Innovative Auto HR LLC

My Experience, Strength & Hope
In these last moments of 2021, I am reflecting on lessons learned over the past 12 months. I am one of those people who loves all types of learning, but I feel I should qualify that the learning I’m reflecting on today is of the internal sort and in relation to my evolving Allyship journey. In my experience, internal lessons can be the most painful and also the most beautifully profound.  Some people might call this processing of lessons “soul searching” while others might term internal work as a personal inventory—whatever you call it—for me the result always seems to lead me to accountability and change.  The processing becomes deeply painful for me when there is a disconnect between my actions and my core values. Anguish comes when those disconnected actions cause people I love to hurt. It literally doesn’t matter if it was never my intent to cause pain. Everything is about impact and not intent. (If you remember nothing else from this writing—remember that.)

The published core values for IAHR are: Focused Dedication, Integrity, Service, Enthusiasm & Progress IS Perfection. I’ve had to actively remember that last one recently. I’ve had to remember that my journey as an Ally IS a path and not a destination or a designation.  You see—to me—Allyship is about action and aspiration. I ASPIRE to be an Ally—I’m not an Ally because I say I’m an Ally.  I am an ally because of who I aspire to be. I am an Ally because of my beliefs and how those beliefs translate into action. And sometimes I fall short. It is important for me to own that, embrace that and learn from it. I’ve also come to realize that maybe it’s important that I share about it—maybe it will help some other aspiring Ally.

Recently, while at a conference I shouldn’t have attended, I had the opportunity to speak with someone about DEI & Allyship. In talking about the fear of making mistakes I said something like, “As allies, we have to get to a place where it’s ok to make mistakes. We have to be brave about transparency in making those mistakes—because they are learning opportunities”. As someone who strives to be more than a performative ally, I recognize that I will be making mistakes. It’s kind of inevitable. As I think about this conversation it’s kind of funny (not funny) because I was literally making one of those mistakes JUST by my presence at this conference—but I didn’t see it yet. I WAS feeling conflicted because I had decided in June of 2020 that I did not want to support this organization any longer—and then a year and a half later I rationalized spending the money for the registration and I rationalized my presence. I was going to support a friend who was speaking for the first time ever. Sounds like a good reason right? That’s what I told myself too. It wasn’t. I know that now and as much as I wish I had realized it then—I didn’t. I compromised my values & beliefs through rationalization; something I’ve always been quite good at. This results in internal conflict. Every. Single. Time.

The next part of my learning came when I realized (like the “ton of bricks” or “2 x 4”) that not only did I hurt myself and my credibility as an ally but, my presence hurt someone I have come to love. Someone who has been a true friend, mentor, sponsor, and advocate for ME. When this ton of bricks hit me, I was talking with this friend—and I really find it hard to describe how I felt in that moment. Anguish is really the only word. I felt anguish. I’m grateful that I’ve learned enough to be able to apologize for the IMPACT my actions had. I’m also grateful that I’ve learned enough to know that I needed to go process this whole situation with someone else. Because my friend, who loves me too, was already saying “It’s ok”. She was already forgiving me. But it didn’t feel OK.   Why didn’t it feel ok? Why didn’t I just accept her forgiveness and move on?

Because it is NOT the responsibility of any hurt party to be subjected to the tears and internal processing of the person who caused harm. This only creates a situation where the injured person is now going to try and make ME feel better. In close relationships—this WILL happen. I’ve been on both sides of that scenario and while forgiveness is beautiful—accountability and amends must come first. Without accountability and a true understanding of harm caused, changing for the better (the definition of amend) is impossible. Meaning that without a deep understanding of the harm I caused I won’t be able to DO BETTER next time.

And there will be a next time.

And so, I called and talked this situation and my feelings through with other people. I have a couple people in my circle who understand impact vs intent. These people allowed me to take responsibility. These people didn’t try to make it ok or try to make me feel better. These people acknowledged the learning opportunity and simply listened to me as I processed my mistake. I’m grateful for these people and if you are also on an Ally journey too—my suggestion is that you look for these kinds of people to add to your network. For me, they were invaluable, and I am grateful.

