It's a subject never far from dealer conversation and indeed, one discussed in our pages plenty of times - but it is one that demands constant consideration. And that's staff recruitment.

So what is the situation like for your dealership so far this year? That's what we'd like to hear your thoughts on today please. We've run a short survey on this subject around now for the past couple of years and it'll be fascinating to hear if anything has changed much with your experiences of finding people to work in your showrooms and workshops during the past 12 months.

When we asked you last year, I'll be honest, those dealers who responded painted a pretty grim picture of the situation. Some choice quotes we received included:

• "Abysmal would cover it...Quite honestly, I don't know what the answer is, but with the average age in dealerships creeping up, if we don't inject some young blood into the business, there quite frankly won't be one."
• "A dire situation has only become worse. Wage expectations are now way too high."
• "Schools and government need to recognise that not all pupils want to go to college or university. These pupils should be enabled to get into a working environment sooner."
• "More technical training colleges are required"

We certainly didn't receive any accounts of dealerships having an easy time finding new people. So are these kinds of opinions above, still ringing true with your business? Or have you sensed that there has been a positive shift in your local employment market? There has certainly been plenty of advice offered on what businesses can do to attract fresh blood from various sources and our sector's trade associations are stepping up with schemes and campaigns - so have any of these helped?

In the most recent column in Service Dealer magazine, our industry-expert, mystery writer The Sprocket, tackled the subject once again - speaking of the hardships faced by dealers looking to recruit in a world of increased wage expectations, expanded competition from other sectors and a shrinking candidate pool.

Bearing all these facts in mind, The Sprocket said, " . .anyone recruiting needs to be more professional about it and present their company and packages in a clear and attractive manor. They also need to know what the modern youngster or potential candidate is expecting from their business and what career opportunities are available."

The Sprocket went on to advise that winning over a candidate should be about more than just pay scales. Wellbeing will be a huge influencing factor for young people today, with the spotlight on work/life balance and the importance of good mental health. Beyond this, stressing the long-term career opportunities that a sector steeped in cutting edge technology is able to offer, was also seen to be key.

And as indicated, help should be at hand. With the AEA, BAGMA and IAgrE combining to form the Landbased Engineering Training and Education Committee (LE-TEC), who are promoting the We Are Landbased Engineering scheme, the Sprocket pointed out there is a website and supporting documentation available to help potential candidates learn more about what the industry has to offer in terms of careers and apprenticeships.

So considering these factors, has your business been able to make the recruitment process any smoother?

At this point, I do think it's fair when we're talking about the struggles that the dealer network is facing when recruiting, to acknowledge that it's not a unique problem to people who sell and service outdoor powered equipment. A quick Google of the phrase "recruitment difficulties" brings up current matching news stories from industries as diverse as hospitality, the military, the medical sector, construction - almost every job you can think of really.

It may be cold comfort to know that others in entirely separate spheres are having a hard time too when you can't find someone to fill that gap in your workshop, but it does seem to be a fact of working life in 2024.

Anyway, we're running a brief survey on the subject again today. Our dealer readers' input always plays the most important role in shaping our understanding of what's happening in the network, and revisiting the survey again today will highlight your up-to-date perspectives, deepening our insights into the recruitment situation. So please if you can spare a few moments, do share your views.

As ever, we'll publish the results and a cross-section of your comments in the upcoming issue of Service Dealer magazine. Thanks in advance for your always much appreciated help.

TAKE THE SURVEY.