Tag: hiring and retaining talent

Ask the Expert: New Trends in Automotive Hiring

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As dealerships continue to find new ways to overcome the challenges facing their business, one key challenge continues to loom large: retention and hiring. New digital technology helps you deliver for your clients, but your team will always remain your number one revenue generator. Dealertrack DMS has partnered with Hireology, the experts in HR Solutions for automotive, to bring integrated offerings to our dealer partners. We reached out to their team to better understand what dealers should know about the new trends in automotive hiring.

Technology’s Influence: How is technology shifting the way dealers fill roles?

We’ve seen technology become all the more important during the past eighteen months, especially in the retail automotive industry. Dealers who were able to quickly pivot their operations to online selling, for instance, thrived when the initial lockdowns from COVID-19 took effect.

Additionally, using recruitment software can help you attract a much larger number of candidates to your open positions. You can utilize more sourcing avenues, run employees through the process much faster, and get new hires up to speed, resulting in a more immediate impact on your bottom line.

The Great Resignation: How concerned should dealers be about this?

It’s a far-reaching reality. We saw over 4 million people leave their jobs in August, the most we’ve seen since 2000. You should definitely be concerned, but that doesn’t mean you should panic. You must change the way you think about employee and applicant demands and meet them where they are. It’s an applicant economy right now, meaning the ball is in their court, so you need to step up offerings (like benefits, pay, culture, etc.) to make your dealership a place they want to work.

Retention: How can dealers improve retention?

Turnover will never become obsolete, but you can curb it. Feedback is the number one way to really gauge your employees’ happiness. Anonymous surveys are a great way to do this, but you also want to encourage management to have conversations with their direct reports. There needs to be an environment of trust and open communication, and when you receive feedback, it should be addressed and changes should be made. That’s the way to keep people around.

Talent expectations: How can dealers meet and exceed candidate expectations?

Our recent State of Hiring report, where we surveyed nearly 5000 recent applicants, revealed exactly what candidates want and some actionable ways to make your dealership meet their needs. We heard from those individuals that candidates want to be valued by their manager and their organization, find a place where they can grow their skills, have flexibility, and a good work-life balance. Of course, they want to be paid competitively, but bigger picture, there are other adjustments companies need to make to attract and retain great teams.

To learn more, READ THE GUIDE FOR FREE, ONLINE: REDEFINING TODAY’S RETAIL AUTO EMPLOYEE: WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN TOP RETAIL AUTO TALENT—AND WHAT THEY EXPECT FROM YOUR DEALERSHIP.

Ask the Expert: Three Unchanging Truths of Hiring

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The past year and a half have thrown dealers the gauntlet of challenges. Yet, despite an ongoing pandemic, vehicle inventory shortages, and other economic woes, the automotive industry continues to do surprisingly well. Customer satisfaction is reaching all-time highs, dealers are finding innovative ways to improve the online retail buying experience, and the industry continues to shift according to recent Cox Automotive research. But, the ever-present challenges to hiring and staffing remain. In fact, dealerships and industries across the country are facing what is now being dubbed the “Great Resignation” as employees are leaving their posts in greater numbers each day.

Although the retail automotive landscape has changed—in many ways, for the better—some things have remained constant in recruitment. We turned to the experts at Hireology, the Human Resource Solutions team that specializes in retail automotive, for advice on the matter. Here’s what they had to say about the unchanging and reliable truths of hiring.

  1. Hiring great people is difficult
    Because every industry is looking to hire new talent, your competition is likely more vast than in previous seasons. You need to continue to work to attract retail automotive talent — so continue to use the appropriate job boards — but don’t limit yourself to those within the industry. You’ve got a huge talent pool if you open your roles up to other sectors, simply by making your requirements broader. Include things like “great customer service skills a plus” rather than “this role requires 2+ years of automotive sales experience.”
  2. Your team is your competitive advantage
    Regardless of how reliant we become on technology, your team will always be your most essential asset. Every hire you make needs to be a strategic play to improve your business operation because hiring is the biggest expense for business owners. You can’t risk just filling roles with warm bodies — you have to find people that add value to your organization and are looking to grow their careers with you. That said, your dealership has to facilitate that career growth and you need to prioritize advertising it to potential job seekers through your career site and social media channels.
  3. You have to take care of your people
    It’s not enough to do the bare minimum for your employees — you have to offer competitive benefits and compensation in order to keep your team around and attract new employees. Look at your competitors and what they’re offering, and consider including unique incentives as well, like continuing education stipends or certification reimbursements.