I’m no longer conflicted, and I am no longer beating myself up. I AM more deeply committed to examining how my values align with my participation, my presence, and my support. Hopefully, I won’t make this SAME mistake again. I mean, there will be another mistake. As I said earlier—it’s inevitable—and I will continue to remember that Progress is Perfection. I’ll continue to remember that I will never be a perfect Ally—but I can always strive for that illusive perfection and continue to learn and grow.  My hope is that by sharing my learning experience others might relate and maybe—just maybe—not have to make the same mistake I made. Shared experience is a beautiful and wondrous thing.

Happy New Year and here is to a 2022 full of joyful learning together!
Love & Light, Sandy

In the quest to find talent the phrase I hear the most is "good fit". The candidates has to be a good fit.

I’m saying throw this phrase OUT of the window.

Right now. Just eliminate GOOD FIT from your recruiting vocabulary.

Maybe you want to stop reading right now. Maybe you are thinking, “What the hell are you talking about Sandy?!?! I need a good fit for the organization!” Be brave…..stick with me & hear me out.

YAY! You got this far. That shows you are curious. Curiosity is actually one of the characteristics I look for when I’m interviewing candidates--innovation is born of curiosity and diversity. I appreciate you taking the time to continue. So, I’ll get right to it!

The First Step is Flipping the Lens

I’ve been talking for years about my belief and practice of viewing employees as internal customers. I have always operated with an internal customer service orientation and so I know it works. When employers can look at their employees as their customers it has the possibility to change everything. Literally everything. And as I study Generation Z as they enter the workforce—I believe this viewpoint is really kind of an imperative. We have to flip the lens. We have to put on a “new pair of glasses” and see employees differently.

The way of thinking about employees when I came into the workforce was something like this. “Get to work early; be happy and gratefule you HAVE a job; do your work; don’t make waves; don’t ask for too much and just do what I say, when I say it and do it how I want you to do it”. Sound familiar?

Kyle Mountsier recently said in a post, “2022 is coming at us fast and we cannot survive on legacy dealership technology or processes”. YES YES YES. I would add legacy dealership mindset regarding employees and candidates.

Think about it…..if we are looking at our employees as internal customers that makes candidates our prospects right?

The Second Step is Building your EVP

Employee Value Propostion! We build a value prop for external customers right? So, it’s logical that we would seek to fulfill the wants and needs of our “new” internal customers while allaying their fears. It’s the next step to building a culture that will help you attract and more importantly retain new talent.

This takes some time and research to discover what your customers and prospects want, need & fear but here is a graphic that might help.

The Third Step is Communicating the EVP

All of your hiring managers should know the Value Proposition. They need to know why candidates should choose to work at YOUR dealership. They should be well versed in all the tangible and intangible benefits.

They should know your organization’s Core Values, Mission & Vision—and they should be able to tell stories about how these show up at the store.

If you do these three simple things you will be on your way to creating a dealership and culture that fits the workforce of the very near future.

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don't be so old school!

10/31/2019

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Don’t be so Old School!
By Sandy Zannino

One of the biggest challenges in our industry is attracting and retaining top talent.  We have struggled with chronically high turnover for as long as I’ve been around—and that’s been a while…this December will mark the beginning of my 22nd year in our wild and wonderful business!  Our astronomic turnover doesn’t seem to change no matter how much we yammer on about culture.  I have some opinions about that but that is another article isn’t it?

What I felt compelled to write about after helping someone fill out an online application is this:  Dear Lord……please stop making it SO hard for people to send their initial application!!!!!  The entire process should take literally a few minutes not almost an hour for God’s sake!

I get it…..I really do.  I used to be a stickler for having the entire application filled out right off the bat.  And I do still advocate for a full application collected in the hiring process.  I want that application that requests information that I want to know versus the resume which is information the candidate wants me to know.  I still believe that this is very important and can lead to discovering critical information about your candidate.  I’ve simply changed my mind about WHEN I want that information.  And if you just can’t see your way to changing it, PLEASE don’t put fields like date of birth on your application.  Are you asking for a ADEA (Age Discrimination) suit?  Again, another article.

