We interrupt the avalanche of AI overload to bring you a progress report on the state of hiring and retention in the office technology dealership universe. As much as AI is insinuating itself into conversations about business, there’s still a great deal of humanity steeped in human resources and the quest to align prospects with optimal position and employer fits.
Truth is, there are many technology-based and analytics-driven tools that aide the scouting process for our industry’s HR community. Certainly, old-school hiring elements linger, and there’s obviously nothing wrong with relying on gut instinct when all the other metrics haven’t produced a clear-cut hiring candidate. AI has its place, but there’s no substitute for people judging people. A healthy mix of solutions, including third-party agencies that aide in identifying potential hires (check out page 26 for our From the Trenches piece on Copier Careers), seems to be the best recipe for success.
For the April State of the Industry report on hiring and retention tools, we’ve paneled several dealerships to get a feel for regional hiring environments, the art of promoting their value proposition as an employer and the best practices to mitigate employee erosion in the face of headhunting and competitive poaching.
Quality Over Quantity
Despite the competitive job market in the Sunshine State, Daphne Montalvo believes the most pressing issue involves sourcing the right candidate as opposed to having a robust pile of job applicants. The general human resources manager for AD Solutions in Orlando seeks high-performing candidates whose values align with the Florida dealer’s culture of accountability and service excellence, not to mention prospects who embrace the take-ownership mentality.
AD Solutions
AD Solutions relies on a blend of modern recruiting tools and relationship-based sourcing to populate the talent pipeline. Montalvo’s staff has automated parts of its recruiting to capitalize on platforms including Zip Recruiter, Indeed, The Predictive Index and Criteria Corp to bolster the company’s applicant tracking system (ATS).
For example, AD Solutions leverages The Predictive Index and Criteria Corp to analyze workstyle compatibility, cognitive ability and communication tendencies. It’s not only a question of whether job candidates can tackle all elements of the job description; Montalvo wants to know if they will thrive in the roles.
“While we leverage tools and automation in our recruiting workflow, we haven’t outsourced our human element,” she noted. “Since these tools don’t answer the questions surrounding culture fit, emotional intelligence and long-term potential, they only serve to enhance human decision-making, not replace it. Hiring choices remain a leadership decision.”
Since HIRING tools don’t answer the questions surrounding culture fit, emotional intelligence and long-term potential, they only serve to enhance human decision-making, not replace it. Hiring choices remain a leadership decision.
– Daphne Montalvo, AD Solutions
Referrals, whether they’re from current employees, professional networks or community partnerships, have been critical to building the team. Montalvo notes that given some of the best available talent is passive, making connections through in-house referrals helps ensure the prospect is getting sold on the organization and has insight into AD Solutions’ culture.
“Recruiting, for us, remains fundamentally about relationships,” Montalvo said. “Most importantly, we no longer wait for a position to open or for a candidate to apply. Our recruiting team remains focused on ensuring our talent pipeline is as stacked as our sales pipeline.”
Competitive compensation is a good start in attracting the best candidates. Taking it to the next level, Montalvo points out that leadership and culture are critical variables augmenting retention efforts. Whether prospects or current staff, there’s a desire for “a great culture that’s defined by clarity of opportunity, trust in leadership, professional growth and performance recognition,” she added. The dealer also relies on what she calls “stay interviews” as a forecasting tool for retention. These allow AD Solutions to remain attuned to the professional goals of teammates for the duration of their tenure.
Curiously, AD Solutions’ greatest struggles with employee churn occurred when the dealer relied on external recruiters. As the company continued to grow, added resources meant the company could bring the recruitment process in house, which stemmed the turnover tide along with the tools Montalvo cited.
Early Engagement
There’s a telling line from the film, “The Untouchables,” which speaks to the likelihood of hiring bad/corrupt police officers in prohibition-era Chicago. “If you’re afraid of getting a rotten apple, don’t go to the barrel,” Elliot Ness is told. “Get it off the tree.”
WiZiX Technology Group
The same holds true for sourcing young sales professionals, minus the liquor and Al Capone. An experienced account rep has developed good and bad habits, but a candidate who’s been in the sales game only a year or two is more pliable and suggestive to the method and style of a new employer. That’s one of the key drivers in talent acquisition for WiZiX Technology Group of Roseville, California.
Tyler Johnson, the company’s senior vice president of sales, notes the search criteria and an intentional hiring approach has served the company well. The desire to cultivate prospects to closely align with the WiZiX way has led to prioritizing coachability, competitiveness and long-term engagement—all of which trumps industry tenure.
