Looking to recruit experienced automotive professionals?
Car Dealer Recruitment helps franchised dealerships, dealer groups, independent dealers, garages and bodyshops recruit experienced people across Sales, Aftersales, Workshop, Bodyshop and Management positions.
Our approach combines vacancy advertising, candidate sourcing, CV searching, telephone screening and direct candidate outreach to help employers reach people who may not be actively applying for jobs.
Below are answers to some of the questions employers frequently ask us.
What positions can Car Dealer Recruitment help us fill?
We recruit across most dealership and automotive disciplines, including:
Workshop
- Vehicle Technicians
- Diagnostic Technicians
- Master Technicians
- MOT Testers
- Workshop Controllers
- Workshop Managers
Aftersales
- Service Advisors
- Service Managers
- Aftersales Managers
- Warranty Controllers
- Parts Advisors
- Parts Managers
Bodyshop
- MET Technicians
- Panel Beaters
- Paint Technicians
- Vehicle Damage Assessors
- Estimators
- Bodyshop Managers
Sales
- Sales Executives
- Business Managers
- Transaction Managers
- Sales Managers
- Used Car Managers
- General Sales Managers
Senior Management
- Head of Business
- Dealer Principal
- Franchise Director
- Sales Director
- Aftersales Director
We can also assist with administrative, reception and other dealership positions.
What type of automotive businesses do you recruit for?
We work with:
- Franchised main dealerships
- Dealer groups
- Independent dealerships
- Used car supermarkets
- Independent garages
- Bodyshops
- Accident repair centres
- Vehicle preparation centres
- Specialist automotive businesses
Do you only recruit in London?
No.
We recruit across the UK, although we have a particularly strong network of candidates and employers throughout London and the South East.
How does your recruitment process work?
The process normally begins with a conversation about the vacancy.
We want to understand more than just the job title. We will discuss:
- The role
- Salary and realistic earnings
- Working hours
- Location
- Experience required
- Franchise or manufacturer requirements
- Qualifications
- Team structure
- Why the vacancy has arisen
- Career progression
- The type of person likely to succeed within your business
We can then begin advertising, searching our candidate network, reviewing relevant CV databases and directly approaching suitable candidates.
Do you advertise our vacancy?
Yes.
Vacancies can be advertised across our recruitment channels and wider job advertising network.
This is combined with proactive candidate sourcing rather than relying solely on applicants responding to an advert.
Do you proactively search for candidates?
Yes.
This is one of the most important parts of our recruitment process.
Many of the best automotive candidates are already employed and are not actively searching job boards.
We therefore combine advertising with direct candidate sourcing and outreach.
Do you screen candidates before sending them to us?
Yes.
Where appropriate, we speak with candidates before submitting them.
We aim to establish information such as:
- Current employment
- Relevant experience
- Qualifications
- Current salary
- Salary expectations
- Notice period
- Location
- Commuting expectations
- Driving licence
- Reason for considering a move
- Right to work in the UK
- Availability for interview
The objective is to avoid simply forwarding large numbers of unsuitable CVs.
Can you recruit confidentially?
Yes.
We regularly handle confidential vacancies.
This may be appropriate when:
- An existing employee is still in position
- A management restructure is planned
- A new dealership has not yet been announced
- The employer does not want competitors to know they are recruiting
We can discuss the appropriate level of confidentiality before beginning the search.
Can you headhunt candidates from competitors?
We can proactively approach relevant automotive professionals who may be suitable for your vacancy.
This can include candidates who are not currently actively applying for jobs.
Our approach is professional and confidential.
Can you help with difficult-to-fill technician vacancies?
Yes.
Technicians are one of the most competitive areas of automotive recruitment.
We regularly recruit:
- Level 2 Technicians
- Level 3 Technicians
- Diagnostic Technicians
- Master Technicians
- MOT Testers
- EV-qualified technicians
- Workshop Controllers
For difficult vacancies, it is particularly important that the package is competitive and that employers clearly communicate working hours, salary, bonus potential, training and career development.
We can advise you on how your vacancy compares with the wider market.
Can you advise us what salary we should be offering?
Yes.
Because we regularly speak with both employers and candidates, we can provide feedback on current candidate expectations and how attractive your proposed package is likely to be.
This is particularly useful for technician, sales and management vacancies where salary expectations can vary considerably by location and experience.
Should we advertise basic salary or OTE?
Where possible, we recommend being transparent.
For commission-based positions, candidates generally respond better when they understand:
- Basic salary
- Commission structure
- Realistic average earnings
- Top performer earnings
- Whether commission is capped or uncapped
Quoting an OTE without explaining whether it is realistically achievable can reduce candidate confidence.
Can you recruit multiple people for us?
Yes.
We can support individual vacancies or larger recruitment campaigns.
