So, one of your staff members has just handed in their resignation and you need to find someone to fill the gap that will be left behind.
For many dealerships, the initial reaction to a departing employee would be “we need to advertise to find a replacement”. But before you do, it may be a smarter move to check if you already have someone in-house that could be suitable for the role.
Here’s some reasons why.
It rewards good performance
Is there any better way to tell an employee that you’re impressed with their work than by offering them the opportunity to move into a bigger, better role? Not only does it provide validation that you’re happy with the quality of their output, but that you also have confidence in their ability to handle a more challenging role.
This recognition of their performance doesn’t just make a good employee feel all warm and gooey inside, but it can also make them feel far more dedicated to the business, enhancing their sense of belonging and loyalty.
In fact, a study conducted by Deloitte identified that organisations that focus on recognition have 14% better employee engagement, productivity, and customer service than organisations that don’t, so it can even be beneficial for the dealership as a whole!
It acts as a motivator for other staff
The prospect of a promotion where an employee can increase their level of authority, responsibility, and/or remuneration can be a great source of motivation for employees.
When you promote an existing staff member into a new role, it indirectly tells other employees that they too could be up for a promotion in the not-too-distant future if they continue to work hard and demonstrate the right attitude.
Provided that you continue to look internally within the dealership each time a vacancy comes up, it will create a culture of internal promotion. If they believe that their turn for promotion will come, employees will be more engaged and willing to give their all when they show up for work each day.
It builds a multi-skilled workforce
Every role within a dealership environment utilises a unique set of skills. When you allow employees the opportunity to work in a variety of different roles, you are helping them to expand their arsenal of skills and build a more in-depth understanding of other areas of the business.
This can be hugely beneficial in terms of flexibility. It will be easier to cover planned and unplanned leave, and you can easily call on some extra hands to help you manage during peak periods.
A multi-skilled workforce can also be beneficial from a service perspective. Just imagine the level of service your newly promoted Parts Manager could provide if they have previous experience working as a Diesel Mechanic!
Shortens the hiring and on-boarding process
Recruiting and training up a new staff member can take time. In many cases, providing some additional training to an existing staff member is much quicker than trying to find that needle in the haystack employee that has the exact set of skills and experience you’re looking for.
In contrast, an existing employee will already be across all your systems and processes, know all your key stakeholders, and have demonstrated that they’re a good cultural fit—all valuable traits, that when combined with a little bit of training, should make it easy for them to hit the ground running from day one.
Sometimes it’s best to look outside the business
While there are plenty of benefits to looking internally within the business first, there will still always be a need to recruit from outside the business on occasion.
If you’re looking for someone that could bring a new perspective or fresh ideas to your dealership or you simply don’t have anyone that’s suitable or interested within your current pool of employees, you’re probably best to look externally—and Teamrecruit can help.
As Australia’s most established recruitment firm specialising in the truck, earthmoving, material handling and agricultural machinery industries, we are connected to a large pool of job-ready candidates who can bring a range of skills and experience to your dealership. Contact us for more information and to get started.
Teamrecruit is Australia’s most established recruitment agency specialising in truck, earthmoving and agricultural machinery dealerships in Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. Find out more about Teamrecruit and how we support employers and candidates in the dealership industry.