WiZiX has enjoyed much success with third-party recruiting firms. Beyond traditional channels, Johnson notes that referrals and relationship-driven recruiting continues to be an effective tool for the dealer.
We’ve been able to move high performing, green reps into leadership roles faster than many organizations simply because growth creates openings. Performance earns opportunity here.
– Tyler Johnson, WiZiX Technology Group
“We recently partnered with a firm that truly understands our growth model and culture,” he pointed out. “That alignment has made a significant difference. With their support, we expect to bring on 10-plus new reps in 2026 as part of our expansion strategy.”
There’s something to be said for exuding confidence, and candidates sense when it’s genuine. WiZiX is bullish on the industry and its own future, and Johnson notes that as an independent, growth-minded dealer, opportunities expand in lock step with the company. That’s core to the company’s value proposition.
Johnson also credits the WiZiX blueprint in enabling team members to fast-track their career progression. “We’ve been able to move high performing, green reps into leadership roles faster than many organizations simply because growth creates openings,” he said. “Performance earns opportunity here.
“Beyond trajectory, we sell our culture. We operate with a team-first mentality. We celebrate wins together and reflect on losses together.”
Johnson feels it takes account reps three years to ramp up, as it’s the juncture when territory equity compounds and confidence grows. But should the rep decide to ply his craft elsewhere at that point, the dealer doesn’t consider it a true loss. On the contrary, it’s a testament to WiZiX’s development program.
“Because we build territories strategically, each rep ideally leaves behind something stronger than they inherited,” Johnson said. “Our mindset is simple: build infrastructure, not dependence on individuals. When you do that, turnover becomes manageable instead of destabilizing.”
Cultivating Greatness
For a company such as Doceo of York, Pennsylvania, the south-central pocket of the state isn’t bereft of candidates to populate the lineup of this fast-growing dealership. In the eyes of Jim Haney, chief marketing and technology officer, the key is sourcing individuals who understand the trajectory of the industry and are keen to be part of that transformation. In order to assemble a technology-forward services firm, Doceo seeks to eschew the garden variety copier rep in favor of big-picture people who can think beyond hardware.
Doceo
Doceo is in the enviable position of leveraging industry relationships and professional networks to recruit impact players before the job posts even hit the general market. “When you invest in your reputation within the dealer community, in industry visibility, in being known as a company that’s doing interesting work, the right people start paying attention,” Haney said. “Your company becomes part of their career calculus before you ever make a formal offer.”
The dealer capitalizes on the multifaceted nature of LinkedIn as a forum for both securing candidates and augmenting brand image. Training on social selling enables team members to tell the company’s story authentically online.
When a prospective hire sees your people genuinely engaged and visible in the industry, that carries more weight than a polished careers page.
– Jim Haney, Doceo
The approach, Haney says, produces a more relatable impression. “When a prospective hire sees your people genuinely engaged and visible in the industry, that carries more weight than a polished careers page,” he added.
Haney feels much of the job-hopping can be attributed to a disconnect between team member and employer—whether it’s growth, a challenge or recognition—and sometimes it boils down to the belief that the company is stagnating. Doceo strives to ensure financial compensation isn’t the lone motivation, and prospects are drawn to the dealer’s investment in technology, AI and new service lines. Having the ability to provide examples of being a forward-looking organization, such as the AI-powered tools and a custom CRM, can help underscore its assertions.
Headhunters and poachers come with the territory, and Haney believes that dealers who aren’t seeing their top players wooed have probably overestimated their roster. He doesn’t seek to stem the inquiries; Haney just wants to make sure his people like the color of Doceo’s grass, so to speak. A three-pronged strategy helps to validate the dealer’s reputation as a destination employer:
Advanced development. “We run structured growth and development plans for key team members, with quarterly milestones, shared reading programs and regular coaching conversations,” Haney said. “One of my direct reports and I are currently reading ‘Just Listen’ by Mark Goulston together and applying the principles in real time. That kind of investment signals something different than a standard performance review.”
Exposure and visibility. The dealer furnishes opportunities for team members to broaden their network via industry events, cross-functional projects or representing the company externally. Haney notes when people feel valued and visible, they’re more apt to stick around.
Honest leadership. “Our team has access to leadership in a way that many larger organizations can’t offer,” he remarked. “When you can walk into a conversation with your CEO or division leader and have a real dialogue about direction, that’s a retention tool no headhunter can compete with.”