But seriously, times have changed people.  We are not living in the same world we did even 5 years ago.    My perspective has changed in the last few years and I believe that we need to keep it simple and make the process faster.   Get the long tiresome application later in the hiring process.  Please.

Why you ask?

Well, I’ll tell you.  It’s pretty simple really.

Because you are going to lose candidates.

We are operating in a very interesting employment environment.  In the beginning of October the Department of Labor posted that for the 18th month in a row there were more job openings that people to fill them.  Think about that for a minute.  For a year and a half employers have been in competition for candidates that have a LOT of options.

Additionally, we have historically low unemployment rates AND the workforce is filling with new generations.  Did you know that in just 4 very short years that 75% of our entire workforce will be made up of Generation Z & Millennials?  To top this off our Boomer generation is finally retiring—not only leaving a physical talent gap but also a skills gap.  In our industry, many of these Boomers hold our top management position.  Do you have a succession plan for this?

So………..

So, we have candidates with options, very different wants and needs, who are doing EVERYTHING with their phone—and won’t be spending an HOUR to fill out an application for a position they MIGHT want to take.  Chances are they are already working and if they are dissatisfied and looking for a new employer they are going to apply with the company that gets them.  And if you don’t make the process quick and easy—that’s not you.

So, rethink your application process—who knows what amazing new talent you are missing and gifting to the competition with an archaic process.  The talent pool is smaller than the ocean of open positions plus they are vastly different in their expectations.

So, don’t be so old school in your recruiting strategies.  Update your thinking, update your process, update your application, update your ATS (my favorite is www.automotohr.com).  Make it simple, easy, and mobile friendly.  Talk to candidates—sell them on your dealership and your employee value proposition (yes, another article)—THEN once YOU know you want them, and THEY are convinced they want YOU—get them to fill out the application.

You’re welcome and have a happy day!

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Harassment claim? Your REsponse matters

4/24/2019

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You come into work, ready to slay the day!  Your mood is bright, your smile sunny and you have a positive outlook on the day. Maybe you are a list maker, and you are happily crossing To Do items off of said list.  Then it happens.  Cue that movie music – dun du dunnnn – can you hear it?  An employee comes to you and says something like, “I don’t want anyone to get in trouble…..BUT…._______ is happening and it is really bothering me”.

If you are a manager, chances are, this has happened to you.  If it hasn’t yet, be assured that one day, it probably will.  How do you respond?  What do you say?  How do you react?  The first thing to do is to take a deep breath and remind yourself not to make any judgements about what the employee has related to you.  Do not let the desire to go back to your productive day and just make this go away cause you to brush off the employee.  Do not make a decision about whether the behaviors causing the employee to come to you are actually illegal harassment and/or discrimination.  And know that your next words to this employee are super important.  There are a lot of things to NOT say and I’ll give you a short list at the end of this article.  For now, I’m going to give all you lucky readers a short script for when someone comes to you with any kind of complaint.

Start with something like this, “Thank you for bringing this to our attention.  The company takes these things very seriously and it is important to us that our dealership operate in a professional manner as it says in our handbook”.  Then, assure the employee that you will keep this conversation as confidential as possible and only those key people who need to know will be involved, and that you are obligated to follow the company policies and procedures (which hopefully directs you to HR).  Let them know that they have done the right thing by coming to you.  Then follow your company’s complaint procedure.  (Note:  it is always my advice that every complaint trigger an investigation—at the least an informal one to determine if an in depth investigation is warranted.  When in doubt, call your labor attorney.  You know what? Just call your labor attorney.)

Do not Retaliate. I repeat….Do Not Retaliate in any way, shape, or form.

And don’t allow any of your managers to retaliate. This is really important. The EEOC recently released Enforcement and Litigation Data for the fiscal year 2018. Interestingly, retaliation charges topped the list with 51.6% of all charges filed. I repeat, retaliation TOPPED the list.

Every January, I attend my local HR Association’s “legal update” and for the past few years, the labor attorneys that deliver the session have made note of the increase in retaliation claims. It’s a trend and not a good one for employers. We need to pay attention to this and educate our managers in how to respond to a complaint and what it actually means to retaliate.

