Tackling hiring in the auto industry is notoriously difficult. From skyrocketing turnover, to the constant demand to create an engaged workforce, recruiting in the auto industry is nothing short of a challenge.
But the industry is changing. New technologies are helping dealerships to focus on the best-fit candidates that will bring the most value to the organization (while mitigating turnover).
We recently sat down with DealerELITE.net to understand the state of the industry and what current trends will impact dealership hiring in the future.
Here are 5 key takeaways from our conversation with Chris Saraceno, the Vice President/Partner of Kelly Automotive and Founder of DealerELITE, Mike Poskey, the President and CEO of Zerorisk HR, and our very own Pat Clark, the Co-founder of Hyrell.
#1. HR is Becoming a Priority in the Auto Dealership World
Pat Clark: “Dealerships are run on systems. I think what's interesting though, is that the HR component specifically has probably been underappreciated and undervalued in the sector, but now it's starting to catch up... if people are important as we say they are, we should probably put the systems and the tools and the technology in place to make sure that [hiring] is accurate.”
#2. Personality Testing is Out. Emotional Intelligence Measurement is In.
Mike Poskey: “I've seen a shift and a growth from more of the behavioral or personality measurement to more of the emotional intelligence measurement. And there are studies that have shown that emotional intelligence competencies are about 80% of the essential competencies that correlate to successful performers in a workplace.”
#3. Put Yourself in the Applicant’s Shoes...
Chris Saraceno: “You need to be where people are, so you've got to be advertising and marketing at the right area. You've got to get back to people quickly, especially the talented people, because the talented people get jobs quickly and the rest are still waiting. And make sure that you are out there in the best light.”
#4. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.
Pat Clark: “Almost 40% of applicants never receive any type of reply from a job application from a company. If you're not going to even reply to the folks that apply to a job with you, if you're not going to give them the time to even reply, you're putting yourself on a bad foot from the start. If your technology doesn't allow you to quickly reply to every applicant, you've probably got the wrong technology stuck in place.”
#5. Stop Millennial Turnover in its Tracks
Mike Poskey: “Really, what [millennials are] looking for is mentors and coaches. They're looking for relationships, they're looking to be paid for performance, they want communication, they want trust. They want those flexible schedules so that they could have a good work-life balance, and they want a competitive compensation package and that includes their benefits along with their pay.”
To hear the full DealerELITE discussion, click play:
Want to improve your hiring? Download our case study to learn why the Jarrett Automotive Group hires better candidates with Hyrell’s Applicant Tracking Solution.