Hiring at your dealership will continue to be an investment that yields a huge payoff, for your business, your customers, and your staff. The industry will continue to change. But the importance of your hiring strategy, and the value of your people, will always remain a crucial component to your company.

READ THE GUIDE FOR FREE, ONLINE: REDEFINING TODAY’S RETAIL AUTO EMPLOYEE: WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN TOP RETAIL AUTO TALENT—AND WHAT THEY EXPECT FROM YOUR DEALERSHIP.

The New Retail Auto Employee

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New technology was the key to success for many dealers over the past 18 months. And thriving dealerships have shown that the ability to adapt gives your business an advantage over the competition. But the flipside to the rapid adoption of new tools and technologies is the toll it takes on your number one asset—your team. In order to reduce turnover at your dealership, you must be just as innovative and adaptive when it comes to recruiting and retaining employees. Here’s what the latest research says about hiring today’s retail auto employee.

The Big Shift

 

It’s no secret that buyers have long demanded new options when it comes to buying and servicing their cars. Flexible hours, text options, and virtual shopping have made the process faster and more digital for buyers. But there seems to be a surprise to dealer principals and managers—now that changes are in place—that those seeking employment are looking for flexibility as well. According to research from the team at Hireology, 79% of retail automotive respondents said they’d be interested in remote work if it was an option. And it’s not just our industry that’s seeing change. With five out of every one-hundred service and hospitality employees quitting their jobs in April of this year, this period has been dubbed “The Great Resignation.”

Think Outside the Showroom Floor

So now that your dealership is running new technology that works well together, driving new leads to your sales team through integrated CRM data and powerful DMS data, it’s time to ensure your staff is up to the challenge. Right? But where are dealers turning to find tech-savvy, career-driven employees interested in the automotive industry? Consider this—roughly 9.6 million people lost their jobs due to COVID-19 and nearly half came from the restaurant and hotel industry. If you have a narrow view of only hiring candidates with prior automotive experience, your dealership could suffer.

Expectations have changed. But your dealership has overcome challenges unimagined nearly five years ago. To learn more about today’s retail auto employee and how to overcome the challenges facing your dealership,

check out the online playbook from both teams at Hireology and Dealertrack, Redefining Today’s Retail Auto Employee.

Read the guide for free, online: Redefining Today’s Retail Auto Employee: What to look for in top retail auto talent—and what they expect from your dealership.

Measure What Matters: Tracking Employee Statistics

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You probably know how many cars are on your lot right now (or at least a good idea, we hope). Your accounting manager tracks payroll down to the minute. And you use smart data to gain insights into profitability from dashboards and reports. But, you still have a problem—a people problem. With an average dealership turnover rate of 46% for employees and 80% for salespeople, the industry needs to get better at tracking employee statistics.

Calculating the True Cost of Turnover

Your managers know turnover hurts. The best way to combat this key issue and win back the losses to your budget is to formulate a smart strategy. Calculating the true cost of employee turnover requires measuring more than just lost wages. Here are several key metrics to monitor:

  • Unemployment Compensation and Exit Interview Fees – If your dealership expects to spend money paying furlough fees, unemployment, and other costs, these should be included in your metrics.
  • Replacement Costs to Advertise Open Positions – Pre-employment screening and money lost during downtown are often hard to estimate. Yet, dealers have reported spending up to $10,000 on resources like advertising, interviewing, and recruitment.
  • Training New Labor – Your dealership may require service technicians to obtain costly certifications setting you back thousands of dollars like the ones offered by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.
  • The Productivity Gap – It may feel impossible to measure a loss to your team’s productivity or morale. However, studies show employees reach full productivity after three years on the job.

It’s Not All Doom And Gloom

Your dealership has already been through a lot this past year. With rapid adoption of digital tools, shifting buyer habits, and an uncertain economic market, you’ve made fast-changes to keep up. Change is a constant in your line of work. And, almost any issue is solvable—as long as you measure it.

