We all have those days when we’re feeling sluggish or offbeat. Sometimes it’s because we’re lacking sleep or have too much on our schedule to handle. Other times it could just be because BuzzFeed is killing it with awesome quizzes for the day. Regardless of what causes us to be unproductive, there’s always that one thing we need but can’t quite obtain on these types of days: focus! 

Inc. Magazine recently published an article about the psychology of productivity and used results from their Inc. 500 survey. According to the survey, “85 percent of fast-growth-company CEOs work 10 or more hours a day” and that “Under such circumstances, personal productivity isn’t just a metric. It’s also a mandate.” 

Those hours may be necessary for CEOs, yet the same can be said about employees in other positions, especially hiring managers at auto dealerships. It’s hard to stay on top of your work if you can’t be consistently productive, yet alone hire the right people in a timely manner. 

If you’re looking for ways to increase your personal productivity, whether in the office or at home, here are the four ways according to Inc.’s article:

#1. “Go to the Root of Your Procrastination”

Addressing why you procrastinate is the first step towards strengthening your productivity. Sometimes the reason why is because of fear or the fear of making the wrong decision. “With uncertainty comes fearfulness. You have to acknowledge that fear.” - Timothy Pychyl, Professor of Psychology at Carleton University

#2. “Focus on Progress, Not on To-Dos”

It’s easier to tackle projects if you chip-away at them, rather than focusing on the long-term, overall goal. Plus, there’s always self-satisfaction in seeing your own progress. Although to-do lists are helpful for organization, it’s worth it to “maintain a ‘have done’ list—or at least reflect on your accomplishments for a few minutes at the end of each day—to keep yourself motivated.”

#3. “Beware of Time Thieves”

Everyone has a guilty pleasure, which sometimes consumes more of our time than we’d prefer (eh hem, BuzzFeed). The key is acknowledging what that time consuming thing is and trying to focus on what really needs to be done during a specific moment in time.

“If you didn’t have any of that (other unnecessary, time consuming things), and you could do one thing right now that would help get you to the next level of contribution, what would you do?” – Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

#4. “Be In-the-Moment With Everything You Do” 

The last step towards helping boost your productivity is by living in the moment, as cliché as it may sound.

“The more time, thought, and energy you expend going down a road, the harder it is to change course when the destination looks dicey. New research from Insead and the Wharton School shows that subjects who meditated were much more likely to abandon a lost-cause project than those who did not.”

Apply these four steps to your daily routine at your auto dealership and you might be surprised at how much more productive your days become. Apply these steps during your hiring process and you could end up hiring better-fit employees as well.

When you think of Generation Y, sick days, casual dress code and the desire to steal your job may be a few qualities that come to mind. In reality, millennials are the group you need to hire as soon as possible. By next year, millennials will account for 36% of the U.S. workforce and by 2025, they will account for 75% of the global workplace. They are committed, intelligent and multi-taskers extraordinaire. 

Scoop them up before they're working for your competitor dealership(s). Here's 4 ways to find and hire hardworking millennials.

1. Give an honest interview

Millennials like to hear things straight to the point and want to know what they need to do in order to keep their job. Tell them what your exact expectation is for the role. Mention what makes you mad or what you will not tolerate in the office. You want a hard working employee, so make them work for exactly what you want.

2. Don't hire them if they exhibit a huge sense of authority

We've all been there. Your first "real" job typically requires some labor outside of the written job requirements. Millennials know that working their way up the totem pole is essential to a successful career. If they don't, let them know. If someone walks into your office with a noticeable sense of entitlement, I'd suggest trying another candidate out instead.

3. Don't let their alma mater sway you.

Yeah, we're all impressed with the Harvards, Stanfords and Yales of the world, but what does that really matter when it comes to the success of your open position? According to Lesley Jane Seymour, Editor In Chief at More Magazine, "My hardest-working, most attentive, most intelligent starters still come from schools with un-fancy names. They’re millennials, not slackers. I have come to believe that America’s top-tier schools are doing their graduates a disservice by boosting their expectations about starter jobs."

4. When you find a superstar, make them happy and don't be scared to lose them.

Top tier millennials are hard to find. Once you do, give them what they want. You can be rough and tough during the interview process. I mean, you want the best of the best. But once you found that great fit, give them a raise once in a while or let them take some vacation time off. Hopefully, they'll stick around. If they eventually decide to move on, you've gained their loyalty and you never know - they could come back to you in the future. 

Get ahead of the game. Your competitors just hired their first millennial yesterday. Don't wait around for an exceptional team to just walk through the door at your dealership. Take these four ways into consideration and go find (and hire) yourself some great Gen Y talent. 

