Having a strong team is a key factor in the success of any company. This is true for both new dealerships and established ones looking to expand their business. To ensure you are in a good position to accomplish this, you’ll need to invest ample time and resources into hiring, training, and management. This will allow you to not only build an all-star team, but also retain talented employees who will grow with you for years to come. RV Trader is here to help by breaking down the steps to creating a winning dealership team.
1. Ensure You Offer Detailed Job Descriptions
Just as with creating a robust listing to generate leads, you should make sure to include all the critical details a potential hire needs to be aware of in the job description. This should include a clear overview of the role, such as tasks, experience level, and any other related information. Additionally, the job post should also explain the expectations for organization and following through with tasks. With all these details included, you can be confident that you won’t miss out on any qualified candidates.
2. Standardize Your Interview Process
Interviewing potential candidates, or even internal candidates, is essential for hiring managers, and having a set of standard practices to follow is key. This should include the number of interview rounds, who will be involved in the process, and the goals and expectations for each role. Don’t be afraid to get creative when developing your interview questions, as that will provide unique insight into the applicant’s traits, experiences, and patterns that could be an asset to your company. Additionally, this process should represent the company culture and what the applicant can expect if hired.
3. Invest In Quality Training for All Employees
Hiring the perfect candidate who meets all the requirements is something many businesses strive for; however, this is rare. Instead, consider allocating resources and time to train current employees and new hires in your dealership. Doing this will help ensure that the team is constantly developing their skills in customer service and sales. Organizational Networking, technology, and customer retention are all key aspects to consider when training staff, as they are important for building customer relationships and shortening sales cycles. It’s important to remember that growth is the ultimate goal, so look for ways to maximize the potential of your employees or potential employees.
4. Boost Efficiency with an Active Management Style
While every employee is accountable for their own work, you’ll find added success by providing them with ongoing guidance and support. Management should ensure that they meet with employees on a consistent, weekly basis to review activity levels and quality of contacts for sales employees. Depending on the size of your dealership and types of positions filled, it might be worthwhile to have both one-on-one meetings with employees to get a deeper understanding of their day-to-day activities, as well as department meetings to review the productivity of the whole company.
5. Rethink Your Employee Retention Strategy
By assessing employee retention strategies regularly, dealerships can better understand what is working and where there is room for improvement. High turnover rates can cause disruption in workflow, damage customer relationships, and increase costs. When dealerships prioritize the evaluation of their employee retention strategies, they can address employee issues and create a positive workplace. Most importantly, satisfied employees result in increased productivity. Make sure your leadership team and human resources department are consistently meeting on ways to reduce turnover and put your dealership in a position for long-term success.
It is essential to remember in leadership that the effort you put in is what you will get out of it. If you hire someone without a plan to nurture them in their career journey, you may not get consistent results. However, if you invest in the recruitment process, provide learning and development opportunities, and manage your employees well, you will be able to build a loyal and successful team that will generate successful outcomes.
If you’re looking for more insight on dealership management, make sure to check out our blog on the value of business development centers.