Just reaching out for any advice on hiring good candidates, or even finding candidates in the first place to interview. It's never been harder to find good people, and its odd considering the unemployment rate is so high! Just wondering if we could share any tips or hints as far as websites used, etc.
Why is Hiring So Hard?
- Thread starter JillB
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- May 1, 2006
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- Alex
It is tough hiring for a dealership because dealerships typically are not viewed as premier career opportunities. How many people do you know who said "when I grow up, I want to be a used car salesman?"
- May 1, 2005
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- Jeff
What do you mean Alex? I've always wanted to work at a dealership.
This is a position my dealers are currently in. We're desperate for sales people but there are none to be found. We go through countless resumes and applications and as soon as we think we have one, a red flag shows itself and we can't hire them.
During a meeting last week, this was a huge topic of conversation. Being on the marketing side im focused on our value proposition, why do business with us - WIIFM.
Why is it any different when looking for quality people for your dealership? Ask yourself, why would someone want to work for your dealership? Why? And I don't want to hear bs like, cause we're friendly and family owned..no one gives a shit about that.
What truly makes your dealership a great place to work?
WIIFM!
Great pay plan..but spell it out.
Great insurance plan
Demo or demo allowance
No more than 40 hours a week - and hold true to it
-- closed Sunday's (a lot of people in retail work Sunday's)
Great training with a we won't let you fail attitude (but truly have great training)
Tools of transparency to help you acquire more sales
Sell your veterans - why are your veterans still working there? Interview them for some great ideas.
Prove that you take care of your customers - this is another great area to leverage those customer reviews on DealerRater. No one wants to work for a business with a bad reputation.
Want more women? Offer a day care assistance or have an onsite daycare facility.
Speaking of tools - each sales person has their own office and/or computer.
Long term residual pay - each car you sell now pays you 20.00 that you start to collect on year 3 of continued employment.
So many Saturday's off a year or month
Employee pricing for yourself and family members
This is just a quick brain storm of ideas.
Again - what is your dealers value proposition for working at your dealership? Why would someone want to work at your dealership.
Once you have this list, how do you get the message out there?
Leverage the employment page on your dealers website...
Start a careers micro site.
Ahhh, here's another great reason to focus on social media. Who would disagree that a "social dealer" with a voice in the community would have an easier time finding people to work at their dealership?
Video video video - Video interviews of your current employees and why they enjoy working there.
This problem isn't going to get worse as time moves on and a new generation comes up through the ranks. Start thinking like a retailer and less like a dealership. It's time to stop saying "it's how car dealerships do it, it's how we have always done it" , it's not going to fly.
This is a position my dealers are currently in. We're desperate for sales people but there are none to be found. We go through countless resumes and applications and as soon as we think we have one, a red flag shows itself and we can't hire them.
During a meeting last week, this was a huge topic of conversation. Being on the marketing side im focused on our value proposition, why do business with us - WIIFM.
Why is it any different when looking for quality people for your dealership? Ask yourself, why would someone want to work for your dealership? Why? And I don't want to hear bs like, cause we're friendly and family owned..no one gives a shit about that.
What truly makes your dealership a great place to work?
WIIFM!
Great pay plan..but spell it out.
Great insurance plan
Demo or demo allowance
No more than 40 hours a week - and hold true to it
-- closed Sunday's (a lot of people in retail work Sunday's)
Great training with a we won't let you fail attitude (but truly have great training)
Tools of transparency to help you acquire more sales
Sell your veterans - why are your veterans still working there? Interview them for some great ideas.
Prove that you take care of your customers - this is another great area to leverage those customer reviews on DealerRater. No one wants to work for a business with a bad reputation.
Want more women? Offer a day care assistance or have an onsite daycare facility.
Speaking of tools - each sales person has their own office and/or computer.
Long term residual pay - each car you sell now pays you 20.00 that you start to collect on year 3 of continued employment.
So many Saturday's off a year or month
Employee pricing for yourself and family members
This is just a quick brain storm of ideas.
Again - what is your dealers value proposition for working at your dealership? Why would someone want to work at your dealership.
Once you have this list, how do you get the message out there?
Leverage the employment page on your dealers website...
Start a careers micro site.
Ahhh, here's another great reason to focus on social media. Who would disagree that a "social dealer" with a voice in the community would have an easier time finding people to work at their dealership?
Video video video - Video interviews of your current employees and why they enjoy working there.
This problem isn't going to get worse as time moves on and a new generation comes up through the ranks. Start thinking like a retailer and less like a dealership. It's time to stop saying "it's how car dealerships do it, it's how we have always done it" , it's not going to fly.
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We do everything you've mentioned - great reputation - benefits - 5 day work week, etc. I've come to the conclusion its way easier to collect an unemployment check than it is to actually get up in the morning and earn a living!
We ended up emailing our entire CRM database an SOS. Got a lot of interesting stuff back. In process of sorting it all out but hopefully we can find fits for all of the positions we were advertising!
We ended up emailing our entire CRM database an SOS. Got a lot of interesting stuff back. In process of sorting it all out but hopefully we can find fits for all of the positions we were advertising!
- May 1, 2005
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- Jeff
Funny you mention the unemployment check - we have come to the same conclusion many times. What's wrong -- our society in large has become so lazy.
Please keep us posted with you progress and ideas.
Please keep us posted with you progress and ideas.
- May 27, 2010
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- Christine
I'm with you Jill. I lost a team member from my Internet Sales Department at the end of February, and have been attempting to replace him ever since. I've interviewed candidates that sound great on the phone, but in email form can't formulate a sentence with proper grammar and punctuation to save their lives. I had a candidate lined up who didn't pass a background check, another one who quite frankly gave me the 'creeps'. Where are all the talented, intelligent, motivated folks?? Our pay is excellent, work environment is family-like.. we train, encourage, and build up our staff members. Why in the world can't I find what I'm looking for?
I believe that people form an image in their minds that the work is too hard and that it would be easier to just collect unemployment. Then again, there are natural born sales people who don't realize what they are missing by working for you.
- Apr 28, 2009
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- Jerry
Our government has created a bunch of lazy people. Visit your local Best Buy, Cell Provider and keep an eye out for talent. That's also great that you reached out to your client base.
