case studies: automotive
Our Challenge
One client in the auto sales industry was experiencing challenges in attracting
and retaining quality sales consultants in their 23 stores. Even though they
were conducting front-end assessments to determine sales ability, the group
still had turnover trending in 100% range. This was further compounded
by a falling unemployment rate in certain markets which made the talent pool
even smaller. Our client also had a strong need to further diversify
their sales force and ensure every store was properly staffed.
Our Approach
Our team committed to placing between 20-30 experienced and professional sales
people on a monthly basis with an emphasis on diversity candidates. Due to
a tight labor market and the traditional stereotypes associated with a career
in automotive sales, we were challenged to develop a comprehensive sourcing
strategy that would touch a wider candidate pool. Given the volume of candidates
interviewing and the number of new hires, we also had to assist in creating
a cultural transformation to allow for increased organizational efficiency
in recruitment and on-boarding. With our roots in executive search,
our team brought training in proactive recruiting techniques and commitment-based
interviewing. These are the two cornerstones of our process which continue
to deliver exceptional results to our partner clients.
Our solution included:
- Assuming management responsibility for the recruitment process, and partnering with senior leadership, hiring managers, and human resources to ensure maximum efficiency.
- Providing expertise in creative sourcing strategies to identify candidates who had not previously considered a career in auto sales.
- Proven identification and recruitment strategies to create a positive buzz about our client in the marketplace and start the creation of a proactive candidate marketing program
- Implementing an Executive Dashboard allowing leadership to have real time access to key metrics.
- Weekly results review meetings with clear objectives designed to discover issues, analyze root causes and identify solutions.
- Quarterly business review meetings with key stakeholders to ensure the project is on-track
The Results
Increased Revenue
We helped our client attract higher quality sales professionals who, on
average, performed above expectations once onboard with the client. The
candidate pool was comprised of individuals who had not considered a career
in auto sales, but were very open to the possibility once they interacted
with our recruiters, who educated them about the opportunity. The increase
in revenue was threefold. First,
each store was better staffed, meaning more “feet on the street”. Second,
the candidates were of a higher caliber, so they had better sales results from
the onset. Third, because of the selection process, the candidates were
more committed to the opportunity, which helped reduce turnover.
Interview-to-Hire Ratio
As a result of our unique recruiting process, we achieved a closing rate in
excess of 75%. Greater than 25% of placed candidates met our client’s diversity
criteria and more than 95% of the candidates who went on initial interviews
had not previously considered a career in automotive sales. Based on our
ability to screen candidates and gain their commitment to the opportunity,
our client’s leadership team spent less time in the recruitment cycle, and
hired a large number of better qualified candidates.