When the COVID-19 pandemic made its presence known to the automotive industry, leaders at the Best Dealerships To Work For found themselves asking crucial questions: How could they safely recruit and hire employees to staff stores and keep business going? How could they adapt training to work during such a crisis?
It wasn't simple. They used digital tools, such as Zoom, to conduct interviews with potential hires and chat with customers. Some shifted work hours and revamped schedules to give sales employees a better work-life balance. Others capitalized on recruiting from the hospitality and restaurant industries.
In the early days of the pandemic, uncertainty bloomed at BMW North Scottsdale in Phoenix. As the coronavirus spread, dealership leaders realized they had to shift the store's business strategy. They put a freeze on hiring in March 2020 and didn't lift it until that September.