‘Skills Escalation’ barrier to recruitment

9 May 2012  

A “skills escalation” is making motor trade recruitment an ever more difficult issue, with employers finding it increasingly tricky to find the right people with the right abilities according to start-up recruitment agent Job Co-op Automotive.

The firm says that the issue affects everything from the most technical workshop training to “soft” interpersonal skills and points to a new programme being trailed by Ford in America where recruitment specialists are being used to help dealers.

Ken Trinder, director, explained: “The demand for higher skills levels has occurred in all areas of dealership activity – from the soft skills needed by front of house staff, through the wider range of communications skills needed by sales and marketing staff through to the obvious higher levels of knowledge needed by workshop staff.

“This skills escalation makes it trickier and trickier to find someone with the right specific abilities that you need to fill a job role.”