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How to Attract the Best Employee Candidates
My first professional sales job was selling furniture. I refer to it as professional because it was my first time working for a company that had professional sales training, processes, leadership, and accountability. From the very first day of employment, it was clear to me that the company was serious, and they were looking for total and complete success. I knew from the start what was expected of me, what rewards accompanied meeting those expectations and perhaps, more importantly, the consequences of not meeting those expectations. The road map was clear and concise, and the process was communicated and demonstrated with precision.
It was also the first time that I worked for a woman. She was the owner. There were several other women in key roles at this 400- employee company. Although it was a fun place to work, there was never a moment of confusion regarding the importance of the business. Absolutely nothing was held back. The good or the bad. Fast forward to today. I am always digging for data that helps me to improve upon my products and services. I recently held a company meeting where I asked each team member to define who their best customers were, what type of new prospect got them most excited, and which franchises were the best and why? I asked them to write out their answers in great detail.
I expected to get responses that were varied. What I got was the exact same answer to each question from each team member. Even more interesting, is that their responses matched my own.
The general consensus was as follows: Best customers – Women
Most exciting prospect – Women
Best franchise – Made no difference
After reviewing the answers, we had a lengthy discussion that revealed why my team answered as they did. The highlights that follow illustrate the powerful skill set that women bring to the workplace. These skill sets can be found in males, though are more often found in women:
1. When working with women there is likely to be no BS. You know where you stand and they communicate clearly about what they are thinking, whether they are prospects or clients.
2. Women make quick decisions. Women seem to simplify complicated issues. The math either adds up or it doesn’t. If it does, they move forward. If it does not, they don’t.
3. Women are not afraid to hold those around them accountable. Whether they are superiors or subordinates, expectations are made clear and are required to be met. As employers, women pay you to deliver results. If you can do that, fine. If you can’t, they will take immediate action and make changes. These changes may result in a person losing their seat at the table. They don’t avoid a difficult situation. They meet it head on.
4. The women we have worked with are engaged. I believe this is because women are better multi-taskers and therefore are able to get things done efficiently, resulting in their having more time to focus on what really matters.
5. Service advisor, service manager, fixed operations directors, general managers, or business owner – It made little difference what role women possessed. Engaged, direct, accountable, efficient, and focused are characteristics that rang true with all.
6. Women in leadership positions possess the ability and skill to actively listen. This results in them getting complete details from a conversation which allows for accurate solutions to be developed.
7. Attention to detail is another trait that most women have a firm grip on. This allows for fewer things falling through the cracks.
This valuable information was formulated by my staff as a result of questions posed, detailed answers given, and discussions that followed. The overall findings were that it is easier to work with leaders who possess these traits, be they men or women, and they deliver outstanding results. We are highly successful with both men and women. It is merely our observation that women are clearly thriving at cultivating the business practices that are necessary for success. This is the reason why I want to encourage the auto industry to look for more and creative ways to develop key roles for women in their operations. If you are in the automotive industry as an owner or manager and you do not have many women on your team, it’s time to get on board. Historically, the automotive industry has been dominated by men. As with many businesses today, there is a powerful shift taking place and you need to seize this opportunity.
The female perspective and its tremendous value to business success can be no where better witnessed than in the automotive industry. At the dealership level, where I am predominantly involved, I have seen nothing but positive results from having women taking on important roles in the industry.
The pay is equal (and can be substantial), and upward mobility seems to be equal. I am frequently asked about employment opportunities and when I mention the auto industry to women, most do not realize the true untapped potential that exists there.
In my long career, I have worked with all types of leaders from all walks of life. In my experience, what truly makes a great leader has only to do with being in control, being able to make tough decisions, and being able to decisively execute a plan that delivers success. These types of people are not easy to come by.
But with only about 5% of the auto dealerships being owned by women and about 10% of the key roles in those businesses being occupied by women, the auto dealership network may be cheating itself out of standout leaders. Women in key roles can aid in addressing future challenges in the industry and ultimately lead to a higher level of success.
Establish hiring standards that are inclusive, and performance based. Don’t limit yourself by adhering to old ideas and stereotypes. There have been times over my 33 years as a business owner, where I had all men working with me, and there have been times where my team was made up of all women.
I find that if I simply hire the best person for the position, it seems to work itself out, or at least it has for me. I have one of the most diverse staffs on the planet, and it happened organically. Only the best made the cut. It just so happens that the best come in all races, cultures, and genders.
The real moral to this story is don’t be left behind by not jumping on the train that is quickly moving all industry. Encouraging the female perspective in the automotive industry is the way of the future. With women controlling a higher percentage of the wealth in this country and women becoming the main decisions makers when it comes to buying big ticket items like cars and homes, it only stands to reason that employing more women in the automotive workforce is going to be a win for you and your business. It does not mean you should hire someone just because they are female. What it does mean is that if you are not attracting female candidates when hiring new employees then you may not be getting the opportunity to hire the best candidate available. Placing informative employment ads that encourages all of the best to apply, regardless of gender, will attract the best from both genders and may double your chances of finding and hiring the best qualified person for the job you are offering.
Jeff Cowan – Jeff@jcowansprotalk.com
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