The team has just returned to our Chicago headquarters from another phenomenal year at NADA Show 2026, and we’re thrilled to report back all the amazing insights, connections, and breakthrough moments we experienced. From sunrise to sunset, our days were packed with meaningful conversations, innovative demonstrations, and buzzing energy on the show floor!
The Hireology Experience: Where Coffee Met Innovation
Picture this: the bustling NADA show floor, thousands of automotive professionals navigating between booths, and right in the center of it all was our custom coffee bar, serving up not just premium coffee, but also premium conversations about our applicant tracking system! Our booth quickly became the go-to destination for attendees looking to fuel up, network, and discover game-changing hiring solutions for their dealerships.
Adam Robinson Takes Center Stage
One of the absolute highlights of NADA Show 2026 was watching our co-founder and CEO, Adam Robinson, captivate the audience with his thought-provoking presentation on ‘The Great Displacement.’ Adam told a story that resonated deeply with every dealer in attendance. His insights into the seismic shifts happening in automotive hiring and workforce management had people literally taking notes and nodding in agreement throughout. If you missed it, head over to our blog to read The Great Displacement: Why Automotive Retail’s Biggest Hiring Challenge Is Actually Its Greatest Opportunity
The Challenges That Keep Dealers Tossing and Turning
Throughout our hundreds of conversations with dealers and hiring managers, we heard the similar pain points echoed and we listened intently. These aren’t just business challenges; they’re real obstacles that impact dealerships’ ability to grow, compete, and thrive in today’s dynamic market:
Multi-Location Management Nightmares: Dealers with multiple locations are drowning in complexity. They’re trying to coordinate hiring across various sites with fragmented tools that were designed to support HR departments—not the entire organization. The result? Communication breakdowns, inconsistent hiring practices, and missed opportunities to bring top talent into their dealership family.
The Quality vs. Quantity Conundrum: High application volumes should be a good problem to have, right? Not when you’re struggling to identify the diamonds in the rough. Dealers shared their frustration about sifting through hundreds of applications, trying to spot the candidates who will actually show up, perform, and stay for the long haul. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack—exhausting and time-consuming.
The Retention Riddle: Perhaps the most pressing concern we heard was around retention. Dealer groups are craving deeper visibility into their hiring outcomes. They want to know: How long are new hires staying? Which hiring managers consistently make better decisions? What patterns can we identify to improve our retention rates?
The Hireology Highlights
Automation That Works: The reaction to our automated interview scheduling and SMS communications features was nothing short of amazing. Dealers who had been manually coordinating interviews and chasing candidates via email suddenly saw a world where the system handles all of that seamlessly.
Branded Career Sites That Wow: We showcased how dealerships can create stunning, branded career sites that tell a story. They attract candidates who resonate with the dealership’s culture and values, employer branding is an area where dealers can win. The visual impact and customization options had marketing-minded dealers excited about having a recruiting tool that matches their brand standards.
The Action Center is Your Command Hub: Perhaps the feature that generated the most enthusiasm was our Action Center dashboard. Watching dealers interact with the intuitive interface, seeing how they could manage their entire hiring pipeline from one centralized location, and understanding how it eliminates the chaos of scattered spreadsheets and email chains—these demonstrations sparked genuine excitement and relief.
The Road Ahead: Building on Incredible Momentum
As we reflect on NADA Show 2026, our team is energized and inspired to keep pushing forward. Every conversation, every challenge shared, every excited reaction to our solutions reinforces our mission: to help automotive dealers solve their toughest hiring challenges and build stronger, more successful teams.
We can’t wait to see how our NADA Show 2026 conversations translate into real-world success stories for dealerships across the country. The automotive industry is evolving rapidly, and we’re honored to be the hiring and retention partner that helps dealers navigate these changes with confidence.