93% of employees polled believe their workplace would be better if the had access to better technology.

Here are the often overlooked statistics you should be tracking:

  1. Employee Satisfaction and Happiness – A happy team works harder and sticks around longer. Measuring employee satisfaction is the first thing you and your managers should monitor to improve retention. Hindsight is 2020, but catching a problem before it occurs is even better!
  2. Voluntary Turnover Rate – Tracking how often your staff leaves for greener pastures over time will give you a benchmark to help establish a normal level of tenure at your dealership. It can also signal a problem (if this number suddenly jumps) that something isn’t going well.
  3. Involuntary Turnover Rate – Layoffs are extremely unfortunate. Your hiring brand suffers over time, and you could earn a reputation as a poor employer. Tracking this metric could indicate an HR issue, like a mismatch between skills and job description.
  4. Retention Rate by Department and Manager – There’s a saying that people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers. You may want to invest in manager training and development if you’re seeing this metric spike.
  5. Training Expenses per Employee – Could the wrong technology be impacting your turnover? 93% of employees polled believe their workplace would be better if the had access to better technology.

When you measure what matters, you arm yourself with the data to battle the problem. Your dealership can reduce turnover over time. This industry-wide issue has proven resilient over time. But, so has your dealership. Discover new research and key insights in the guide, 9 Ways to Reduce Turnover and Improve Retention: A Dealer Principal’s Guide to Hiring and Retaining Talent.

 

Ask the Experts: 5 Tips For Measuring Employee Satisfaction

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Dealership technology has come a long way. In the last year alone, rapid adoption of digital tools and technology has jettisoned the customer experience light years into the future. New tools now allow buyers to complete more of the buying process online. And connecting with your customer base is faster and more efficient than ever. According to the recent Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey Study, buyer satisfaction is at an all-time high of 78%!

But what about employee satisfaction? Your team has shifted roles, adjusted to new working schedules and conditions, and mastered new tools and technology in order to improve the customer experience. When it comes to measuring the happiness of your employees, do you know where to begin?

You May Be Paying The Ultimate Price

Dealership turnover can put your business in an unfortunate position. According to a report, 93% of employees believe their workplace would be better if they had access to better technology. That’s good news for dealerships who’ve adopted newer, and easier-to-learn technology. But, with a turnover rate of up to 80% (seriously), many dealerships aren’t seeing the benefits of employees who reach their full potential. In one study, employees were found to be most productive after about three years on the job. That’s bad news, then, as the average dealership tenure is half of that.

 

Covering Your Assets – A Lesson From The Pros

We turned to the experts at Hireology, the hiring and HR experts, to discover the best tactics for measuring employee satisfaction at your dealership. They’ve helped hire 20% of dealership employees in 2020 and had several tips for measuring your team’s overall satisfaction. Here are their recommendations:

 

  • Employee Feedback: When it comes to ensuring your employees are content, feedback should be constantly requested and encouraged. Throughout onboarding, you can issue anonymous surveys that allow your new staff members to reflect on their experience and disclose information about their first few weeks with your company. This will help you address any inconsistencies or weaknesses in your process for your next class of new hires.
  • Check in: Feedback shouldn’t stop after onboarding. Managers should schedule regular check-ins with employees to ensure they are developing and growing with your dealership. Additionally, you can use semi-annual all-company surveys to gauge satisfaction as well. Following the results, talk with your leadership team about how to make improvements, and host a company-wide meeting that addresses the results and the forecast for the next few months or year to show employees that their voice matters.
  • Referrals: Referrals generate the best return on investment, reduce cost per hire, and improve employee retention and satisfaction. While having a great place to work is key in attracting referrals from your current staff, offering incentives, monetary or otherwise, is a great way to encourage your employees to submit referrals. With a referral program in place, you’ll be able to track how many staff members are taking part in submitting their friends and colleagues for open roles.
  • Turnover: Turnover is costly, and your dealership’s turnover rate is a huge indication of your employees’ happiness. Are you seeing employees leave in droves? Are you struggling to keep your staff around for longer than a year? This likely means your employees aren’t satisfied with their role, your dealership’s culture, or another internal issue that needs to be addressed if you want to keep your team intact.
  • Participation: You can’t simply offer team building activities or development opportunities and think your employees will be satisfied. You need to look at actual participation within your programs and activities to ensure you’re truly adding value to your staff’s engagement. Keep track of the adoption rates of your new and existing programs, and shift priorities to where you may see more involvement.