Retaliation Defined

According to the an EEOC article from 2015, “A manager may not fire, demote, harass or otherwise "retaliate" against an individual for filing a complaint of discrimination, participating in a discrimination proceeding, or otherwise opposing discrimination. The same laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability and genetic information also prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose unlawful discrimination or participate in an employment discrimination proceeding.”

“Fire” and “demote” are pretty clear right?  “Harass or otherwise retaliate” can be a little more murky.  Retaliation can come in various forms—some we wouldn’t think of immediately.  Sometimes it might mean a manager neglecting to redirect other employees’ less than professional behavior toward someone who has filed a claim against another perhaps well liked employee.

Could you imagine how this might happen?  There is an employee who jokes around with everyone, sometimes his jokes aren’t quite professional, but no one cares and “everyone” laughs and jokes back.  Until someone does care and files a complaint. Of course during an investigation we make every effort to respect and keep confidentiality—we all know how that goes—and word gets back to the department and suddenly the complaining employee is facing a work environment where no one will speak to them, or even worse, is openly ostracized—creating an intolerable workplace.  It is the employer’s responsibility to redirect this behavior.

I could come up with lots of scenarios.  Maybe you could too?

Intellect over Emotion

One important thing is that we make a serious effort to put our intellect over our emotion. To be the accused in an investigation has got to be an emotion fraught position to be in. And let’s face it, human nature will sometimes want to hit back—get even—show them. He said/she said conversations start—gossip—it can get ugly. Avoiding knee jerk reactions is paramount in these situations and if you have a manager who has been accused of some type of harassment or discrimination, it is very important that they understand that any type of retaliatory behavior is to be completely avoided.

If there is ever some type of investigation happening in your organization here are some things to remember:

Do not talk about the investigation or allegations
Pay attention to what is happening in the dealership and the department
Do not start scrutinizing work or giving the complaining employee a hard time
Do not make threats
Do not treat the complaining employee differently or angrily
Do not demote
Do not lower hours or unfairly distribute workload
Do NOT choose NOW to discipline (yet another reason for addressing performance when it happens, not later)—if you address it now, it will look retaliatory.
Do not engage in gossip and do not tolerate it on your team

When we can take a breath and think rationally and like the adults we are, then perhaps we can put intellect over the emotion and significantly lower the risk for an added claim of retaliation.

Dig Deep

We also might do well to put ourselves in the complaining employee’s shoes and dig deep to find that accountability we are always talking about. Regardless of what you might think, MOST people who experience harassment and/or discrimination do not come forward. I’m not saying that there aren’t people out there who make false allegations, hoping for a quick pay day and looking for deep pockets. These kinds of people have always been around and always will be around. What I am saying is that IF someone comes forward, they ANDthe accused should be given the “benefit of the doubt” as the saying goes and the internal investigation should begin immediately. Because IF the complaint is valid and if illegal harassment and/or discrimination has taken place—it has taken significant courage for this employee to come forward. Most don’t. Why? Because they fear retaliation in some way or form. Are they right? Will they face some type of retaliation? Maybe the latest statistics give us the answer.

Post Script:The Promised Short List

As promised, below is a short list of ways to NOT respond when an employee makes a complaint.

Do not do nothing
Do not suggest a meeting to talk it out
Do not delay notifying HR
Do not react emotionally or confront the person indicated in the complaint
Do not say any of the following:
- Oh, he/she didn’t mean it
- That was just a joke
- Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it
- It’s the car business, suck it up!

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Innovative Dealer Summit 2019 Musings

3/30/2019

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I don’t think I stopped smiling as I drove home from Tampa International Airport! I’ve just returned from Denver and Innovative Dealer Summit. “Summit” is the perfect name for this intimate and amazing conference put on by the Colorado Auto Dealers Association. Dictionary.com offers “The highest state or degree” (here) as one definition and IDS certainly lived up to THAT! With Eliana Raggio as Master of Ceremonies andkeynote speakers like Evelyn Chatel, Tracy Myers, Dale Pollak, Kelly McNearney, Kerri Wise, and Brian Benstock (just to name a few)—this event was simply amazing and I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to be there.

