Some 46 dealerships have signed up to trial a new online recruitment service aimed at reducing the cost of finding new staff.

Citygate Automotive was the first major dealer group to trial newly-launched online motor industry recruitment platform Job Co-op Automotive.

Job Co-op Automotive founders Derek and Brenda Webb and Ken Trinder say the platform is designed to cut dealer recruitment costs by around 75%.

It went live in June, and will launch officially in October. Dealers pay a £175 monthly fee to join the platform and, when they need to fill a role, sift through the online talent pool of filtered CVs with the help of a dedicated account manager to view candidate details.

The account manager then contacts the dealer’s preferred candidates, carries out an initial telephone interview based on their criteria, and arranges face-to-face interviews for dealers when appropriate.

There is a one per cent fee for successful placements.

Webb added: “The initial reaction has been very strong. We are already talking to a number of major dealer groups as well as leading independent networks.

“There is a widespread understanding in the industry that recruitment is a problem area and dealers can see the advantages of the new approach we represent.”