Measuring an investment like human capital may seem tricky at first. It’s easier to track feedback from machines. But your people are your best asset. Delivering the best customer experience simply can’t happen without keeping your top people happy, engaged, and working to their full potential.

Learn more about hiring and retention in today’s economy. Check out the guide, 9 Ways to Reduce Turnover And Improve Retention.
To learn more from the experts at Hireology, visit their website here.

 

9 Keys for Hiring & Retaining Staff at Your Dealership

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There’s more to the auto industry than selling cars. The people-side of the business is also a huge challenge. And with your dealership needing to attract, retain, and train top talent for new, more advanced ways of doing business, the stakes have never been higher. When it comes down to it: people impact profits. Hiring the right team isn’t just an HR problem. It’s your problem, too. And it’s costing the industry billions every year. Seriously. Discover the 9 Keys for Hiring & Retaining Staff outlined below:

 

9 Steps for Hiring and Retaining Talent at Your Dealership

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Finding and keeping top talent in automotive retail has always been a challenge. But dealers can do more to think outside the box and find those best suited to grow with their companies and, most importantly, improve the return on their hiring investment. Here are 9 steps for hiring and retaining talent at your dealership.

1. Track Employee Statistics

Employee turnover at dealerships is a huge problem, but most don’t recognize the severity of the situation. Turnover is costing dealers billions of dollars every year. And, according to a NADA Dealership Workforce Study, dealerships drastically underreport their average turnover rate at just 22%. That’s more than half the actual dealership turnover rate identified by NADA, which is 46% for employees and a shocking 80% for salespeople. This discrepancy between perception and reality can be remedied by tracking employment and turnover metrics over time. This involves listing, defining, explaining, and tracking relevant metrics, including voluntary and involuntary turnover and retention rate by department.

 

2. Offer Better Compensation

In 2020, the average annual pay for a car salesperson in the United States was less than $41,000. Although this figure appears much higher in 2023, some sources show this figure swinging wildly in the opposite direction. This unpredictable compensation model doesn’t bode well for long-term growth or stability. Considering the high cost of turnover—especially in the long run—dealerships face an ongoing staffing challenge due to their current compensation model.

3. Offer Remote Work Options

More and more employees, both inside or outside the auto industry, have started to see the benefits of working from home. And, many won’t go back to an all-in-office situation anytime soon. Today’s employees expect greater flexibility moving forward, even from dealerships. Coincidentally, there has been a parallel trend toward remote car shopping and online car buying. Dealerships should take advantage of this trend to align their staff and HR structures to adopt an omni-channel approach to sales—giving customers the option to buy cars in person, remotely, or a mix of both. This also calls for creating new positions for remote and mobile sales people, which has the added benefit of attracting top talent.

4. Consider Different Compensation Structures

In addition to increasing compensation amount, dealerships should consider a separate compensation structure altogether, including a move away from traditional commission-based pay. Some dealerships have already made this move, implementing perks like limiting work weeks to 40 hours and offering 2 days off per week, without reducing wages. The results, in terms of improved employee tenure and job satisfaction, have been immediate and undeniable.

5. Improve Company Culture

According to a Hireology Research Report, nearly 40% of people choose to begin a new job search to find a better culture. To put the importance of company culture into perspective, just 36.5% of people listed better pay as the reason for starting a job search. Dealerships should implement more employee recognition efforts and do more to engage their employees, giving them more opportunities to think, grow, and feel valued for their contributions. Improved employee engagement, better emotional connection with work, and more efficient work hours are undeniably interconnected. It’s a win-win for employees and dealerships.

6. Provide Better Technology

Young workers, who grew up with technology, are naturally interested in the latest tech advancements. They view workplace technology as an important perk and understand that the right technologies can make their work easier and more interesting. Implementing integrated technologies that make your employees’ jobs easier and more efficient is a major step toward attracting and retaining top talent. These technologies speed up workflows, remove friction and barriers, and allow employees to focus on what they do best. Plus, integrated technologies appeal to today’s employees and improve your overall brand perception, because, like it or not, your dealership’s brand is inseparably tied to your technology.

