Automotive Retailer Fuels Growth through Targeted Assessments and Stronger Onboarding
Tasked with doubling its revenue over five years, company executives needed a better way to identify key players and get them up to speed quickly.
Executive summary
With aggressive growth as part of its five-year strategic plan, executives at this 70,000-employee automotive retailer needed a solution that was quick to implement and effective. They needed a better way to evaluate key sales and management employees for important characteristics, with the goal of moving key players from roles such as branch manager to area manager. The company chose Outmatch because the platform was easier to use and put into action than other vendors.
Auto retailer uses data to make more accurate hires and improve onboarding
Since the retailer needed to grow quickly, there was no time to waste. They already understood what made their key employees successful – what they needed was a more effective way to identify those traits. Outmatch built an assessment that spotlighted key characteristics and matched them with appropriate job competencies. The assessment data showed where the candidate or employee fit or didn’t fit within required job skills. It also revealed where development efforts would be needed to succeed in the role.
What did the retailer like most about the solution? It liked that the assessments were quick and easy to use. New hires only had to complete the assessment once and then HR staff could evaluate fit for different roles (comparing their results to multiple profiles). Management was also trained to show the value of these assessments – how they could link them to growth and best practices. Hiring managers could now use this data to make more consistent and objective hiring decisions and provide candidates with better onboarding guidance post-hire.
Targeted reports assist with selection and development too
Once the retailer zeroed in on a promising candidate, they interviewed the candidate using the Outmatch report which included targeted interview questions based on assessment results. This interview guide enabled hiring managers to quickly understand the candidate’s strengths and potential weaknesses and dig into any areas of concern during the interview. Then, if candidates were hired, a report was generated that gave hiring managers feedback on how the candidate’s innate characteristics aligned with the required job competencies.
The bottom line? The retailer improved hiring speed and accuracy. Onboarding also benefited because management had a better understanding of strengths and development areas. Now, this auto retailer is poised for smart growth over the long-term.