IDS19 was kind of a big deal for me as it was also the venue where I delivered my very first conference session. In mid-2017 I ventured out as an entrepreneur and HR Consultant after just about 20 years working in dealerships. I have a deep passion for protecting profits and elevating our industry’s culture through compliance, training, and coaching. In 2017, I decided to bring my special brand of sparkly, fun, and compliant HR to the auto industry at large. I’ve been having an amazing time, stretching myself, learning and growing. As I began to attend conferences and meet some truly wonderful people, I came to realize that I needed to dip my toe in the water and start delivering some sessions. There was just one thing holding me back. Fear. It’s always fear isn’t it? Well, it often is for me. The thing about fear is this: It is False Evidence AppearingReal. It’s that niggling voice telling me that I can’t or I’m not enough or some other such nonsense.

What a journey!

My journey over the last couple of years has led me to meet some people in our industry that have quite simply changed me.  From the beginning, my path has led me to some people that I now call friends as well as colleagues.  Katie Mares, Steven Warner, Stephen Sweeney, Fleming Ford…the list goes on.  And some people that I greatly admire, aspire to be like, and hope to one day call friend and mentor.  I follow them to learn, and go to them for advice which they generously give: Frank Lopes, Nicole Ashe, Chris Saraceno…another list that goes on. I have been encouraged to be brave by people on both lists and I am grateful.

A few months ago, I called Frank Lopes for some advice on how and where I should jump in to session/speaking delivery.  What a fun and laughter filled conversation that was!  Frank said, “You need to be at IDS” and so I took a deep breath and applied.   When I received that e-mail confirming that my application had been accepted, I forwarded the email to Frank – after doing a happy dance of course!  I was so excited!  Then I think I got the deer in the headlights look…..because I was really going to Denver to deliver a session!  Insert wide eyed emoji here!  I’m smiling now just thinking about it.

And then there I was…totally prepared (or so I thought) as I landed in Denver, excited for the pre-event Speakers Dinner.  I get a little thrill just typing those words!  I arrived at the dinner and immediately met Erika Simms with Dealer Authority, and Ryan Gerardi with AutoConversion.  Along with Owen Moon, we became fast foodie friends, something made super easy by the AMAZING food trucks.  (Yes, I’m still thinking about the brussel sprouts Ryan).  It was a lovely and special evening, hosted by CADA and Arnold Tijerina.

And then...it happened!

I spent the next day, the first day of the conference alternately nervous—(when I thought about my session) and elated—(as I listened to the amazing keynotes and attended sessions).  There were so many people I’ve connected with briefly at other events that I was able to really have great conversations with like Eliana Raggio & Evelyn Chatel. This intimate and special event is the perfect venue for deeper connections and meaningful conversations.

I took some time on the first day during the lunch hour to check all my equipment and slides and breathed a sigh of relief that everything worked perfectly. The IT guys/girls thanked me for coming early (lesson 1—make friends with the IT guys/girls) and gave me a couple of tips (lesson 2—come to session with computer already up and ready). After that I relaxed a bit about my session.  I reminded myself that I know my content and I am an expert in automotive HR.  It’s who I am and what I do.

The day arrived and I felt ready, excited, and still a little nervous. Tabitha, also of Dealer Authority and just a ball of intelligent, fun energy came along and very kindly took some pictures for me.  Since I was the first round of sessions, I had time to set up and ran through once and made SURE everything was working.  All good!  Or so I thought.

I was having fun greeting people as they came in and at 10am sharp I started my very first session—Woo Hooooooo!

And then.

It happened.

My slides wouldn’t advance.

Nothing worked.  Not the clicker.  Not the arrows on the computer.  Nothing.

I kinda wish I had a picture of my face at that moment.

So, I took a breath and said:  “Well, someone told me once to be flexible because then I won’t get bent out of shape” and I delivered my session without slides.  I was able to connect with some of those who attended my session and there was some great interaction and questions. Miraculously I had clairvoyantly printed the important slides—so was able to offer the takeaway slides and actionable items—and everyone wanted them!