7. Improve Employee Onboarding

Employees become most productive after three years on the job. Unfortunately, the average employee tenure is just 18 months to 2.4 years. In order for your dealership to keep employees (especially top employees) longer and reap the rewards of your investment in them, you have to give them a strong start. That means implementing productive, structured onboarding that focuses on employee retention. According to Hireology’s Adam Robinson, there’s a “strong correlation between structured onboarding processes and employee retention. When new hires take part in a structured onboarding process, 66% of them are likely to remain with a company for longer than three years.”

8. Make Smart Human Resources Partnerships

Ironically, most “human” resources departments are too often tied up in mundane number crunching and accounting work, which takes them away from the day-to-day progress and well-being of actual employees. Outsourcing HR management and utilizing better payroll and HR technology allows your team to shift focus back to your employees, resolving their concerns and ensuring happy productive workers.

9. Adopt More Diverse Hiring Practices

Unfortunately, there aren’t as many avenues for women and minorities to explore careers in the auto sales industry. Of course, many of these candidates are among the top, sought- after talent that dealerships should be seeking to employ. When dealerships expand their hiring practices and think outside the boundaries of the typical dealership employee (who often bring baggage of bad industry habits), they have a greater likelihood of finding and keeping the best people for the job.

Finding and keeping top talent is a challenge, but following these 9 steps can give you a leg up in competing for (and keeping) these employees and give you the tools, technology and know-how to improve your return on your talent investment.

To learn more about how your dealership can attract and retain better talent, download our free guide, 9 Ways to Reduce Turnover & Improve Retention.

 

 

 

Understanding Hiring and Onboarding for Digital Dealerships

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People have always impacted profits in auto sales. When dealerships hire the wrong people, fail to train them properly, and send them off to the frontlines of auto sales, they often make the wrong decisions behind the scenes and make the wrong impressions on customers.

But as the industry shifts to a more digital model and more customers buy cars online, hiring, training, and keeping the right employees matters more than ever before. In an increasingly complex digital world, those dealerships that take steps to attract, hire, and keep top talent will find a competitive advantage in a new age of digital sales.

Why Integrated Technology Matters

Today’s top candidates seek out companies with brands and reputations that fit their perceived idea of providing a good place to work. Young workers demand that their employers supply them with the latest technologies, in the same way they view health insurance, paid time off, and other benefits. They understand that having the right technologies can make their work easier and more interesting.

Implementing integrated technologies—that speed up workflows, remove friction and barriers, and allow employees to focus on what they do best—can help dealers attract and retain top talent. Especially as more and more employees are required to learn and adapt to ever-changing, and increasingly more complex industry regulations in a digital workspace, those dealerships that provide their people with the means of doing their jobs effectively will attract and keep employees that positively impact profits.

Why Onboarding Matters

Even when dealerships do everything they can to attract and hire the right candidates, the industry turnover rate is so high (46% for employees and 80% for salespeople), it’s costing dealers billions of dollars every year. That’s because employees become most productive after three years on the job. But with an average employee tenure of just 18 months to 2.4 years, dealers aren’t reaping the productivity rewards after spending considerable time and money to find and hire employees.

Hireology CEO Adam Robinson suggests that in order for dealers to keep employees longer (and see the results of their productivity), they must implement onboarding that is more structured and focused on employee retention. When dealers do this, 66% of new hires are likely to remain with a company longer than three years. The importance of proper onboarding is further punctuated by the fact that new employees are expected to learn the ins and outs of a digital retailing environment. If they’re not given proper training from the start, with technology playing a central role in the onboarding process, dealers risk losing employees and the money spent to bring them onboard.

How to Build a Diverse Hiring Strategy

Attracting, finding, and hiring the right employees requires broadening the pool of potential candidates to include a greater diversity of backgrounds, thoughts, and people. This means making more of an effort to find and interview more diverse recruits, including adjusting job descriptions that only appeal to existing industry workers and reaching out to different audiences. That includes recruiting candidates with an understanding of the technology they will be required to use as the industry continues to evolve.

