“The more progressive companies tend to take a longer-term view, realise the true value of well trained staff and will invest in the future of their business,” he adds. This is where Entyrety enters the picture. The Continental Tyre affiliated organisation has developed and runs 15 training modules that cover numerous facets of the industry, from tyre handling courses through to apprenticeship schemes, with customer service and business training also offered to ensure staff performance outside of the workshop matches that within.

The reasons for a business looking towards an external organisation such as Entyrety for its training needs are varied, observes David Boulton, however several do stand out. The unfortunate reality of high staff turnover in entry level industry positions provides a steady stream of new candidates for training, although Boulton adds that while training on basic skills such as tyre fitting exists, it is often “at a lower level than perhaps the industry needs.” Other re-occurring motivations for training include the implementation of new legislation or increased awareness of a particular subject area, and the need to equip staff with necessary skills prior to a business diversifying or engaging in a new venture.

But identifying which specific areas training is most needed can be a challenge for some businesses, and Entyrety can even assist to this end. “What is becoming increasingly popular is mystery shopper type research which helps the client identify what there real training and development needs are,” Boulton comments. The Mystery Shopper programme, designed to evaluate a pre-determined selection of criteria that usually includes staff knowledge and advice, attitude towards customers and quality of advice, is perhaps a familiar concept to viewers of the BBC’s Watchdog and similar shows, and can take several forms, including an unannounced shopper (with or without hidden video!) or a doctored vehicle brought in for repairs.

No one particular type of Entyrety training stands out as being more popular than others, says Mr. Boulton. However, he does point out that in general larger companies tend to go for the more specialised courses on offer, such as the business training courses – which include management and business development, IT training and customer service skills. Similarly, the preferred method of delivering training is also dependent on the type and size of the client company. “The smaller retailer prefers a hands-on approach as the need tends to be more for practical and manual education. The larger concerns look more for development of personal skills in business management and business development.”

So what steps does Entyrety take to make sure the training it provides is meeting the needs of the industry and, just as importantly, how does the organisation identify the need for new courses? “There are two main routes,” says Boulton. “One is where the client approaches us with what they perceive to be their needs, but the most successful route is via consultation with the customer.

“It is very important to understand the customer’s business and develop a long-term relationship,” he adds. When a company is looking at its future direction Entyrety will “act as a consultant and help the client focus training and development on the real need areas.”

Appropriate training, believes Boulton, is imperative to staff retention, which in turn is vital for a business’s continued health. “The retail industry are very aware of the shortage of tyre fitters and know that part of the solution is to provide new people with good quality training and development and treat the position as the first rung on a career ladder,” he notes. However, as previously stated, Boulton observes that forward-thinking companies take a more long-term view of staff needs and appreciate the worth of well trained employees, and unsurprisingly staff retention in these companies is higher.

“There is also a shortage within the industry of up and coming quality tyre engineers, which in the main is due to tyre production plants disappearing from our shores,” adds the technical sales manager. “Production plants were an excellent source of well trained and experienced engineers and this source has all but dried up. Therefore to plug this hole investment in training is essential.”

“It is often said ‘the most important resource a business has is its people’. Sadly there are still too many companies in the marketplace who do not take this seriously.” The long-term survival of many tyre industry businesses, David Boulton cautions, depend upon a change in this attitude.