Get Car Dealership Managers Involved in Employee Training
New hires often are thrown into the deep end and expected to succeed with little or no training.
A crucial aspect of a manager’s job is to actively train personnel, regardless of their job function, so they can excel and contribute to the business’s goals.
Managers know one of their most important assets is their people. They invest time and money recruiting, interviewing and hiring talent. Often however, that’s where the investment stops.
According to Glassdoor, the average U.S. company spends about $4,000 to hire a new employee. Forbes says that when an employee leaves after only six months, it can cost a company 33% of that employee’s annual salary.
These costs include the time it takes to replace and train a hire, lost productivity and engagement and the impact on morale and clients.
A Sitel Group study says:
92% of U.S. employees say learning something new on the job motivates them.
83% find on-the-job training most effective in helping them perform well at work.
79% say that when searching for a job, it is important that the employer offers a formal training program.
Employees who receive ongoing training and education gain tools to improve their performance, have a deeper understanding of their business and hone new techniques.
It leads to increased sale, improved customer satisfaction improves and better employee retention rates.
What’s management’s role in training?
Technology guru Andy Grove wrote in his book “High Output Management” that most managers seem to think training employees is a job for others. He believes managers should do it themselves.
Often management leaves training to third-party experts with no participation or involvement. While an outside organization is an essential part of a training pro-gram, a manager must be intricately involved and provide additional instruction.
Otherwise, results will differ from expectations. This is one of the most important reasons a manager must be actively involved.
After all, managers better than anyone else know and understand the business. They also know their people’s needs, challenges, strengths and weaknesses.
Active management involvement signals that continuous improvement and learning are high priorities.
A manager’s role in training takes a variety of forms. It changes based on each individual’s particular needs.
In general, however, managers can use simple daily interactions. These include encouraging those who find new approaches to solve problems, recognizing others who support colleagues and go the extra mile.
It involves evaluating, monitoring, and coaching.
Where to Start?
The best training starts with the knowledge and skills that people need most to succeed in their jobs: on-boarding new people, sharing expectations and implementing programs that focus on particular job skills, such as sales techniques.
Are there individuals within the dealership who have insights that will help others excel? If so, enlist them as part of the ongoing training program. Not only will you capture the knowledge that exists within the organization, but you will recognize individual talents.
Management should have a consistent training programs that pass on the newest methods and processes. This sets an example and ensures best practices are in play. Building a knowledge culture starts at the top.
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Yet, people often are hired, thrown into the deep end and expected to succeed with little or no training. Isn’t it time to change that?This is the first in a series focusing on management’s responsibility to develop staffers.
Richard F. Libin is the author of the book, “Who Stopped the Sale?” (www.whostoppedthesale.com) and president of Automotive Profit Builders, a firm that works with sales and service departments on customer satisfaction and maximizing gross profits through personnel development and technology. He can be reached at [email protected] or 508-626-9200 or www.apb.cc.
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