Immediately afterward I couldn’t think anything but—OMG, MY SLIDES DIDN’T WORK! Of course my friends Katie Mares and Owen Moon hugged me and listened.  My new friends Tabitha and Erika also gave me kind and wonderful feedback. It wasn’t until I ran into Polly, who was in my session and I asked her opinion that I was able to “get over it”. She said that she was disappointed that the slides didn’t work BUT thought I was a fantastic presenter!  When I told her it was my first time, she was genuinely shocked.   I really can’t explain the relief I felt at her words and reaction.  Later on, I was offered some more amazing feedback from Tim Jackson of CADA that he heard from some who were in my session!  Happy Happy Joy Joy!  It truly made my day!

Someone asked me what my biggest take-away from my first session delivery was. And in retrospect that take-away is this:  Always, always prepare as IF all the technology is not going to work.  Be ready for anything.  Go with the flow & connect with people.  And forget FEAR—because it’s false.

I am so happy and grateful that Innovative Dealer Summit was my first experience delivering a session.  I couldn’t have been in a more gorgeous place (Denver is breathtaking) nor at a more wonderful event and I am already looking forward to IDS20!

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The talent struggle is real

3/4/2019

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What is your dealership doing to attract and retain talent?

This is the big question isn’t it? Dealers all over are looking for talent across all departments. While there does seem to be a huge deficiency in qualified tech candidates, no department is exempt from the talent shortage. Sales, F&I, Service Advisors, Accounting staff, Technicians, Lube Techs, even car wash and detail—it is becoming more and more difficult to fill these positions with talented, motivated, and qualified candidates.

There really is a talent shortage.

As of February according to the Department of Labor, there are more job openings than job seekers for 10th month in a row. Say what!? Yes, it’s true. HR professionals have known this was coming, but who really listens to us anyway?

Nationwide, we are in an interesting employment environment and the proverbial ball is in the job seekers court. A large part of what is happening is demographic (this is the part that we knew was coming). The Boomer Generation is really and finally retiring—and they are retiring in droves—leaving big gaping holes in the workforce. And while we are trying to fill these positions with the best talent we seem to forget that candidates have OPTIONS today. A lot of options actually. They don’t need your job—not when they can go across the street to the next dealership.

What are you doing to bring them to YOUR dealership?

Frankly, if you are doing nothing and just waiting for the old days to return well—good luck with that. The days of a Rockstar walking into your dealership are over. Posting job openings on job boards and praying for qualified and exceptional candidates to apply—yep, over too. Today’s candidate need a reason to want to choose your organization over the others.

Brand your dealership as an employer of distinction

Do you know what is being said about your company on social media? What about reviews on glassdoor? Believe that candidates are doing research on your company. They want to know what is in it for THEM—other than a pay check. Does your website have an employment page that explains why your dealership is a great place to work? We are an industry of innovative creative thinkers—it’s time to put our immense skills to work to acquire talent.

Employee Value Proposition

Yes, it’s a thing. Today’s candidates are looking for the value they will receive in return for working for you. And if they don’t think it’s worth their time, they will move on to the next dealership. Remember those Boomers who are retiring? Well, the workforce is also filling with Millennials and Generation Z…think what you want about these generations (I happen to think they are pretty awesome) but we MUST learn to adapt to them and their wants and needs for employment. And they want very different things. They want a career path. They want to know how you, as their new employer are going to help them achieve their career goals. They want security and work life balance. Do some research into your new workforce and see what you can do to make your organization more attractive to this workforce.

Once you get them—KEEP THEM

It’s no secret that as an industry, we suck at retaining our employees. Even though we’ve all been talking about retention for years, turnover rates, according the NADA workforce study has actually gone up! I’m convinced that the place to start is with your onboarding process. First of all, get one. And not just for sales—remember that your organization is more than just sales although sales seems to get most of the attention and resources. Create an onboarding process that will:

Welcome your new employees
Complete all your compliance
Give them clear expectations
Begin to bring them into your culture

Do this for every new employee and you will be taking the first steps toward retention. If you don’t, and it’s “business as usual”—you are risking that your newly hired employee will be on their phone looking for their next gig even before they have all their passwords.

