Luscombe Motors has used its status as one of AM’s Best UK Dealerships to Work For as a way of attracting new employees in a competitive recruitment market.

Robin Luscombe, founder of Leeds-based Luscombe Motors, said the company had recently attracted a former BMW salesperson and believes that using the Best UK Dealerships to Work For logo on email signatures and having the awards on display in the showroom sends a message to all considering a job change.

The business has taken part in the free recruitment survey for the last two years and has been listed as one of the best in the UK each time.

Eleven dealerships made the grade in 2018, out of the 45 who registered.

The goal of the programme is to raise the bar among industry employers, creating excellence and employee engagement in the workplace that will attract talented people for years to come.

If a dealership’s survey results aren’t strong enough to make the listing, no-one outside the business will ever know. But if they are, the business will be celebrated as one of the best.

Luscombe said: “The survey gives us some feedback on what staff think about the business and the fact that its free means it saves us time from having to put our own questionnaire together.

“The survey shows you’re interested in your staff and their opinion is important. The fact that it’s anonymous helps with that so you’re getting honest views.”

Registration for this year’s Best UK Dealerships to Work For survey are now open for those businesses wishing to enter for 2019, with participants reminded that they can enter – and be in with a chance of official recognition at AM Live 2019 in November – entirely for free. The deadline to enter is June 7.

Luscombe said: “For some areas the survey is validating that the things we are doing to look after staff are working, but it’s also been helpful to make little tweaks to things that we weren’t as aware of.”

One example is making changes to Luscombe’s IT systems to make things “a little easier day-to-day to work with”.

Of the staff at AM’s 11 best dealerships from 2018, 94% said they were proud to work at their dealership, compared with 84% at the dealerships that applied but did not make the listing.

Luscombe said: “You want to be proud of where you work and having this accolade helps staff to know they’re part of a successful business that cares about them.”

Tim Rose, AM editor, urged more franchised dealers to sign up to the initiative in 2019.

He said: “Employees at 2018’s Best Dealerships To Work For felt supported, respected, recognized for their good work.

“They have strong connections with their supervisors, can share their opinions or feedback.

"And they feel rewarded, with chances to progress their careers, training and a broad range of staff benefits."