A combined 73% of Dealer Elite members who voted said recruiting talent and processes are the number one challenges to improving gross profits.  When a dealership is struggling with recruiting talent, one option is to enlist the help of an outside recruiting and training firm.  Outsourcing your sales staff recruiting and training needs is not only convenient but can be a cost effective means of meeting and exceeding your objectives.  Recruiting and training firms are not created equal, so how do you know that you are choosing the right firm to invest your company’s reputation with?  Ask these questions when engaging with a recruiting and training firm.

How does the firm go about recruiting potential candidates?

In the past, job seekers used the local paper to search for opportunities.  In today’s market, most job seekers turn to internet job boards.  Seek out a firm that has professionally developed online advertisements as well as vast resume pool for extensive searches for additional candidates.  During the recruiting campaign, this firm should utilize questionnaires, phone calls and emails to pre-qualify candidates on minimum standards.  Firms like The Manus Group, find this approach to be the best way to locate the highest caliber of available candidates in your market.  Also search for a firm in which the majority of their business is repeat business or referrals, as this is a testament to the quality of service and professional partnership they provide.    

Can the firm tailor their training program to fit the needs of your dealership?

Each dealership has its own culture, process and management style.  Your recruiting and training firm should recognize these unique characteristics and have the tools to develop training programs to cater to those needs.  Look for firms that offer additional services beyond fundamental sales training, including management development training and on-going training, like The Manus Group’s Sales Boot Camp, for all sales members.  Continuous training is the key to retaining and developing a productive sales staff.  On-going training courses should be interactive and encourage candidates to role play and engage in active learning.  Dealerships that continue to encourage and even sponsor this behavior demonstrate greater retention rates than those that just turn the candidates loose with little or no on-going interaction and education.  In addition, insure that your trainer has the experience and expertise to provide consistent and valuable training.  Explore the back ground of your trainer for a minimum of ten years experience having held the position of Sales Manager, General Sales Manager, General Manager or Dealer Principal.  Having a peer as a trainer eliminates having to bring a trainer up to speed on the workings of your sales environment.

Are fees for service agreed to in advance or are there hidden fees?

Each market is unique and your recruiting and training firm should recognize what works in one market may not in your market.  When working with your recruiting and training firm representative, notice if they are trained to investigate each market for unemployment rates, viability of qualified candidates, combination of media resources as well as other cost analysis measures.  With an extensive market analysis, your firm should be able to clearly review what investments are necessary to produce an effective recruiting and training campaign before the event is scheduled.

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