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How We Present A Pay Plan That Will Get Accepted

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 10:19:00 GMT

In the early 1990s I learned how to present a pay plan that will likely be accepted by watching one of my very first clients present pay plans to my candidates. I sat in on several presentations from John Lance who was the owner of John Lance Ford in Westlake, Ohio. Mr. Lance later sold his large Ford dealership to Autonation and went on to become a very important executive to Autonation.

Mr. Lance summarized all the aspects of the offer on a sheet of paper for the candidates. In addition to the normal title, hours and salary Mr. Lance would break down the variable to make it clear to the candidate what they might expect. Over the years I added to this presentation to include 3 levels of performance and 3 possible incomes they would yield. Without this information, I found that candidates often didn’t understand or worse misunderstood the variable and would often plug in the wrong numbers based on their current position. Once a candidate makes this mistake and comes up with the wrong numbers and perhaps talk to their spouse, it becomes very difficult to change their thinking. Especially if you have to also change the spouses thinking too.

Here is our formula to present a pay plan that will get accepted:

Title
Duties / Responsibilities / Authority
Expected start date
Days / Hours of work
Exempt or non-exempt
Paid time off
Benefits begin
Other
Base salary or Hourly wage
Variable / bonuses / commissions based on ….(example: Line T7406 of the Toyota Service DOC)

Variable

Underperform: If your work produces no change from company’s performance last year’s your variable compensation will be $________
Perform at target: We are looking for a 10% increase in (performance, sales, profit, etc.) and your variable compensation will be $__________
Perform above target: Reach a 15% increase in (performance, sales, profit, etc.) and your variable compensation will be $__________

I encourage my clients to use a presentation like this to make it crystal clear what the candidate can expect. Note, I have found high performers always feel that they will be “above target range”. Many ask what will a 20% improvement pay them?

An added plus, with this pay plan presentation the majority of your offer letter is written!

Donald Jasensky

Founder and CEO of Automotive Personnel, LLC

Don@AutomotivePersonnel.Careers 216-226-8190

One sure sign that you are interviewing a future high performer is …

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 10:11:00 GMT

Over the past 30 years of interviewing candidates and following up on their careers, we have noted one factor that all top performers share. It is also easy to determine if your candidate possesses it – if you know what to look for. If they do have it, they are highly likely to be high performers for you!

So, what is this single magical ingredient that can predict future success? It has been proven to us through thousands of interviews that employees who:

Work hard to develop their professional skills and increase their industry knowledge away from work, on their own time, and,

at their own expense

Nearly always develop into high performers in their careers.

This we refer to as their “own time and dime” theory.

Examples include:

Sales personnel who practice their presentation at home and record it on their smartphone to review and look for ways to improve
Managers who practice meeting at home and record it and look for ways to improve it
Reading books on management practices, leadership, customer service, sales, etc., to excel in their job
Enrollment in online or weekend classes related to work, such as a Bookkeeper enrolling in Microsoft Excel classes
Join LinkedIn Groups to stay current on their industry
Joining clubs like Toast Masters to hone their speaking skills
Active members in their profession, such as the Society of Actuaries

So what do we ask candidates to explore this? Our wording will vary depending on the level of the candidate; generally, here is what we ask:

“What are your career aspirations in the next 5 years?” Listen to their answer, then ask:

“What are you doing – away from your workplace – to get to that level?”

After listening to their answer, I may be prompted to ask, “Do you think that is enough to get there?”

Ask, “What books have you read to learn more about your industry or improve your skills?”

“What do you do to stay current in the industry?” Are they a member of LinkedIn groups such as the

– Automotive Buy Here Pay Here Professionals

– Subprime Auto Finance News

– Vehicle Service Contract Professionals?

I may be impressed with their answer and confident that I am interviewing a high performer.

If their answer is lacking, I may wonder why they are not putting more effort into developing their skills/knowledge the way high performers do. You should wonder too.

In summary: Employees who put effort into their career improvement – on their own time and dime – are very likely to be successful with you – so make sure you ask.

Donald Jasensky is the Founder and CEO of Automotive Personnel, LLC, and the author of “Hire Like A Pro,” available on Amazon.com.