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EFFECTIVE ONBOARDING!

10/18/2018

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What is your dealership doing to effectively and COMPLIANTLY onboard new employees? Don't forget some of these key things!

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Post Hustle & Grind Con musings

10/15/2018

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I didn't know.

I didn’t know I would come to Hustle & Grind Con and be inspired to my core. I didn’t know I would come to Hustle & Grind Con and have a moment that would cause me to reevaluate my underlying message to my daughter.
I didn’t know I would sit in the audience and cry again and again.
I didn’t know I would be privileged to watch some of the most inspiring and amazing personalities…..in the automotive industry and out.
I didn’t know I would be so changed.
I didn’t know I would be privileged to witness the changing of others.

Nothing happens by accident.

One of my core beliefs is that nothing happens by accident. So it was no accident that I was fortunate enough to be in Orlando for this unique and unusual conference. It was no accident that I was there to be inspired—to be changed. There were so many times during this amazing two day conference that I found myself shaking my head in awe of what I was experiencing and what I was seeing happen around me. I saw people being inspired to dig deep and find their better selves and even now, as I’m writing, just the memory of it makes my eyes mist up. I was one of those people digging deep and while my own spiritual journey brings me unending learning and joy—it’s the witnessing of OTHERS changing that really reaches a place in my heart that can only be described as elation.

Connection at the Hustle House

Heading into this conference I did something unlike me, and I opted to stay in a Hustle House. I found myself assigned to Lux House #4 and when I arrived I opened the door with trepidation—unsure what I would find. I mean, it IS an automotive conference.

What I found were some new friends. Eddie & Chad had arrived before me, Adam & Jeremiah and all his energy soon after. Then came Cassi & Aubrey, a dynamic sales duo and my fellow female automotive warriors. Kable and another sales associate from Roper Kia had arrived earlier and were with the rest of their team. Cameron Moore completed our house and he really did complete it with his technology and sunny disposition. I feel so blessed to have been in this house—which of course I think was the best house. I’m sure everyone thinks their house was the best house.

Something Extraordinary!

Something kind of extraordinary happened at Hustle & Grind Con and in the house. People were literally fired up—ready to learn—ready to advance themselves. They were asking

questions of others with more experience. I witnessed two sales associates, clearly highly trained, actually train another hungry sales associate. I watched and participated as a group of people from different areas of the country, in different roles within our industry interacted, connected, learned, taught, listened, and shared. And even more extraordinary, everyone was focused on growth—both personal and professional. Lux House #4 has still been chatting in our Facebook group message. I’ve been watching everyone’s videos and posts, and smiling as my housemates take to heart the messages received! No fires burning out from our house!

I can only speak for myself, but I felt like I left Hustle & Grind Con 2018 with a new group of people I can call friends—not just professional connections. I’ve left conferences with new friends—one or two—not a whole group—and to me that is extraordinary!

While I didn’t know how effected I would be by this unique and unusual conference, I am so grateful I was there to find out. Hustle & Grind Con 2018 changed me—those articles will come later, and some writings may be very well kept to my personal journal.

So, THANKS, Shawn Hays, Glenn Lundy, & Dave Benson. I truly hope you three have taken a moment to breath in the beauty of what you have created. I can’t wait for next year! (I will be bringing a big box of tissues!)

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Arbitration on my mind

10/6/2018

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I am a big fan of Arbitration Agreements! Make sure YOU'RE agreement is well drafted and just as important, efficiently and effectively delivered. Review your Agreements now--a little time now might save a lot of time and $$$ in the future.

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Culture of caring leads to exemplary Customer Service!

10/4/2018

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It’s oil change day and as I rolled into Wilde Honda in Sarasota, bright and early—I had a smile on my face. Why? Well, one reason is that I am and always will be a Wilde Fan. Additionally, I knew I was going to see some people that I care about and that made me smile. Also, I knew I was probably going to get a few hugs—and hugs always make my heart happy. (Yes, I hug people—yes, I’m HR—I like to keep the “Human” in Human Resources.)

