Looking for a “Good Fit”?

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.