12 September 2006, National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham

With the threat of a Super-Complaint from the National Consumer Council hanging over the industry, the industry needs to act quickly to address its management challenges. That’s according to Gordon Roscoe of the Blue Water Partnership.

“If the issue of management isn’t sorted out”, he says, “and if it isn’t apparent that standards are rising, there will undoubtedly be some level of regulation coming in from outside the industry fairly quickly. The ARMS standard is a step in the right direction, but it could also be argued that the Level IV qualification is pitched at too high a level, given that many automotive managers come from a non-academic background.”

It’s an area that Gordon will be addressing at the industry’s inaugural People Skills conference, which takes place at the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham, and is presented by AM magazine in partnership with the industry’s official training body Automotive Skills.

The headline sponsor is leading training and development organisation, Carter & Carter, and the event is chaired by the IMI’s Sarah Sillars.

Other key issues for discussion include attracting new blood to the industry, aligning training and development with the needs of the dealer, managing performance in a growing organisation, and reducing staff turnover.

The conference is called Recruiting, Developing & Retaining the Right People and is designed to help motor retailers of all sizes increase profitability by focusing on their most important asset – their staff.

It’s a unique opportunity for motor dealers and HR specialists working in the industry to step back from their business for a day and bring back some new ideas for improving performance. It’s also an opportunity for delegates to fine-tune their strategic thinking in the HR area.