Of course, many of these candidates are already among the top, sought-after talent that other dealerships are seeking to employ. So, in addition to diversifying the employment search, dealerships can implement three specific practices to attract and hire the very best applicants.

  1. Build a Top Career Site—44% of all hires, and 57% of career site applicants are considered top candidates.
  2. Adjust Expectations—List and look for experience in technology, online retail, or software management and see what kind of applicants turn up.
  3. Rethink Dealership Roles—Business has changed to involve much more of an online and at-home component for customers, so it’s time for a mindset switch to hire employees that can carry an omni-channel sales process from beginning to end.

When dealerships expand hiring practices, onboard with employee retention in mind, and implement integrated technologies, they can recruit and keep employees that will positively impact profits, especially as the industry continues to shift to a more digital model.

To learn more strategies about hiring and keeping the right employees, check out our guide, 9 Ways to Reduce Turnover and Improve Retention: A Dealer Principal’s Guide to Hiring and Retaining Talent.

Why the Employee Experience is the Most Important Onboarding Consideration

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BY: CHELSEA VERSTEGEN

This article is authored by our partners at Hireology, the automotive experts providing HR Solutions for Dealertrack DMS.

Focusing on your employee experience during onboarding keeps employees engaged and sets them up for long term success. During difficult times of economic and personal turmoil — such as a global pandemic that’s turned the world upside down — this approach becomes all the more essential.

Now more than ever, your team members need to feel supported. New employees rely on their onboarding experience to set them up for success in their daily roles, but also expect a sense of welcoming at their workplace, even if they are remote.

The first 90 days of the employment lifecycle is the most important, and poor onboarding can result in high turnover, which can present an incredibly large financial burden on your dealership. Replacing an employee can cost anywhere from 100-300% of the individual’s salary.

Adam Robinson, Hireology’s CEO and Co-founder, knows that an employee-first approach is what makes a business successful. “People are your product, and it’s not possible to win without that being true,” said Adam. Here are some tips on ramping up your employee experience in onboarding and beyond.

69% of employees that receive effective onboarding are more likely to stay with an employer for at least three years, so delivering a quality onboarding experience has the ability to impact your business for years to come. Here’s how to ensure your onboarding process puts your employees first.

Start Before Day One

Just because your new hire isn’t yet in your office doesn’t mean you can’t begin the onboarding process. You want the experience when they are physically in-person to be as engaging as possible, so send their paperwork and tax forms ahead of time. Digital paperwork also helps your HR team keep track of each document much easier — especially with a hiring platform like Hireology that integrates with your other HR platforms like your payroll and scheduling software, which eliminates the need for manual re-entry.

Give New Hires a Warm Welcome

It’s an intimidating time to start a new job, especially in remote roles, so make sure your team makes new hires feel as welcome as possible. Announce their arrival in all-company meetings, instruct team members to reach out for some one-on-one time for getting to know each other, and give them some personalized company merchandise like a shirt, hat, or water bottle that they can sport with pride. This will put your new employee at ease and show them that they’ve made the right decision in coming to work at your dealership.

Keep the Onboarding Process Engaging

Hours upon hours of dull presentations won’t keep anyone’s attention for long, so in order to make onboarding as engaging as possible, you’ve got to switch it up. Have different employees host different sessions, create interactive periods or “Ask me Anything” sessions with your executive team, or host a new hire lunch with individuals from different departments.

Encourage interaction as much as possible, and make sure to cover all the fun parts about your company, too. Cover what makes your company great in a normal world and the craziness that is 2020 — showcase any initiatives your dealership has done to keep your team connected or any above and beyond efforts you’ve done this year.

Set Up Check-ins

Have managers set up time to check-in with new employees throughout their first few weeks. This will give new hires the opportunity to give feedback on their onboarding progress, as well as ask any lingering questions they may have. There’s a lot to learn in the first few weeks of onboarding, so making sure the content is sticking is an important step to ensuring your employees are set up for success.

LinkedIn holds hiring managers accountable for the continuation of onboarding efforts beyond a new hire’s first day, so take a page out of their onboarding book and require your managers to continue the check in process throughout the employee lifecycle.

