While the employment rate is higher than anticipated at the start of the year, the hiring landscape is still incredibly competitive. The effects of the pandemic have left many without jobs, but that doesn’t mean applicants aren’t selective when applying for their next role.
The industry’s most notable dealerships are making sure they have what it takes to attract top talent. Their recipes for success are outlined below so you too can recruit the cream of the crop of the retail automotive industry.
Promote from within
The prospect of a prominent career path will get applicants excited about their future with your company. Describe on your company’s career site that you are in the business of promoting from within when employees excel. This gives someone applying to any position something to work toward.
Offer mentorship
Along the lines of promoting from within your company is offering apprenticeship or mentorship programs. By doing so, you’re saying to your prospective applicants that their career growth is an investment you’re willing to make.
Fox Motors also offers various mentoring programs to their employees depending on the position they hope to grow into. They offer department manager mentorship as well as general manager mentoring, and have a more general program for their entry level roles called the Fox Fast Lane Program.
A mentorship program can be aimed at internal staff that are interested in discovering other career opportunities, or you can take a page out of Napleton Automotive Group and open your training program to external candidates. They offer a Technician Apprenticeship Program that offers hands-on training from their current technicians to local technical universities. This gives their dealership the opportunity to train and recruit fresh talent before anyone else, and creates a strong pipeline for future applicants.
Highlight your diversity and inclusion efforts
If your dealership is making strides toward a more inclusive environment, make sure your applicants know about it. The best way to attract diverse candidates is to show them that they’re a priority at your company.
If you’re looking for ways to increase diversity in your workplace, read our blog post that covers how to attract diverse talent.
Don’t forget to mention benefits
Flaunting the benefits that your employees receive will give prospective applicants an easy way to see how you stack up to the competition, so make sure you list all the offerings on your career page to make sure you’re in the running. Make a list of what you currently offer employees in the realm of benefits, and check some competitor sites to make sure you’re staying competitive.
Germain Automotive Group has broken down their benefits into several different categories: “For Your Wallet”, “For Fun”, and “For Professional Development”. This shows any prospective applicants that they’re serious about making sure their employees are taken care of in all aspects.
You’re not limited to traditional benefits here, either. Feel free to include anything that is not absolutely standard across the industry and makes your employee’s lives easier.
Leverage current employees
Your current employees are your biggest asset to attracting new talent, so make sure you’re using them as such. Ask your employees to provide testimonials for your website and request that they leave a sincere review of your company on Glassdoor at different stages of their career. Encourage new hires to review their onboarding experience, as well as periodically throughout their tenure at your company. The good reviews will help prospective applicants know that your company is a great place to work, while the more critical reviews will give your dealership insight into what improvements need to be made.
Another way your employees can help you attract top talent is through an employee referral program, where employees that refer a new hire are compensated for their suggestion. Recruiter.com says that companies that use referral programs have better employee retention rates, and referral hires produce 25% more profit for their companies than new hires from other sources. Your employees know the ins and outs of your dealership better than anyone, so they’ll suggest the right people to match your high standards.
Acknowledge your company values
What drives your brand? What sets you apart from your competition? What’s the mission and backbone of your dealership? Your company values define basically everything about your brand, and your employees should know what you stand for. Don’t just throw buzz words up and expect applicants to pour in — take the time to define what each of your company’s objectives are so that applicants can decide if your company is a good fit for them.
Berkshire Hathaway Automotive has a full page description on their career site that details their company’s overview and vision, while others give direct, informative descriptions of what their company values mean. Either approach is a great way to stand out and recruit top talent.
Follow suit
By ensuring that your current staff is utilized to the fullest extent and showing applicants that you’ve created a great place to work, you’ll have what it takes to compete with the industry’s top dogs, and you’ll be well on your way to creating a team that’s second to none.