Don@AutomotivePersonnel.Careers

216-226-8190

www.AutomotivePersonnel.Careers

“Automotive Personnel, LLC Finds The People Who Drive The Automotive Industry !”

Eliminate the most common hiring mistake

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 10:05:00 GMT

Mistake: Passing on a high-performing candidate because they did not “blow you away” or “show a lot of enthusiasm” during the 1st interview.

I know this goes against what most of us have been taught. However, 30 years of interviewing and several thousand successful placements have taught us this very valuable lesson that I want to share with you.

Let me show, through example, by looking at two candidates – Bill and Mary.

Bill is under a lot of stress at his current job and may soon be terminated for poor job performance. Doesn’t this put a lot of pressure on Bill to find a new job? How might it affect his interviewing?

Mary is excelling at her current position, just as she has in her past positions. She does not need a new job but is open to seeing what your opportunity is about and making an intelligent decision if it is worth pursuing further. How will the fact that Mary is under no pressure affect her interviewing?

Bill and Mary will interview very differently!

Bill will look at your interview:

As possible relief from the pressure of being terminated for poor job performance. Bill will be in “sales mode” and compliment you, your company, and its product or service. Bill will be enthusiastic and ready to jump through any hoop, take any test, and will start very soon with you. Bill wants to impress you! Yes, Bill will interview very hard for your job. Bill will have no concerns about your position, its work content, or driving distance. Bill will work hard to cover up the fact that he is a low performer. Usually, by compliments, enthusiasm, and lack of job performance specifics. He will likely call you frequently about getting your job and will look very enthusiastic to the interviewer.

After the interview: Bill will answer many other job postings while searching for another job. Bill will likely continue to be a low performer if he gets your job.

Mary will look at your interview:

As a learning and fact-gathering process. Mary isn’t trying to “sell” you on herself or impress you. She will tell you about her role and successes’ with pride, but she will not attempt to “blow you away.” Mary will likely be more pensive and ask thoughtful questions and probe you about issues she may see with your company, position, product, or service. She will openly express these concerns. This is how “high performers” interview and make value judgments.

After the interview: If Mary is interested, she will conduct more research about your company and let you know if she is interested in a second interview. Mary will likely continue to be a high performer if she gets your job.

Don’t confuse Mary’s behavior as being aloof or low energy. Mary is in thinking and fact-gathering mode, whereas Bill is in “sales mode.” If Mary becomes more certain that she wants your position, her interviewing will change, and she will switch gears and become more expressive and enthusiastic during follow-up interviews.

Lesson: The best indicator of future job performance is past job performance. High performers tend to be high performers throughout their careers, and low performers tend to gravitate towards low performance. So invite Mary back for a second interview and spend the time learning about her past and current job performance while checking references. You may even need to “do some selling” to entice Mary to your company. Many managers loathe the thought of having to sell their position or the company. However, you are not looking for a BFF; you are looking for a person to help your company. In a competitive job market, some “selling” by hiring managers is beneficial in landing the best personnel.

Note: Do not confuse someone like Mary, who is quiet and gathering facts (not trying to sell), with poorly prepared candidates, bad attitudes, disengaged, disinterested, disrespectful, unmotivated, or uncooperative, etc.

Don Jasensky is the Founder and President of Automotive Personnel, LLC

Look for Don’s book “Hire Like A Pro” at Amazon.com

Reach Don at 216-226-8190 Don@AutomotivePersonnel.Careers

Learn the 4 components needed for a successful hire

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 09:53:00 GMT

The four components needed to align for a successful hire:

Qualified
Highly interested
Available
Affordable

I want you and your hiring managers to learn to think like this.

1- Qualified – Do the candidates have the experience and capacity to excel in your position? Are certain traits required to ensure success in this position, such as attention to detail, ability to sell, great with numbers, etc.?

TIP: Make sure you and your hiring managers make a list of “required” and “would be nice to have” traits and experiences before starting a search.

2 – Highly interested candidates – Strong enough interest to put in their notice, not take counter-offer, and do whatever is necessary to start with your organization. Assume if they are a good employee, there will be a counter-offer.

TIP: High-performing candidates will want to know how this position will benefit their careers. You and your hiring managers need to sell the reason for taking this position with your organization. Sell the candidates on the opportunity, your corporate mission, the team they will be joining, how they will impact the company, and where the position can lead. Have them meet the department leader, who will be their mentor. High-performing employees will often make a “lateral move” for a better mentor.

