For any business, employee
turnover wastes time and costs both money and customers. But tire dealers and
store managers don’t have to stand by powerless watching employees come and go.
There are several things you can do to reduce turnover rates.
• Use care during the hiring
process. When interviewing a candidate, think of your best past and present
employees. Consider the qualities and skills they brought to the job. This
information can help you construct effective and meaningful questions to ask.
Look for indications that applicants can do the job, will fit into your
environment and will act the way you need them to act. Ask candidates what they
learned from their formal and informal training and what they did with this
knowledge. Ask about their biggest challenges. Tell them to describe their
previous boss or former instructor. Query them on the type of environment they
see themselves working in, what kind of manager or company is attractive to
them and what daily work activities they enjoy doing.
• Review the attractiveness
of your dealership as a potential employee. Tire sales and servicing, for the
most part, are low-paid positions. Money isn’t everything, but it has to be
considered. Look at other means you might have for employees to increase their
incomes. Commission programs, bonus plans or performance incentives can
motivate employees. If such programs are cost-prohibitive, consider
alternatives, such as scheduling flexibility, discounts or on-going training.
These benefits can be very attractive to employees and can be great tools for
reducing turnover.
• Continually show
appreciation and give recognition to your current employees for their hard
work; keep employees informed about the business and its goals; conduct regular
and written performance reviews; and be familiar with your employees’ career
goals.
• Try to offer some form of
medical benefits. Affordable health plans for small companies do exist, and
even minimal benefits are attractive to employees.
• Always keep employees
informed, educated and, importantly, challenged.
- Source: Tire Review
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