As an elderly person might say, “what are the kids calling it these days?” It’s a fair question seeing that there’s always a new word, term or way to call something as time moves on. Nevertheless, as long as the American youth continue to say ‘bathroom’ and ‘elevator’ instead of ‘the loo’ and ‘lifts,’ I think we are all going to be ok. 

In the world of HR at dealerships, language isn’t always so cut and dry as it may seem. One thing that has a tendency to vary is an applicant tracking system or ATS. This is the same as a hiring management system, HR recruiting software, HR tracking system, etc. Whatever you want to call it, they all perform the same duty of helping dealership recruiters track applicants through smart technology or software. How the different platforms match up against one another, now that’s different story. 

Regardless of how HR professionals refer to ATS, there seems to be one thing everyone has in common—recruiters are aware of this helpful hiring platform. However, while everyone is aware of the technology, not everyone understands the actual values and benefits of implementing such a platform for his or hers dealership business. 

According to a report from Software Advice, an HR and recruiting technology research firm, here are some important facts that highlight the significance of using a hiring management system in the recruiting business:

• IMPORTANCE—89% of recruiters said that recruiting technology is “either ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important for performing their jobs well.”
• COST—while 50% of recruiters who do not use recruiting technology blamed their budget for not using such a platform, 93% of those who use the technology said it’s “either ‘extremely’ or ‘very beneficial’ compared to the costs.”
• SIMPLIFIED—95% of recruiters using the software and technology reported having “minimal difficulty learning to use it.”

If you’re a HR or recruiting professional that has not yet started using a hiring management system, consider these three key points: recruiting software and technology helps make your job easier, the benefits outweigh the costs and it’s easy to use.

I might not be an elderly person yet, but if this is what the kids are using today in the HR business, it makes sense and I like it…no matter what they call it! 

What did you do last Sunday? If you were one of the 114.4 million (total average) Americans watching Super Bowl XLIX, then you’re well aware of the new commercials that aired Sunday night. Whether you were a fan or the commercials or not, there’s one thing no one can deny—the advertisements were ridiculously expensive…and competitive! 

It costs loads of money to get your word out there to the public, especially on the biggest day for TV commercials. It might be worth it for your business if you have the money (unless you're Nationwide Insurance, but that’s still up for debate), but what about for the smaller businesses? Is advertising worth the cost and if so, through which media channel?

These are some thoughts to consider during the recruiting process. ROI is important for every business (dealerships included) and it should matter the most when you’re investing on building the core of your company—your employees. Why spend more on advertising for an open job posting, if you’re only going to get a handful of candidates to choose from? There are ways to get more “bang for your buck,” as well as ways to increase your talent pool when recruiting.

What Companies Are Spending…

Software Advice, an HR and recruiting technology research firm, released a report that shows the numbers of (unnecessary) money being spent, by small businesses, on sourcing candidates. Here are some of their key findings from the report:

·       “Companies surveyed spend, on average, $86 on advertising for EACH new hire.”

·       “Small companies spend MORE on average for each new hire than large companies.”

·       “72% of respondents said job boards were a primary advertising channel for their companies.”

While job boards seem to be the most common way for companies to advertise their open positions, not everyone utilizes their recruiting with a cost-efficient effort. Using end-to-end hiring management software that allows you to utilize numerous job boards is the best way to get the most out of your hiring budget.

It’s not difficult to get more “bang for your buck” while you’re recruiting at your dealership and searching for that next great hire. You just have to know where to look and how to weigh your options if you decide to implement a hiring platform. Save money today and maybe someday you’ll have that extra dough to advertise with the big dogs during Super Bowl Sunday. Crazy things have happened before! (Like a child dying at the end of a Nationwide commercial)

We're five days away from a West coast vs. East coast show down. Who will take the cake—the defensive, dominant Seattle Seahawks or the offense-driven New England Patriots? Either way, both teams have proven they deserve to be there.

This will be Seattle's second Super Bowl appearance in a row, while as we all know, the Patriot's have seen their fair share of Lombardi Trophies. So, what does this tell us?

They both have incredibly talented teams.  

Hiring managers constantly struggle to hire top-performing employees at their dealerships. An even bigger obstacle is figuring out how to retain them. Here are 5 ways to hire (and keep) a winning team:

1. Don't be needy.

Hiring the right people takes time. If you act desperate and hire the first person who walks through the door, odds are they aren't going to be the best fit. You may be barely holding your head above water and feel like you need help as soon as possible, but trust me, the extra couple weeks it'll take you to narrow down your applicant pool will be worth it in the long run.   