As I pulled in, Melissa, my advisor approached me. While I know a lot of employees at Wilde Honda, Melissa is a new face. She greeted me with a warm and welcoming smile, iPad in hand and asked for my name so she could look up my appointment. I liked her immediately. Her manner was pleasant and she treated me as if she cared. Her smile was genuine—you know, one of those smiles that reaches the eyes. She created instant rapport with me, joking and laughing, while efficiently taking care of my service needs.

Getting vehicle serviced can be an annoying task—but necessary. These days I’m so busy that it sometimes feels challenging to have to stop and take care of these mundane life tasks. Having someone like Melissa in the drive can make all the difference to my entire experience. Melissa seems to be a perfect fit for the extraordinary culture at Wilde Honda.

CULTURE = WHAT IT IS LIKE TO WORK AROUND HERE

Wilde has very low turnover (around 26% when I was working for them)—that is one of the reason’s I know for sure that IS possible for our industry. This year we have watched turnover industry wide go UP—after a year of chatter about attracting, selecting, and hiring the “right” people. I’ve believed for a long time that simply focusing on hiring the right people is just the beginning of a solution. It’s just bandage on a wound when it’s not followed by strategies that move toward a real retention solution.

I’m convinced that there is no one answer to our turnover issues. I believe that every dealer is unique and as such, their particular turnover problems will be unique and therefore the solutions for each dealer will be a little different. I do believe however, that employee retention issues revolves around the much bandied about word—Culture.

When I was finishing my Bachelors I had this awesome Professor--Professor Dudley. I loved him because he was not only intelligent and fun—but he also served as VP of HR for a large insurance company for many years and I appreciated his real world experience. He gave a very simple definition of “culture” that has stayed with me. Culture = What it’s like to work around here.

CULTURE START FROM THE TOP

The employees at Wilde Honda know that they are actually cared about. How do they know? That starts with the General Manager, Skip Strasburger. Skip is one of the most genuine and maybe the nicest person I’ve ever met in my life. I'm not exaggerating. If you know him, you know what I mean. He takes the time to let his people know that he cares. When a Wilde Honda employee has a birthday or work anniversary, they can be assured that Skip is coming around with his hand written balloon. It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference. I know from experience. I get the balloon too—even now, that I’m no longer an employee with Wilde—I know that in a week or so, I’m going to see a balloon message on my Facebook feed from Skip, wishing me Happy Birthday. I know I’m cared about. So do his employees. Anyone who has worked with or for Skip, knows that when receiving a card or note from Skip, it is signed “Thank you for all you do!” Across the board, at every level of the dealership—employees know they are appreciated.

GREAT EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE = GREAT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Customer experience is ultra-important is it not? It’s generally accepted that truly amazing customer experience comes from genuine caring from the company, delivered through employees solving problems and exceeding client needs. How do we create an environment where employees develop genuine caring? I think one of the first places to start is to have genuine caring for them—for their experience within the company.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE—Aren’t employees our internal customers? I’ve always held this to be true: I have three customers when working for a dealer: The dealer/company first and foremost, department heads—helping them achieve their goals and creating learning relationships, and employees. It’s logical that if we apply the same principals of caring customer service to our internal customers/stakeholders that we will begin to see positive changes in the organization. My experience—and the experience at Wilde Honda shows that the first dividend will be evident in lowered turnover.

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Culture of caring leads to exemplary Customer Service!

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Author

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Do not Retaliate. I repeat….Do Not Retaliate in any way, shape, or form. ​

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​What is your dealership doing to attract and retain talent?

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​CULTURE = WHAT IT IS LIKE TO WORK AROUND HERE

CULTURE START FROM THE TOP

GREAT EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE = GREAT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Author

Archives

Categories

Do not Retaliate. I repeat….Do Not Retaliate in any way, shape, or form.

Retaliation Defined

Intellect over Emotion

Post Script:The Promised Short List

What is your dealership doing to attract and retain talent?

CULTURE = WHAT IT IS LIKE TO WORK AROUND HERE