Keep Employees in the Loop on Dealership Performance

When reviewing results from all the employees we’ve surveyed since 2014, we were surprised to find the overall employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) is only 19! eNPS is an indicator of overall employee satisfaction and loyalty, and improving eNPS starts by increasing employee engagement.  According to Gallup, companies with engaged employees outperform those without by up to 202%. But knowing your score is not enough, you need the reasons behind the ranking to make real and lasting change.  To help you get started we took a deep dive into the data and uncovered one key area we recommend you focus on at your dealership.

This key area lies within your dealership’s execution processes. Execution processes are the way an organization relates, communicates and interacts with their employees. These include whether employees feel the leadership team understands what’s really going on in their department/location, whether employees feel their organization is doing things efficiently and well, and whether input on new ideas is welcome throughout the organization. Of these, we see one clear opportunity for dealerships to improve their execution processes, and that is by their ability to keep employees in the loop. Our analysis shows that only 26% of employees say they feel well informed about decisions.

To find out whether your dealership needs to improve their efforts on keeping employees in the loop, go beyond the score and look at your employee engagement feedback. Here are some real employee comments that signify execution opportunities when asked, “What would increase their engagement”:

  • Be aware of changes they may happen instead of finding out at the last minute.
  • Not be so secretive on what is going on with the company, better communication with employees.
  • More communication from upper management.
  • Encouragement and outward appreciation from the ownership group.
  • Feel more a part of the company and what it takes to grow.
  • Much of the time I feel completely left out of the organization. The company has grown from a family owned business to a corporation. It feels a lot colder now

We know that changes don’t happen overnight and every recommendation can’t be incorporated, but it is important to let your employees know you value their thoughts and ideas. Keep your employees engaged by keeping them in the loop with both small and large changes or news. Need ideas to start making small changes? Read 10 Employee Engagement Best Practices Shared by Dealers.

If you aren’t certain about your dealership’s level of engagement, consider evaluating your organization’s specific opportunities through an engagement survey or other employee insight method. Contact SATISFYD at employeesuccess@satisfyd.com and read 6 Best Practices to Prepare for an Employee Engagement Survey if your organization is thinking about taking the next step.