2. Switch up your interview process.

The majority of HR professionals have a list of questions they ask the candidate no matter the position. They'll ask the questions and maybe jot down a few notes for each one. Instead, try implementing a consistent interview program. Here at Hireology, we have a 3-step process. The first interview is a phone screen, the second and third are face-to-face. Mind you, all of these questions are stored online and include spaces to type out the applicant's responses. This creates an organized procedure that leaves no room for error.

3.  Ask about their mistakes. 

In reference to the interview process, make sure to include a question about something in the past that they would change or a mistake they've made. According to Michael Houlihan, a New York Times bestselling author, "we asked candidates about situations that were difficult, where they'd had a moral challenge," he said. "We were looking for a situation where they had to admit they made a mistake, and how did they handle it? If the mistake cost money, did they pay retribution when they didn't have to, or work extra hours to make up for it? If they said, 'I never made a really big mistake,' you would worry about that person."  

4. Have them provide a writing sample. 

This one depends on the job you're hiring for. Any one can say they're a good writer, but without proof, you never know. After a phone interview, you should have a good idea of how they communicate verbally. If they seem to be a good fit so far, give them a topic and have them write some sort of content. It could be a shortened blog post, a summary of a news article, a one-page description of why they're the best person for the job, etc. This will give you their communication style from the opposite side of the spectrum.

5. They're hired? Don't give up now.

It's a common practice for hiring managers to throw in the towel (pun intended) once their star candidate is hired. This might be the biggest mistake you can make at your dealership. How successful can you be if your best employees only last a couple months? Think about raises, a strong company culture, praise for their hard work...anything to keep them engaged and happy to come to work every day.

Bring out the beer, pizza and hot wings. Sit back, relax and watch Katy Perry belt out "Teenage Dream." And most importantly, see the best of the best duke it out during this year's Super Bowl. Take it from these guys, drafting (or hiring) a winning team leads to endless success.

In honor of one of my favorite movies, Catch Me If You Can, I’m going to use a quote from one of Hollywood’s finest—Christopher Walken:

“Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse, wouldn’t quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out. Gentlemen, as of this moment, I am that second mouse.” – Frank Abagnale Sr.

Most people strive to be the second mouse that Christopher Walken’s character mentions in the movie. I mean, why not? People want to succeed, earn respect and accomplish amazing feats. It’s a normal human desire.

Nevertheless, there’s nothing wrong with a getting a little help along the way, especially when it comes to hiring at your auto dealership. This rings true for hiring managers who are hiring purely off of “word of mouth” recruiting or by using limited resources. These types of hiring strategies severely lower your changes of finding quality candidates, as well as raise the probability of a higher turnover rate at your company. 

There’s a reason why most hiring managers use a hiring management system. According to a recent report from Software Advice, an HR and recruiting technology research firm, there are some important facts that highlight the significance of using a hiring management system in the recruiting business. In the report, Software Advice polled nearly 200 HR professionals about their current HR software usage. Here are some of their key findings:

• 89% of respondents were either “somewhat” or “very satisfied” with their software, making it clear that HR software is worth the investment.

• 44% of respondents plan to increase their investment in performance review applications in 2015.​​

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• 42% of respondents plan to increase their investment in personal tracking applications in 2015. 

They say numbers don’t lie. Hiring managers are taking a liking to using this type of software and it appears this trend is only growing.  So if you’re a hiring manager at an auto dealership looking for a more accurate hiring process, consider using some assistance from a hiring management system. You never know, it could help you become that second mouse one day…or at least recruit someone like that mouse.

Don’t miss out on HR software! Download this free whitepaper and see how you can improve your hiring process.

What’s driving your dealership towards success? It’s an important thought to consider when setting aside plans for growth. Whatever may be the source of what keeps your team, self or business moving forward, the one thing that’s typically a factor of accomplishment is quality.

Nothing succeeds without some sort of positive quality. For example, take a look at successful coaches in sports. Recent CFB Champion coach, Urban Myer of The Ohio State University football team, said that one thing that really drove his team towards success this year was by asking his players: “why are you here?” Asking his unusually young team this question gave the Buckeyes a sense of purpose to play for one another and therefore, motivation to eventually win a national championship.

Whether you like college football, OSU or not, coach Urban Myer did one thing exceptionally well: he gave his players a purpose. According to an article from Inc., which cited a recent study conducted by Deloitte, the one thing young professionals entering the workforce tend to look for in a leader is a “sense of purpose.”

