Whether you’re looking for a qualified technician, superstar sales person or trustworthy title clerk, the best dealers utilize “word of mouth” advertising. The goal is to never have a need to run advertisements to solicit employees and to create a reputation in the community that qualifies your dealership as the place to work. This means we need to focus on doing our best as effective leaders within our workplace and community. Quality job applicants will seek to find us, if we are doing our jobs. Here are a few tips to helping you accomplish that.

1. Network

Always let people know we are on the lookout for quality, potential candidates. Be sure to ask other business contacts (banks we deal with, advertisers and even our supply venders) for any possible recommendations while we are participating in business transactions. Be involved in social activities such as community business groups, churches or other groups that allow you to meet quality people, and make sure they know you are always looking for quality employees.

2. Ask for Employee Referrals

Ask internal employees who do an outstanding job if they know any one who might make a good fit with the organization. Offer an employee “bird dog fee” for their help in finding a quality candidate that stays for a period of time (example: six months).

3. Advertise When Needed

When networking and employee referrals fail to generate a qualified candidate for an immediate position, use these helpful pointers for creating the right kind of ad regardless of what media you use for the ad:

• Sell yourself by using a “Why Buy Here” brochure, only make it a “Why Work Here” brochure.

• Never over-promise and under-deliver.

• Mention in-depth training, if you offer it.

• Mention that a mentoring or continuous improvement process will be provided, if it is.

• Advertise that you offer monthly associate reviews for ongoing support and live up to that promise.

4. Use Other Sources

When the first three don’t produce an immediate hire you may need to try a few more sources such as:

• Job Fairs: Set up a booth at your local college during a job fair day.

• Monster dot.com and other Internet job sites

The automotive business is a sales and service industry that can be compared to a fine hotel, fine restaurant or clothing store. Customers are willing to seek out, find and pay more money when the service exceeds their expectations. There’s no danger of exceeding customer expectations if we don’t put an end to the revolving door that is the result of employee turnover that starts with recruiting the right people out of inspiration, not desperation.