Attracting your “dream team” requires inspiring candidates about the industry, emphasizing your people-focused culture and leveraging digital and social platforms to connect and develop your business.
Tire dealerships of all sizes struggle to find dynamic salespeople, qualified service technicians and ambitious staff who are committed to the long-term career potential that the retail automotive industry provides.
Many dealers use online job boards such as Indeed, Monster or ZipRecruiter to drive a high quantity of applicants when they have a job opening. Unfortunately, competing for quality candidates causes dealers to overspend to find top talent and pay an “applicant tax.” Profitability can quickly come under pressure if the costs of employee recruitment and retention are not strategically managed. Hiring and onboarding a new employee costs an average of $10,000 at a dealership, and annual turnover rates can be as high as 67% for sales positions. The wrong hiring decisions can be costly.
Finding the right talent takes progressive strategies beyond using online job boards. One strategy for keeping the talent pipeline filled is to continually look for the best candidates, even when you don’t need them.
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Hire for Attitude and Character
The last decade has seen the overall retail industry transform through more engaging online experiences, increased product customization and seamless customer experiences. This same transformation is happening in automotive retail as well, requiring dealers to hire top talent who will deliver an approach that is more customer-centric than it is transactional.
That means dealers need to seek talent who will adapt, grow with the industry and the organization, and share the organization’s values and work ethic.
Keeping an ongoing dialogue with talent—those looking for jobs right now and those considering a career switch to the automotive retail industry—is also a great first step in being more proactive with recruitment.
Be a People-First Culture
Dealers who successfully engage and recruit top talent know candidates choose a position based just as much on culture and values as on specific job descriptions. That’s because top candidates don’t expect their first job at a tire dealership to be their only job—they seek professional and personal growth through formal training, mentoring and other learning opportunities. Emphasizing company culture can demonstrate your commitment to a people-first approach to both potential hires and current employees.
Leverage Technology for Connection
While online job boards may have their place in a recruitment strategy, the most effective use of technology occurs with a dealership’s own website and social media platforms. Candidates look to learn everything they can about a company and are influenced through multiple social and digital touchpoints. Growing your reputation as a desired employer depends a great deal on your website’s content, as well as social media platforms such as Facebook.
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