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By David Druzynski, VP People and Culture, DealerSocket
Let’s face it. Most job ads today are boring and, unfortunately, boring job ads attract boring job applicants. If you want to bring in top performers, you need to grab their attention from the start!
Car dealers put an incredible amount of time and energy into marketing their inventory to sell. Their goal is to generate excitement and enthusiasm, and to differentiate themselves from the competition. Dealers understand that for many, the car buying decision is not a logical one; it is an emotional decision. If dealers put forth a fraction of the energy they use to market their inventory into marketing their career opportunities, it would attract an entirely new pool of candidates.
Think about a window sticker on a vehicle. A window sticker lists out the standard equipment of a vehicle, its options, and fuel economy. It contains very useful information about the vehicle, but it would be laughable to attempt to sell that vehicle by simply posting a copy of the sticker on your website. A window sticker doesn’t tell customers how they’ll feel when they drive the car down a winding ocean road for the first time, or the rush of going from zero to 60 in under six seconds. Those feelings will strongly influence the car buying decision. Those are the same type of emotions you need to tap into to influence their career decisions.
Unfortunately, many job descriptions contain nothing more than “window sticker” type of information. Sure, they open up with the same carbon copy of “take your career to the next level with a winning dealership,” then move too quickly to a section that shows they offer the exact same benefits as most other dealerships. Most job postings focus on what the candidate will do for the dealership. If you want to catch the eye of top talent, your job posting had better show off what’s in it for them!
If you’ve ever read Simon Sinek’s book, “Start with Why,” you understand that many companies have been doing their marketing backward. They start by saying what they do and how they do it, but most forget to talk about why they do it in the first place. They don’t inspire people to action. Take, for example, the outdoor retailer, Patagonia. Its recently revealed mission statement is simple: “We are in business to save our home planet.” People don’t shell out cash for Patagonia apparel just because of the famous logo; they buy from them because Patagonia stands for something. The “why” is crystal clear, and it creates a connection with the brand’s customers.
Reflect on this for a moment: Do your job postings inspire top candidates to action, or do they simply appeal to average performers who need work? Have you identified your candidate persona? Have you stopped to think about why a candidate would want to work for you instead of your competition?
Join me during my workshop at NADA 2021 to learn how to apply my new spin on Sinek’s “Start with Why” philosophy to build on your employment brand and write inspiring job advertisements that will attract the best talent to your dealership.
Attract Top Candidates by Starting with “Why” is scheduled for February 9th, from 1:30-2:30 pm. NADA attendees can watch it live or save it to watch on-demand later.