Examples could include:
- Opening a new dealership
- Expanding a workshop
- Recruiting an entire sales team
- Opening an independent garage
- Adding technicians across several branches
- Supporting dealer group expansion
For larger campaigns, we can agree a structured recruitment plan and priority order.
Can you help us recruit for a new dealership opening?
Yes.
New dealership openings often require several departments to recruit simultaneously.
We can help build a recruitment campaign covering positions such as:
- General Sales Manager
- Sales Managers
- Sales Executives
- Business Managers
- Service Manager
- Service Advisors
- Technicians
- Workshop Controller
- Parts staff
- Reception and customer experience roles
Starting recruitment early is particularly important where experienced manufacturer-trained staff are required.
Can you organise recruitment days?
Yes.
For businesses recruiting several people at once, a structured recruitment or interview day can be an effective way of meeting multiple shortlisted candidates.
We can assist with candidate sourcing, screening, scheduling and interview coordination.
Can you recruit candidates with specific manufacturer experience?
Yes.
Where manufacturer experience is essential, we can target candidates from relevant franchised networks.
However, we may occasionally recommend candidates from another manufacturer or an independent background where their experience is strongly transferable.
Can you recruit candidates who are currently employed?
Yes.
Many of the candidates we approach are currently employed.
They may not be actively looking for a job but could consider the right opportunity if the position, employer, salary or career prospects are attractive.
How quickly can you provide candidates?
This depends on the role, location, salary and availability of suitable candidates.
Some vacancies can attract strong applications quickly.
More specialist positions such as Master Technicians, senior managers or manufacturer-specific roles may require a longer direct-search process.
Our emphasis is on finding suitable candidates rather than simply generating CV volume.
What information do you need from us before starting?
Ideally we would like:
- Job title
- Location
- Salary
- Bonus or commission structure
- Working hours
- Benefits
- Experience required
- Qualifications required
- Manufacturer experience required
- Reporting structure
- Reason for the vacancy
- Interview process
- Proposed start date
It is also extremely useful to understand what makes your business a good place to work.
Can you visit our dealership or business?
Yes.
Where practical, visiting a client’s dealership, garage or bodyshop can be extremely useful.
Seeing the facilities and meeting the management team allows us to explain the opportunity much more effectively to candidates.
It can also help us understand the culture of the business and the type of person likely to fit within the team.
Do you offer exclusivity?
We can discuss exclusive or priority recruitment arrangements where appropriate, particularly for multiple vacancies, new openings or difficult-to-fill positions.
What happens if we already know a candidate you introduce?
Tell us as soon as possible.
Our terms of business will explain how candidate ownership and previous contact are handled.
If you believe you have already been actively dealing with a candidate, it is best to raise this immediately so it can be clarified before the recruitment process progresses.
Do you conduct references?
Reference requirements can vary between employers and assignments.
We recommend that employers complete appropriate references and any required background or right-to-work checks before employment begins.
Where specific pre-employment checks are required, these should be discussed at the beginning of the assignment.
Do you verify candidates’ right to work?
We will ask candidates about their right-to-work status during the recruitment process where relevant.
However, the employer remains responsible for completing the appropriate statutory right-to-work checks before employment begins.
Can you find candidates requiring visa sponsorship?
Potentially.
Some employers are able to sponsor eligible candidates while others are not.
If your organisation holds a sponsor licence and is prepared to consider sponsored candidates, tell us when briefing the vacancy.
Can you help us recruit senior managers confidentially?
Yes.
Senior automotive appointments often require a different search approach.
For positions such as General Sales Manager, Head of Business, Dealer Principal or Group Director, we can conduct a more targeted and discreet candidate search.
Why use a specialist automotive recruitment company?
Automotive recruitment has its own terminology, qualifications and career structures.
Understanding the difference between a Service Technician, Diagnostic Technician and Master Technician — or between a Business Manager, Sales Manager and General Sales Manager — makes a considerable difference when identifying suitable candidates.
Because we focus on the motor trade, we can understand your vacancy more quickly and target candidates with relevant automotive experience.
Why Car Dealer Recruitment?
Our aim is to offer employers a recruitment service that is proactive, personal and focused on finding the right person rather than simply sending CVs.
We combine:
- Specialist automotive recruitment knowledge
- Job advertising
- CV database searching
- Direct candidate sourcing
- Candidate screening
- Interview coordination
- Recruitment campaigns
- Market and salary feedback
Most importantly, we take the time to understand your dealership or automotive business so we can explain the opportunity properly to potential candidates.
Need help filling an automotive vacancy?
Speak to Car Dealer Recruitment about your current or upcoming recruitment requirements.
Whether you need one experienced technician, an additional Sales Executive or an entire team for a new dealership opening, we can build a recruitment approach around your requirements.