As much as you try to avoid employee churn, you’ll always need to hire someone. It might be to replace a staff who’s moved on in their career or because you need to expand. From all the applicants, you look for someone who is going to fit your team, get up to speed quickly, and get the job done. But there’s more to hiring than just filling a position.

What Does an Ideal Candidate Look Like?

Not their physical attributes, but their character and skills. In your dealership’s hiring process, what does the ideal candidate possess? There’s a set of characteristics that will help ensure you have the best success with a new hire. If you don’t have an ideal candidate profile, here are a few things to consider:

Long-term Work History

Past employment is a great indicator of work ethic. Look specifically at a candidate’s work history on their resume. Watch for gaps in their employment timeline and short-term employment stints. This often indicates someone who flits and flutters around, never staying long in one place. It isn’t the type of person you want to invest time and money in training, just to have them leave.

Look for previous employment measured in years, not months. Long stretches of employment indicate a team member, not just an employee. You can be confident they’ll stick around for a while once hired. Another trend is consistency in one industry – do they switch from warehousing to management, then to fast food and then automotive? Or are they steadfast in their industry?

Community Involvement

Not everyone is a boy scout or a choir leader…but it helps. A candidate with community involvement on their resume, or someone who speaks proudly of their non-work participation demonstrates qualities you should find endearing – trust, willingness to serve, and a deep care for others.

When a candidate is involved in organized activities or community events, you can be comfortable in their character. You probably won’t have concerns about substance abuse or unexpected time off – it’s a reliable person on your team.

Upwardly Mobile

When you read a resume or interview a candidate, determine their trajectory. If someone has occupied the same position for years upon years, they’re a great candidate to fill that same role in your store. However, don’t count on them to go above and beyond their role. If you determine that someone has worked their way up through the ranks steadily, pay close attention to them. This person is special.

Upwardly mobile people often have a goal in mind. That’s a characteristic that’s even better than steadfast reliability. A candidate who sets out to achieve a goal and actually accomplishes it is someone you want on your team. They might be gunning for your job in the long run, but that could free YOU up to take a step forward in your career.  

Solid References

I’ve worked for more than one employer who couldn’t be bothered to call references. Not surprisingly, the employee churn at those dealerships was markedly higher. Here’s the thing about references: it’s not just about the name on the page, it’s about what they say about the candidate.

Anyone can put words on a page and pass them off as the truth. You can even hire someone to write a resume for you, possibly embellished or falsified just to nab the job. It’s when you can call the references and find out how they truly perform on the job, or how they act as a person, that makes a huge difference.

I’ve mentioned it previously, but it’s worth saying again: hire people who will train for the position above them, and will train the person below them. Whether it’s a day off, an unexpected illness, or a sudden vacancy, you’ll have staff cross-trained to fill the holes that pop up.

Filling the position is critical, allowing you to focus on the day-to-day operations instead of hiring. Spend time finding a great candidate. You’ll reduce employee turnover, the cost of training, and you’ll set your dealership up for a solid future.