3 – Available – Is there a contract or non-compete or other commitments to keep them from starting with you? Non-competes can be a deal-breaker. What about bonuses the candidate is waiting on before putting in their notice? These, too, can be a deal-breaker. If it is September and the candidate is waiting for a year-end bonus that pays in January, the hiring company may not be willing to wait that long. Other availability issues we commonly see include the ability to travel as needed or relocate. Also, the daily drive may be too much for a candidate.

TIP: Always create a list of “Knockout Factors” before beginning your search.

* Are you and your hiring managers thinking like this? *

4 – Affordable – Within your budget and not out of line with other employees in the same position. You do not want to cause an issue with current employees; however, it is a judgment call if you should give a high-performing candidate more money than others.

TIP: When explaining your compensation plan, make sure it is understandable to the candidate. Your bonuses/commissions may be based on similar but different criteria, and candidates may misunderstand, or worse, misunderstand your plan and turn it down. Click here to check out “How we present a pay plan that will be accepted.”

OR : https://automotivepersonnel.careers/how-we-present-a-pay-plan-that-will-get-accepted/

I hope this gives you and your hiring managers a better perspective of the four elements that need to align to have a successful hire.

Are you interested in having us conduct a search for you?

Additionally, we can train your hiring managers on how to find, assess and hire the best candidates.

Make 2023 a great year in your career!

Don Jasensky

216-226-8190 Don@AutomotivePersonnel.Careers

Automotive Personnel, LLC

TWITTER:@DonJasensky

www.AutomotivePErsonnel.Careers

What do NASA, Elon Musk, and Warren Buffett look for when hiring?

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 09:47:00 GMT

What do NASA, Elon Musk, and Warren Buffett look for when hiring?

I have studied them and found their thinking very enlightening. I hope you do too.

NASA selecting astronauts for Mars training.

Imagine being in a small space capsule with 6 other astronauts, traveling for 7 months just to get there. Imagine living quarters the size of a small RV!

3 of the criteria NASA looks for:

Slow fuse
Thick-skinned
Optimistic

Elon Musk runs multiple high-tech billion-dollar companies.

What are some attributes Elon looks for?

Excellence
Loyalty
Drive

Warren Buffett talks about these 3 attributes:

Smart
Ambitious
High integrity

Mr. Buffett will tell you that if the executive does not have #3, then # 1 and 2 will kill you!

What do I look for i n managers and executives? Attributes I look for include:

Initiative / Drive
Ability to motivate others to consistently achieve higher results
Judgment / Decision making; Are they asking the right questions, focused on “root causes?”
Resolve – Will they stay with a very difficult challenge? Albert Einstein was once asked if he felt he was the most intelligent scientist in the world. His answer was: “I may not be much smarter than my colleagues, but I do stick with a problem longer.”

What attributes do you look for?

Donald Jasensky

Automotive Personnel, LLC

Don@AutomotivePersonnel.Careers

216-226-8190

Professional On-boarding (keeping your new hires)

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 09:42:00 GMT

Professional On-boarding

You see more emphasis put on “on-boarding” new employees.

Basically, making sure there is a smooth and as seamless as possible start for a new employee.

We highly recommend having a lunch or dinner meeting with the new employee sometime between their giving current employee their notice and getting started with you. This helps cement the relationship and reduces their chance of accepting a counteroffer.

Best practices we would like to share with you:

Onboarding helps set the professional tone for a new hire and creates a terrific first-day impression. (Validating their career change)

Prior to first day start

Where to go for 1st day and address
Who to ask for – make sure that person is prepared for the new hire
Time to arrive
Parking arrangements
Acceptable attire
Lunch protocol
Culture tips that may be unique to the workspace
How and when pay is distributed
Details about paperwork that needs to be filled out
Any identification that is needed such as driver’s license, professional credentials

First day on the job:

Introduce the new member to your team
Show new hire where everything is – bathrooms, lunchrooms, meeting rooms, their work area
All necessary paperwork, documentation, healthcare forms, etc.
Make sure new hire has everything needed and in place to perform their work, (such as computer information)

Donald Jasensky (216) 226-8190 Don@AutomotivePersonnel.Careers

Replace the “weak link” on your management team

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 09:32:00 GMT

Replace the “weak link” on your management team

A decision that every leader has to make is when to “replace a weak link” on your staff.