Demonstrating to your employees that they are your most critical business asset will keep them from jumping ship, and the perfect time to start is during their onboarding process. Hireology was designed to transform the way retail automotive dealerships hire and onboard their team. If you’re interested in learning more about Hireology’s people-first strategy to hiring and onboarding, you can schedule a free demo here.

Join us at Cox Automotive Experience — Reserve your spot today — and be surprised by what you can accomplish with the partners.

About the author

About the authorChelsea is a content strategist at Hireology. She moved to Chicago from Texas in 2017, and has since worked in content creation roles at other SaaS companies with the intention of creating thoughtful, industry leading materials. Chelsea attended Texas State University with a major in Journalism and a minor in English.

5 Ways to Help Your Team Adapt to Digital Processes

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By: Chelsea Verstegen

This article is authored by our partners at Hireology, the automotive experts providing HR Solutions for Dealertrack DMS. 

Implementing new technology happens frequently in dealerships — especially in 2020. Technology platforms have the opportunity to boost employee engagement, streamline daily processes, and save your dealership time and money.

This year, many technology investments have been made to help teams do their jobs safely and efficiently. But, without proper training, they can have adverse effects on employee productivity.

Ensuring your team understands the ins and outs of your products is a necessary step in your company onboarding and training. The same should be required for any new digital purchase. Here are some ways you can help your team transition to digital processes at your dealership.

Make Sure Your Technology is Teachable

Before making a technology transition, think about the adoption of the product. Does it integrate with your existing platforms? Does it need special equipment (Mac vs PC or mobile vs tablets) to run effectively? Does it fit into your team’s current workflow or will it make their job more difficult? And, most importantly, are there others in the retail automotive industry using this technology and will it be easy to teach your team?

Without running through these questions, you risk wasting valuable time and money on a product that will only hinder your team’s performance, so be mindful as you try out new products.

Share Value Propositions with Employees

Make sure your employees know why you chose to purchase new technology. Share with them why your investment was made, talk about competitors that you considered, and detail what made you ultimately make your decision.

You can even involve your team members that will work most closely with the product in the decision making process — they’ll be able to give you great insight into pain points in your current process.

Ultimately, you want your team to understand the impact that each individual has on your ROI, so explaining why a product was purchased to help them achieve that goal will show them they are valued.

Incorporate Tech Training into Your Onboarding

The onboarding process is a time to get to know your new employees and provide them with insight and training to do their job while representing the high standards of your dealership. But it’s also essential to use the onboarding process to get new hires up to speed on how to utilize your various digital platforms to their advantage.

With each new advancement or product rollout, make sure you update your onboarding to include training on it. Make your training comprehensive and detailed so your HR team isn’t bogged down with too many follow-up questions.

Provide Training for Tenured Employees

Make sure all your employees know how to properly use your technology stack — even those that have been with your dealership for a while. New product features can be covered in monthly or quarterly product training sessions to provide employees with a greater understanding of your digital investments.

Ask that managers check in with their team to make sure any questions are addressed and that everyone feels comfortable with their knowledge base on new and existing technology. Use feedback from these conversations to guide your future training sessions.

Incentivise Using Digital Products

There may be some team members that are not used to technology driving their day-to-day, so they may be a harder sell when it comes to the implementation of new digital practices. Create an incentive program that rewards those who adopt the new technology, or try making technological training part of employee bonus or career advancement requirements. This will motivate your employees to learn new skills and give them targets to track their progress.

The right technology platforms have the potential to transform the daily processes at your dealership, but without careful consideration, comprehensive training, and ongoing motivation, your investment could fall flat. Set your team, new and old, up for success with thorough training on new technologies to guarantee positive ROI.

Interested in learning how Hireology can help you take your hiring process digital? You can schedule a free demo here.

Join us at Cox Automotive Experience — Reserve your spot today — and be surprised by what you can accomplish with the partners.
About the author

About the authorChelsea is a content strategist at Hireology. She moved to Chicago from Texas in 2017, and has since worked in content creation roles at other SaaS companies with the intention of creating thoughtful, industry leading materials. Chelsea attended Texas State University with a major in Journalism and a minor in English.