What Millennials Want 

If you’re hiring millennials, be sure your leadership qualities are up to speed with this generation’s needs. You’ll have a much better chance of attracting Get Y talent, as well as retaining it too. To evaluate your current leadership qualities, refer to these statistics below from the article and study:

• "6/10 millennials said a sense of purpose is part of the reason they chose to work for their current employer (of 7,800 millennials surveyed across 29 countries worldwide)."
• "As far as individual leaders go, Gen Y places the most value on qualities such as: strategic thinking, ability to inspire, interpersonal skills, vision, passion, and decisiveness, the study found."
• "77% of connected millennials (those who use social media regularly) said part of the reason they chose to work where they do is because of the dealership's sense of purpose."

Keep these statistics in mind while evaluating your leadership. It never hurts to make slight adjustments, especially when it comes to refining your leadership skills. Sooner or later, millennials will be the heart of your business, so it might be best to know what they’re looking for in a leader. Plus, it worked for a championship coach, so it might just work for you!

For more help on hiring millennials, click here. 

Reality can be a harsh slap in the face sometimes. Whether you’re a recent college grad sweating over bills for the first time or are a resident of a city that gets the type of winter weather that literally feels like mother nature is punching you in the nose (cough, Chicago), reality is quite the wake-up call. 

As 2015 begins, many companies will be searching for new employees to fill vacant and new positions. This task can be somewhat stressful if you don’t have the right hiring resources or assistance from your own company. If you’re a hiring manager, it’s crucial to understand the reality of the hiring process: if you’re not finding the right candidates, you’re doing it wrong.

If you’re having a difficult time finding candidates at your dealership, there’s no need to panic. There are several different ways to sharpen your hiring process to make sure you attract and retain qualified candidates. According to Roberta Matuson, contributing writer at Forbes and self-described “Talent Maximization Expert,” there are five ways hiring managers can improve their processes. Each step includes evaluating what you’ve been doing and why it hasn’t been working. Matuson’s advice is accurate and easy to execute if done with honest effort.

5 Ways To Attract Talent 

1. “You need a talent strategy.”—For every goal, there’s a game plan. If you don’t map out what you’re aiming for, you’re never going to find it. Try strategizing a realistic plan that’ll put you in the right situation to find applicants. If you have no idea what to do, just do some research. There are plenty of resources out there that are beneficial.  
2. “Take action.”—If you want to accomplish something, you have to actually do it! Find the motivation you need to get the job done. It’s your duty as a hiring manager to get quality talent, so why not do it to the best of your ability? Show your managers why you might deserve that promotion or recognition for your hard work.
3. “Put your money where your mouth is.”—This can be advice for almost everyone, no matter who you are or what you may do for a living. If you truly want to find the best applicants, you’ll need a data-driven platform that can help you do so. Hiring platforms with the right software and resources might cost money, but are definitely worth it if you want to save time and effort in your search. 
4. “Set realistic expectations.”—Just like your strategy, you need to be realistic with what you expect to get out of your recruiting and hiring. If you’re doing this on your own, posting your open positions solely on your website, then don’t expect to see a whole lot of completed applications in your inbox. On the other hand, if you’re paying for a hiring platform, then you should expect hundreds of applicants every week. 
5. “Develop your entire team into talent magnets.”—Matuson mentions the importance of all employees being a part of the hiring process in her article. Referral programs that offer incentives are a great way to get employees involved in the process. Self-promotion may not always work, but in this case, it can’t hurt!

It’s always best to take a step back and look at what you have before you lay your cards on the table. Even if you don’t like what you see, it’s essential to realize where you’re in the process of completing a goal. So when it comes to finding the best-fit candidates and restructuring your hiring process at your dealership, don’t be afraid to let reality bite you (or the polar vortex; it builds character…lots of character)!

¹cul·ture noun \ˈkəl-chər\ : a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business). 

Well, that's one of three different definitions of what was recently named Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year: culture. The other meanings involve the arts and the cultivation of bacteria, so we'll stick with the business version. 

According to Peter Sokolowski, Editor for Merriam-Webster, "we're simply using the word culture more frequently. It may be a fad. It may not. It may simply be evolution." Culture has meant so many different things to all sorts of managers over the past year. While it may mean an air hockey table in the conference room to some, that's really not what will make or break your auto dealership.  