Focused Snapshot
Most of us, not just history buffs and U.K. aficionados, are familiar with the phrase “The sun never sets on the British Empire.” The expression dates back to the 19th century, when Britain’s global dominance/presence in North America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific was at its zenith. Of course, the empire’s portfolio has taken quite a hit in the past 100 years, as many of its holdings have gained independence (we can happily smirk at the thought of being an early adopter).
UBEO Business Services
As we’re also well aware, the industry has its share of dealer empires that stretch from coast to coast (a precious few can boast Alaska and Hawaii). UBEO Business Services of Austin, Texas, has strong clusters on both coasts and another in the Lone Star State, thus a more focused approach is necessary to assess job markets. As such, we’re taking a deep dive into the left coast, courtesy of Melanie West, UBEO’s director of HR for the western region.
According to West, the region’s job market is hotly contested, particularly when it comes to technical and service roles. Although certain positions can attract vibrant candidate pools, both specialized skills and an optimal cultural fit present a higher degree of difficulty. Thus, it helps to have a robust pipeline. For this, UBEO reaches beyond traditional job posts and social media sources to take advantage of employee referrals, partnerships with local technical schools and universities, industry associations and job fairs to reach talent.
To attract top candidates amid high job-hopping trends, we emphasize a supportive culture, professional development opportunities and work-life balance.
– Melanie West, UBEO Business Services
“To attract top candidates amid high job-hopping trends, we emphasize a supportive culture, professional development opportunities and work-life balance,” West remarked. “For high-demand roles, we adjust compensation where needed while also highlighting non-monetary benefits to encourage long-term engagement.”
West feels retaining top talent and combating the proverbial “grass is greener” challenge requires the company to address headhunting, competitive offers and advancement opportunities elsewhere. Celebrating team member accomplishments and taking their pulse periodically help mitigate employee churn.
“We focus on regular performance discussions, mentorship, training and recognition programs such as UBEO Support Day in April and milestone anniversaries throughout the year,” West said. “Turnover has been manageable, though higher in specialized or field-based roles.”
Deliberate Process
The hiring process can be a double-edged sword. Dealers want to find the optimal fit, from both a skills and cultural standpoint. As such, most companies will err on the side of discretion and not be too quick to pull the trigger on a hire. That can be wise and problematic. Every hiring misjudgment equates to money lost on training and results in beginning the process over again. Seeking the perfect fit can also mean missing out on strong candidates. Bad calls mean dedicating time that would be better spent on business development. Inaction means a territory is still open and likely being divvied among multiple account reps.
Pulse Technology
Pulse Technology of Schaumburg, Illinois, is among those dealers that would probably prefer to see hiring time frames reduced. This is particularly true of sales positions, and the dealer turns to Indeed and LinkedIn to source new team members. Vince Miceli, company vice president, notes that analytics gleaned from Culture Index have been instrumental in matching individuals’ “natural selves” with job behaviors in predicting where someone would most flourish.
Pulse Technology has employed recruiters with some success. One of the newest initiatives sees the dealer working with a firm that assists college athletes transitioning into the workforce. Anecdotally, ex-athletes have long proven to be pliable and receptive to team winning. Miceli notes the early returns have been positive.
We’re a family business, and we strive to create an atmosphere where everyone feels like part of the family.
– Vince Miceli, Pulse Technology
Third-party validations have been a calling card for Pulse Technology when it comes to wooing future team members, among them a “Best Places to Work” designation for the past five years. A culture committee and frequent recreational team-building activities are other enticements that allow the dealer to lean heavily on having a pro-employee environment.
“We’re a family business, and we strive to create an atmosphere where everyone feels like part of the family,” he said. “And we do offer an excellent compensation package, which does help in both recruiting and retaining.”
Turnover can be problematic, particularly on the sales end. Retaining those employees is as tough as finding them, but Pulse has the advantage of a wider product arsenal that gives account reps the ability to center conversations around more than just MFPs. In addition to training and mentoring, Pulse Technology encourages account reps to establish deep roots and expand their networks by joining associations and business groups such as the chamber of commerce.
Naturally, a comprehensive compensation package is tough to ignore, and the Illinois firm also offers profit sharing. “Our benefits are world class,” Miceli added. “We’ve been told that our 401K program is better than those offered by some Fortune 100 companies.”