It is always a difficult decision because it means that an employee will likely be terminated or demoted. However, a leader has to see the big picture and make the best decisions for the organization. That is why we say it is lonely at the top! It sometimes is very lonely.

This is especially true in challenging times:

Weak economy

. High-interest rates

Over-valued used vehicles
Growing repossession and default rate
Poor loan portfolio performance

So, when do you upgrade to a better employee? Thirty-plus years of personnel recruitment have taught me that the wrong answer is – “When a better person comes along”!

That leaves the position’s success to chance or fate but not intelligent management.

The better answer can depend on circumstances, but a general guideline is to consider “upgrading” when an employee is incapable or unwilling to perform up to the company’s needs. Insubordination, disruptive behavior, and bad personal habits are other common reasons employees are terminated.

Before replacing an employee, I advise a checklist that covers these points:

Does the employee need more training?

Better oversight?

A Mentor to work with?

More support?

Do you have the ability to provide these if needed?

Time to Upgrade:

When these are exhausted, it may be time to consider upgrading to a better employee.

I see many executives who should replace a manager who is in “over their head” or has personal issues hurting their performance, affecting other employees and, of course, the company’s bottom line!

Remember, it is lonely at the top, and tough decisions sometimes must be made.

Please contact me for a confidential, no-cost consultation.

Don Jasensky

CEO

Automotive Personnel, LLC

(216) 226-8190

How to hire high-performing candidates

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 09:01:00 GMT

”Position Differential” and why it matters

One of the questions we ask our clients is: Why should a potential candidate consider:

taking a position with your company,
putting in their 2-week notice, and
turning down a counteroffer from their current employer?

People change positions for a reason, usually something is missing from their current position that can be better accommodated with your position. This is referred to as “Position Differential.” It is imperative to be able to “sell the benefits” of working for your company. And, it is seldom for more money.

Here are a few thoughts to consider:

What is the potential to grow their career with your company?
What will they learn, skills they will develop with your company?
Who will they report to, and will this leader be a good mentor and help develop the candidate?
What else stands out about working for your company?

This is all a part of the “sales” component of recruiting high-performing candidates.

For a confidential consultation, contact me at Don@AutomotivePersonnel.Careers

 (216) 226-8190 

Checklist to Ensure a Smart Hiring Decision Everytime

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 06:33:00 GMT

Over the years, I have taught new recruiters to have a checklist to use when starting each search for a client. With each candidate interview, they must ensure all of their client’s needs are met.

This can be a lengthy and nuanced list. To save time, there are the three factors we look at to determine if a candidate is worth a deep-dive interview. Every candidate needs to meet these three objectives. If they lack any , we do not proceed with the candidate. This saves a lot of wasted time and allows a Recruiter to ensure they spend additional time with on-target candidates.

1.Specific experience: This is the easiest to check. Their resume will have answered much of this. In just several minutes into an interview, I will determine if the candidate has the experience our client is seeking.

2. High performance: Our clients can find average candidates on their own. We are expected to produce high performers. Know your standards and ask about their on-job performance early in the interview process. If they are “light on details,” they are likely low performers. High performers can always tell you in detail about their successes.

3. Good Teammate: I have learned in 30+ years that many high performers are bad “teammates”, who will work to undermine their colleagues. They do not want other people to match or exceed them. Some enjoy causing issues and ruffling feathers. One “bad teammate” can ruin a whole group. A good teammate will be supportive of their colleagues and help them when they need it. Reference checking skills are valuable here. (1)

“Trust but verify.” It is essential to follow up with their references to ensure the candidate accurately represents themselves.

If a candidate lacks any of these 3, we will not pursue them. If they have all 3, we go deeper into the interview process.

Please contact me for a confidential consultation

Donald Jasensky

Automotive Personnel, LLC

Don@AutomotivePersonnel.Careers

 (216) 226-8190 

www.AutomotivePersonnel.Careers

“Hire Like A Pro!” chapters 4 and 5 . Available Amazon.com