There’s little question that the Great Resignation is more than just a passing phenomenon ignited by the pandemic, causing millions of Americans (and workers worldwide) to take a hard, deep look at their occupational hopes and dreams. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, April marked the 11th consecutive month that at least four million U.S. workers tendered their resignations.
But while the Google search numbers for “sample resignation letters” may be at an all-time high, it doesn’t necessarily reflect where the job market will be at the end of the year, let alone in 2023. For perspective, let’s look at where we stand.
The consultancy firm PwC conducted a Global Workforce Hopes and Fears study, surveying 52,000 workers in 44 countries this past March. It found that one in five workers plan to quit their jobs in 2022. Fair pay was the number one reason cited by 71% of responders. About 69% said they wanted their job to be fulfilling, while 66% wanted to “truly be myself” at their jobs. Tied at 60% were “my team cares about my well-being” and “I can be creative/innovative in my job.”
Farther down the list were choosing when (50%) and where (47%) employees wanted to do their jobs, which goes against the prevailing belief that remote work and time flexibility were the primary drivers in the Great Resignation. Another interesting fact yielded by the April labor report: there are roughly two job openings for every unemployed person. Thus, calling the current environment favorable to employees is a safe statement—for now. And now is quickly turning to later (see our main bar on page 12 for how this could change going forward).
As an addendum to this month’s State of the Industry report, we sidestep the current variables that have driven employees to look elsewhere: compensation, benefits, work-from-home flexibility, work/life balance and other considerations that lead to a more fulfilling career experience. We surveyed our panel of dealer participants to explore the various selling points that make each of their companies an attractive employment destination. In other words, with all things being equal, how does a dealer’s culture help to attract prospective employees and maintain them for the long haul?
Face of Company
It’s important to remember that the first point of genuine contact a prospect has with a dealership is generally the manager who’s seeking a new team member. Brad Cates, president and CEO of Cincinnati-based Prosource, emphasizes that it’s the quality of his firm’s managers and their ability to build relationships and teams that will have the most meaningful impact on a candidate. It falls upon that manager to express a sincere intention to facilitate the new team member’s dreams and goals, and help make them a reality.
“Everyone can put together a great compensation plan or a great benefits package,” Cates noted. “But those are quickly commoditized. It’s the quality of your managers who are doing the hiring that can make all the difference. At Prosource, it’s evident through our recruitment process that our managers care about the people they’ll be working with.”
Obviously, it doesn’t end with manager support, and Prosource reinforces its employee growth and success through its training and development program. “That training isn’t a one-time thing. It’s something that team members at all levels are continually engaged in to support their ongoing success,” he added.
Hiring Mercenaries
One of the biggest headaches dealers encounter is the scourge of headhunters pilfering talent, with visions of higher comp plans, improved benefits and other promises aimed at coaxing team members into uprooting. One percentage that hasn’t been bandied about during the Great Resignation is the number of Americans who leave their jobs, only to find out the new employer didn’t measure up to expectations, leading them to return to the prior employer’s doorstep, hat in hand.
The best thing a dealer can do, according to Robert Woodhull, sales supervisor and marketing director for Springboro, Ohio-based Woodhull LLC, is ensure it’s being forthright about an employment opportunity and what a candidate must do to be successful and maximize his/her experience. This is particularly true in the market for sales reps.
“You don’t want to do a bait and switch. We’re trying to do everything opposite of what your stereotypical headhunter does,” Woodhull said. “We’re forthright about their potential and the ramping-up time it takes to get to that level. Clarifying expectations has allowed us to hold on to people for a longer period of time.
“We’ve seen a lot of people leave because they were told the grass is greener, and then they come back. That’s not unlike when a customer leaves for a short period of time to try the competition. In those cases, they end up coming back and staying a whole heck of a lot longer because they tried someone else and it didn’t go well.”
Woodhull believes it’s imperative to take the high road and embrace a more magnanimous approach toward those who seek to return, particularly if they had departed in a professional manner in the first place. Unfortunately, he’s seen some younger employees—and even a few of the more veteran types—employ a scorched earth policy on their way out the door. Woodhull personally doesn’t see a point in burning bridges.
“We would rather leave the door open because good talent is good talent,” he said.
Cory Spice, president of Wisconsin Document Imaging (WDI) of Green Bay, says that what matters to most, if not all, employees is the notion that the company cares about its team members as people first and employees second. Even at the height of the pandemic, WDI kept everyone employed, as Spice knew that job security and a constant paycheck would provide comfort at a time of great uncertainty. Two years later, he credits the company’s limited turnover as a product of that loyalty and support.
“I think our leaders model that service mindset and, hopefully, our employees would say those leaders are easy to work with,” Spice noted. “Most importantly, I truly think the group of employees we have right now is outstanding. We can look a candidate in the eye and brag up our team. We can tell that candidate that they’ll be working with industry experts in sales, service, IT, and administrative support. And that candidate is going to have fun working with those team members solving challenges. It’s because of that strong team that our business is growing.”
Wider Targets
For Image 2000 of Valencia, California, having seven branches spread across the Golden State and Las Vegas enables it to cast a wider net when recruiting applicants, according to CEO Joe Blatchford. And while physical growth usually connotes a larger, culturally disparate organization, it actually doesn’t detract from the tight-knit, family atmosphere its team members enjoy.
“Every employee has direct access to the CEO and president of the company, both of whom welcome constructive feedback,” he said. “We also offer hybrid work opportunities and continuous enhancements to our employee recognition and incentive programs.”
While the pandemic period caused millions of American workers to pause and take stock of their professional careers, it also had a similar impact on the business community. One such dealer was Stargel Office Solutions of Houston, which embarked on a period of self-reflection to better identify “who we are” and qualify points of differentiation.
According to TJ DeBello, vice president of sales, “Through this self-reflection, we made a decision to be true to ourselves and promote our culture, emphasizing professionalism, passion, putting the customer first and being competitive. We hope our honesty, fairness and competitive pay structure makes us an attractive employment destination.”
In the final analysis, when employees feel they have an active voice within an organization, the more likely they are to feel invested in its success and future. Chelsey Bode, CEO of Springfield, Missouri-based Pearson-Kelly Technology, says her teammates feel they’re part of something exciting.
“We communicate a clear vision and point back to the ‘why’ in everything we do,” she said. “We’re very family focused and have a culture of work-life integration. We work as a team and respect each other. We set clear and strong expectations and we’re told this is comforting by employees. To top it off, we have fun!”
