The Challenge
Developing a talent management approach for the next generation
By the time JM&A Group and Reynolds GM, Subaru began a consulting relationship on talent services, the two companies had already been working together for years.
That F&I relationship began when Reynolds purchased its Chevrolet franchise from another dealership. In the aftermath of making such a large move into selling Chevys, leadership decided to bolster its backend profitability with a new lineup of JM&A Group F&I products.
The F&I relationship has been strong for years, and when JM&A Group introduced its Talent Management Services offering, a JM&A Dealer Performance Manager recommended it to the Reynolds leadership team.
Seeing a way to become more effective at both managing current employees and finding the best prospects for open roles, Reynolds began working with JM&A Group Consulting Solutions. This included the use of The Predictive Index® (PI), a behavioral assessment system designed to highlight personality types and provide actionable insights based on the results.
Because the Predictive Index test is simple and easy to take, as well as fully digital for ease of data capture and use, the Reynolds managers quickly spread the assessment to every part of the business, from the sales floor and the management office to the service desk and the body shop.
This engagement with JM&A Group Consulting Solutions began a new chapter for the dealership's already solid personnel management operations.
The Solution
Forging a strong relationship with Dealer Talent Management Services
Even more than the technological side of talent management services, embodied by The Predictive Index, Reynolds GM, Subaru has found success with the personal relationships between their leaders and their Dealer Talent Manager and consultant, who meets with the Reynolds team every week speaking directly to dealership leaders about their personnel needs.
From explaining the finer points of The Predictive Index, and how to best utilize the tool, to consulting on personnel management approaches, this manager has become closely linked to Reynolds' leadership team. The two sides are united by a common understanding that people are the force that makes a dealership work, and there is always improvement to be unlocked.
In practice, JM&A Group Consulting Solution's input and the use of The Predictive Index have changed the way Reynolds' management team handles several vital people management issues:
Performance improvement for employees has evolved. Now, it's possible to identify when a person's personality profile does not match the work they are performing. A current salesperson may have a "pleaser" disposition, meaning they will find problem-solving customer support work more fulfilling. This has helped the dealership managers ensure they are making right-person right-role pairings and getting the most out of each of their 65-person team.
Hiring and talent assessment is now more in-depth and accurate. Without data-based tools, it can take months after hiring an employee to see how truly suited they are for the chosen job. Working with JM&A Group Consulting Solutions, however, has changed the math. Now, the dealership can gravitate toward candidates whose PI profiles match those of current high-performing employees in departments with openings.
Morale and employee happiness, high priorities for Reynolds, can be linked to workers' individual needs and personalities. With help from JM&A Group Consulting Solutions, it's easier than ever to shape employees' duties to suit their unique motivators and preferences. This improved level of worker happiness can translate to an improved customer experience.
Common processes have become more data-driven and scientific. For instance, when it's time to make a new hire, the general manager will meet with the head of the relevant section of the company — fixed operations or variable operations, for example — to compare candidates' PI profiles and decide which one possesses the perfect mental makeup for the job.
JM&A's talent management services touch every element of a dealership's people management, from hiring and performance reviews to setting job descriptions and creating performance improvement strategies. While Reynolds GM, Subaru was not suffering from retention or morale problems before, it still found ways to improve, creating an overall advantage over less ambitious competitors.
The Results
Happiness as a differentiator
In an era when auto dealerships offer similar prices for similar vehicles, what does it take for a business to truly stand out? Happiness can be that edge. This is the theory Reynolds is employing in collaboration with JM&A Group Consulting Solutions.
When auto dealership employees are given duties and job descriptions that closely match their personality profiles, and when they are managed according to unique, data-driven factors, it can raise morale. An auto dealership where the right people are in the right roles stands a better chance of delivering top-notch customer experiences, a great calling card in a time when so many dealers are similar to one another.
The close nature of the relationship between Reynolds and JM&A Group — with personal contact at least once a week — has ensured that both sides are united in pursuing this objective. Equipped with a rich store of personnel data and the strategic intent to use it, the dealership can strengthen bonds with present employees and recruit an ideal next generation.
From the sales floor to the body shop and beyond, happiness has become a positive differentiator.
To find out what talent management consulting could do for your dealership, contact JM&A Group now.
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