Year-End Review: Auto Glass Shops That Invested in Recruiting in 2022 Head Into 2023 Stronger

Approaching the end of 2022, the auto glass industry's workforce challenge had not meaningfully improved from the conditions documented earlier in the year. The 14% technician decline that University of Oklahoma economist Robert Dauffenbach had quantified in April remained the backdrop against which every shop's hiring and retention decisions played out.

Shops that had approached the problem systematically—establishing paid apprenticeship programs, partnering with local trade schools, offering competitive starting wages pegged above the BLS median, and providing clear ADAS training pathways—reported better staffing stability heading into 2023. Those that had continued to rely on reactive job postings when a position opened were still cycling through candidates and struggling with turnover.

The ADAS training component had emerged as an unexpected differentiator in recruiting: technicians with calibration interest or experience were scarce, and shops that could offer structured ADAS training as part of a hiring package were attracting candidates who might otherwise have gone to larger chains with formal training programs.

Industry organizations including the AGSC and National Auto Glass Association had begun developing resources for shops to build their own apprenticeship programs, recognizing that waiting for vocational schools to update curricula would leave shops short-staffed for years. The DIY apprenticeship model—where an experienced technician mentors a newer hire through a structured progression—was being documented and formalized as a transferable template.

For shop owners looking ahead to 2023, the workforce picture suggested that investment in people—above-market compensation, structured training, defined career paths—would continue to be the primary competitive differentiator between shops that could grow and those that were constrained by their inability to hire and retain the calibration-capable technicians the evolving vehicle fleet demanded.

The year-end 2022 staffing landscape also highlighted the advantage of internal promotion pathways. Shops that had developed clear progression tracks—installer to lead technician to ADAS specialist to shop manager—were retaining staff at higher rates than shops where advancement was undefined. Technicians who could see a concrete career path within the organization, including ADAS certification milestones and associated pay increases, were less likely to leave for a competing offer, providing workforce stability that offset the higher investment in compensation and training.