Pub. 12 2013-2014 Issue 2

N e w J e r s e y C o a l i t i o n O f A u t o m o t i v e R e t a i l e r s 17 new jersey auto retailer w w w . n j c a r . o r g Try Taking aDetour intoPer- formance-BasedRecruiting One method that’s paying off for many NJ CAR member dealer- ships is pay-for-performance online recruitment. Pay-for- performance is cost effective, since there are no up-front fees, and it saves dealerships the time and manpower of weeding out unqualified candidates and dis- covering the diamonds in the rough. It’s a simple process. Adealership posts its job openings, utilizing specific criteria they want pro- spective candidates to meet. The recruitment service takes care of the screening, ensuring the deal- ership only receives – and only pays for – qualified applicants. In other words, a dealermay choose to specify they only want to hear from job seekers who have a valid driver’s license, live within a specific geographical area, and/ or possess a specific certification or level of job-related experience. Setting realistic criteria that aren’t too broad or too constric- tive is the key to success. In order to get the most out of a pay-for-performance service, dealerships should have a follow- up plan in place for when the real-time applications come roll- ing in. Ideally, contacting the job seekers as soon as possible is the best way to get them in the door for an interviewso youdon’tmiss out on a great hiring opportunity. The Long Road Ahead: Tips for Employee Retention Once a dealership has found talented professionals to join their team, it would be a shame to groom them and then watch as they move on to another employer. Employee retention is good for business, but it takes some effort. Below are just a few strategies that send the message to your staff that job satisfaction is among your top priorities. Promote from within. Once it becomes clear that hard work pays off in the form of recogni- tion and promotion, employees will have a goal to strive for, and therefore work harder. From a financial perspective, it’s also less costly to promote someone and offer a raise than to hire a new recruit from outside of the organization. In other words, it’s a win-win situation! Keep the lines of communica- tion open. Treat employees with respect, offering construc- tive criticism to help them grow and thrive instead of making personal attacks or focusing only on the negatives. Recog- nition and praise for a job well done go a long way, especially in an industry with demand- ing work hours. Having an open-door policy in place that allows employees to commu- nicate their needs, ideas, and concerns to management is also an ideal way to create a positive workplace atmosphere. Plus, the person who deals with the day-to-day issues often has the best perspective on how tomake improvements or best handle a challenge. Encourage career development oppor t unities. On-the-job training and continuing educa- tion, especially in sales, service, and management positions, are necessary for workplace growth and to stay on top of the indus- try’s best practices. By keeping your employees engaged, ex- cited and educated on the latest industry trends, they’ll be better equipped to provide excellent service to the end customers. Be generous. Do your best to offer competitive wages and a variety of benefit choices, including medical, dental and prescription plans, life insur- ance, 401(k), paid vacation, etc. In a competitive industry, you want to be able to attract the best candidates, and of- tentimes, compensation is the deciding factor. Get creative. Budgeting can make it a challenge to offer raises and monetary bonuses to everyone who does a good job all the time. However, offering small incentives can help keep morale high and make employees feel appreci- ated. Some suggestions include dinner for two, tickets to a sporting event, team-building activities, company-sponsored outings, etc. Provide a great work envi- ronment. While it may be cost prohibitive to have Google- caliber perks on the premises, offering small fringe benefits, such as lunch for employees on Saturdays, an occasional f ree break fast, cof fee and snacks, etc., can foster a fun and festive atmosphere. And that vibe will also be felt by the potential buyers coming into the dealership as well! Finding and keeping the best talent is in a dealership’s best interest. If your dealership can’t do it all on its own, con- sider utilizing a performance- based recruitment service to meet hiring goals, and free-up staff to focus on running the many day-to-day operations in your dealership. Maryellen Adams is Corporate Affairs Manager at CollegeBound Network. She can be reached at 718-307-6258 or, via email at madams@collegebound.net.