Horsepower or Torque?: A Car Analogy for Identifying Parking Industry Talent

Warning: This one is for the car enthusiasts out there.?

Finding the right talent in the parking industry can be difficult. First, you have to attract talent to even apply. I mean, how do you even classify “Parking Garage Manager” in a way that they will grab the attention of candidates? Once you do find someone, anyone, the screening process is the next hurdle…. - “So, what do you know about parking?”

I was talking to a colleague recently about finding and identifying talent in the parking industry, being a fellow car enthusiast, and he noted the concept of Horsepower and Torque - an appropriate analogy, I think.?

The idea is that some people have a lot of horsepower, and others have a lot of torque, and the ideal candidate is someone who has a balance of both.?

What is Horsepower?

Essentially, horsepower is the measurement of output over time. In this analogy,? it means the ability to go on for a prolonged period of time, to be energetic. This is why we equate high horsepower cars to high rates of speed, but more importantly, being able to maintain a high rate of speed. A characteristic we all want in a candidate.?

Take any supercar, for instance. These high horsepower machines have the ability to reach “go to jail” speeds - and maintain them. Think F1 Cars and GT racing. These hyper focused track cars can carry on for hours while averaging speeds over 100 miles per hour. Why? Because of horsepower (and a lot of other tech that does not serve this analogy).?

The high horsepower candidate sets the pace for others. They work until the job is done, and they rarely need to be motivated to complete tasks. Once their work is done (it's never done in parking) they look for more work.

We know horsepower, we know what it looks like, and it's pretty easy to identify it when we see it.?

What is Torque?

Torque is simply the ability to get going. It's that initial thrust you feel when you stomp your foot on the accelerator. Stuck in traffic and see a quick opening to merge your way to freedom? That’s where torque comes in. Identifying an opportunity and knowing when to seize it.?

It’s the brain power, the creativity, and the willingness to take risks to move the needle forward. It’s knowing what resources it takes to get something done. Torque doesn’t rely on the momentum of those around them - they create it. While the high horsepower employee keeps the pace - the high torque employee gets them going.

This can be more difficult to identify in a candidate as it’s best demonstrated through how they perform - not just the fact that they do.

They are the ones with the initiatives, the dreamers. They react quickly with sound decision making. They may not always be the most resilient, but they are always the most resourceful.?

Striking the Perfect Balance

Even in motoring, finding a car that has the right balance of torque and horsepower can be a struggle.?

The best balance in performance from a car (In my opinion) comes from having enough torque to jump off the starting line, while having the horsepower to maintain the gap between you and the four wheel appliances that litter our roads. They are the cars that stand out, not for their looks - but because you know what's under the hood and what they are capable of.

When looking for someone for a parking industry role it's crucial to recruit with this in mind. Parking can be very demanding, and it's a 24/7 service business. With a hyper focus on financial performance all while keeping customers happy, having someone with the right balance of torque and horsepower can ensure they will not only meet problems with solutions, but also have the energy to endure.?

You’ll rarely find someone that strikes the perfect balance. And more often than not, successful teams will have a torque/horsepower composition disproportionately distributed throughout a cohort - the sum of all parts…

But still, there is an opportunity to look at recruiting in this context.?

A candidate will be most successful in the industry if they not only have initiative, but stamina (torque & horsepower). They must possess the ability to problem solve under pressure, while also keeping a pulse on driving financial performance. This doesn’t mean that they have to know the answer to every question, or that they must be willing to put in 60+ hour work weeks to keep the wheel on. It does mean, however,? that we should pay close attention to how candidates react when presented with conflicting demands in the interview process. They should be able to get things done, while being sure to refuel and remain energized.

Good looks like someone that has identified problems in the past, taken the initiative to present solutions, and continues that cycle over and over again. They are constantly pursuing an objective, sometimes many at the same time, all in an effort to get to the next fork in the road. They have a plan, and they know how to use their resources to execute. They track progress, they change direction swiftly, and they know how to keep everyone around them at highway pace. These are the thinkers, AND the doers.?

An Imbalance?

Inevitably, some candidates will have more horsepower than torque, or vice versa. But just like cars, adding the right modifications can change that.?

Here are few ways to address talent imbalance (and a few more car analogies):

• Get the right parts for the right car: You wouldn’t get a performance exhaust for an EV, and conversely, upgrading your charging infrastructure for an internal combustion engine would have no effect. This is why it is paramount to identify a candidate's weaknesses. We won’t hold weaknesses against them, but rather let them inform their on-boarding and training experience. Got someone with a lot of energy, but missing critical thinking capabilities? Pair them up with folks responsible for strategy in your organization. What about the person with a ton of ideas and no execution? They are best served working on a team of doers, while being held accountable for their own contributions. Thoughtful team engineering can help compliment individual contributors' attributes.?
• Find the right tuner: Even with all of the performance parts in the world bolted on, a car will not produce the desired power output without the right tune. In fact, you could damage the existing performance. The same is true for talent - get them the right coach. Introduce your high horsepower recruit to those torquey veterans - the ones who have a few war stories from the garage to share. This will ensure that all of the training, resources, and tools will be placed into a context for which to be drawn from.?
• Avoid Spinning Wheels: It's both a function of horsepower and torque that make for smokey burnouts. But without the traction to be able to put the power to the ground - all of that performance is for not. Traction comes from being intentional and having a plan. Parking pros need to know when to stomp on the gas, but not at the expense of sliding all over the place. This is why we should communicate explicit expectations with anyone considering a role in the industry. This will enable them to keep their eyes on the road and stay between the guardrails.

We all like to think that parking is not like other industries, and in many ways, this is true. That is why as we draw more talent to parking, we need to be thoughtful and intentional about identifying the right people. Even if they do not possess the perfect horsepower/torque split, we need to recognize this and set a route for success.?

“Some people have more horsepower, some have more torque, the difficult part is finding someone with both”