So then, what makes a good company culture? I recently read an Inc. article where founders from the Young Entrepreneur Council discussed the most persistent myths and what you can do to fix them. Here are the top seven biggest culture myths I took from the article:

1. Perks = Culture

"Many founders mistakenly think that fun perks automatically make for a good culture. Don't get me wrong--happy hours and catered lunches are great, but they're not going to keep employees happy unless you work to create a fundamental culture of respect. It's a lot easier to provide perks than it is to make sure that employees feel motivated and valued." -- Jared Feldman, Mashwork

2. Culture Doesn't Start With You

"Most managers don't realize that they are defining the culture by how they are behaving. Snap at people often? Anger will become part of your culture. Undermine your staff? Bureaucracy will invade your culture. Pretend everything is always amazing? You'll create a culture full of fakes. If you want a culture that is always evolving and becoming more beautiful, invest in doing so yourself." -- Corey Blake, Round Table Companies

3. Employee Feedback Isn't Important

"Some CEOs do not treat employee feedback as if it was as important as their own thoughts, because they are not viewed as equals. Though it is clear a CEO's role is more expansive then other positions, the culture of a company can be negatively affected if people's ideas and thoughts are suppressed. Each employee has a unique view of the organization, and the culture of sharing views is important to the company's success." -- Phil Chen, Systems Watch

4. Culture Doesn't Need to Be Defined

"Chris Wood of Paige Technologies says it best, 'Organizations are really only a representation of the people in them; employers must be diligent about mapping culture.' Products and services can be duplicated, but people can't. Your people drive your culture and they are the one defining difference of a company. CEOs forget to understand and define the culture that they have in place early on." -- Jason Grill, JGrill Media | Sock 101

5. Culture is Just a Set of Values

"We help many growing companies build culture, and the one thing most CEOs get wrong is forgetting to operationalize it. Culture isn't just a set of core values on the wall--it's a set of consistent behaviors. You have to be clear what those values look like in practice (we call them work rules) so current and future employees see culture in action and understand how works gets done in the company and align the company to them." -- Susan LaMotte, Exaqueo

6. You can't hire for culture

"You have to carefully select the type of people you add to your team if you're going for a particular culture. For instance, if you're a fashion company, you probably want to hire people that are actually passionate about fashion. It's good to have people with different ideas, but generally they should have a shared common interest. With that shared interest, you can build a culture that your team members and customers can get behind." -- Andy Karuza, Brandbuddee

7. Compensation is the only motivator

"Once they reach a certain salary, most non-sales employees could honestly care less about additional compensation. Employees work to feel needed, so remind them that they are your company. Recognize them, and make it public recognition." -- Justin Gray, LeadMD

One reference that caught Sokolowski's eye is from a book called "How Google Works," which includes a description of a software fix by a few engineers that made ads more relevant on the search engine:

"It wasn't Google's culture that turned those five engineers into problem-solving ninjas who changed the course of the company over the weekend," wrote the authors, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and former head of product development Jonathan Rosenberg. "Rather it was the culture that attracted the ninjas to the company in the first place."

While these seven phrases are completely fabricated, the idea that culture is the key element to a successful business is 100 percent true. It's not just the people, but also their actions and so much more. Keep this in mind and you'll be part of the true meaning of this year's most popular word.  

For more information on how to build a team the right way, click here. 

A company can't be successful without talented people. They are the building blocks of the majority of businesses around the word. Hiring managers should be prepared to bring in motivated new hired and often as possible. In nearly every non-seasonal work atmosphere, there is no such thing as a down time when it comes to recruiting. A manager who dismisses this kind of talent regularly, is doing a disservice to his or her company.

A one-of-a-kind applicant can walk in the door at any time. Don't make the mistake and pass them up. 

Here are four reasons why you should always be hiring at your dealership. 

1. Increase your talent pool

Unfortunately, very few HR specialists can say that their staff couldn't be better. If you're one of them, it probably took you a significant amount of time and hard work to get there. Bringing in new hires frequently boosts employee motivation and creates a sense of competition around the office. The more this happens, the more your dealership will grow and the more successful it will be. 

2. Expect the unexpected

Don't sit back and relax. Before you know it, you'll look around and realize you're extremely understaffed. Say you have more than enough employees one month. That can all change in the blink of an eye. Things happen and people quit. Or get fired. By keeping your options open and having a ton of applicants to chose from, you're immediately prepared to hire someone the second that issue arises. 

3. Shorten your entire process

Keeping an endless supply of applicants at your fingertips will shorten your entire process. You won't have to go through the hassle of re-building your job profile, customizing your interview questions, sourcing candidates, and pre-screening  your applicants.

4. Take some work off your shoulders

One of the biggest struggles among managers is handing their work off to others. They may feel like they could do a better job if they just did the work themselves or perhaps it'd get done in half the time. Most likely, the work isn't going to slow down and you'll eventually get overwhelmed. By constantly hiring, you'll increase the size of your staff and have more people there to help you when you need it most. 

There's really no reason why you shouldn't be recruiting all the time. Increase your talent, have backups ready for when you need them, shorten your whole method and spread extra work among your team members. These actions will only benefit your auto dealership as a whole. Don't miss out on your next superstar employee!