Dealership recruiting since 2012

Every open position in your store is costing you money.

One sales desk produces about $30,546 a month in gross profit.1,3 Every month it sits empty, that production is on the line.

Order the hires you need by position. One flat fee per hire, and every hire carries a 90-day replacement guarantee.

Build your hiring orderSee what your open positions costBook a call (opens in a new tab)
  • From the lot to the executive team: 195 positions, each with a flat fee
  • Intake call within one business day
  • First screened candidates typically within 10 days of the intake call
90-day replacement guaranteeIf a hire resigns or is let go for performance or conduct within 90 days of starting, we search for and present a replacement at no additional fee.

An example order

5 × Sales Consultant$12,500
2 × BDC Representative$4,000
1 × Service Advisor$3,500
1 × Certified Technician$7,500
2 × Lube Technician$3,000
Total$30,500

The five sales positions alone produce about $152,730 in gross profit a month at national benchmarks1,3. If half that production is lost while the desks sit empty, about $76,365 a month is at risk, more than the fee for the entire order.

Start with this order
1 × General Manager$15,000
1 × Sales Manager$7,500
1 × F&I Manager$10,000
1 × Service Manager$8,500
1 × Parts Manager$5,500
1 × Controller$10,000
Total$56,500

A full management team for a new or acquired store. At a typical 20% to 30% contingency fee36, the general manager alone would cost $43,912 to $65,868 on a $219,560 salary, the low end of the BLS pay band for the role. Ours is $15,000, flat.

Start with this order
782
hires in 31 months for one 36-franchise dealer group
53
hires in a single month by our founder, Larry Sherwood Jr.
90%
retention on hires by our founder, Larry Sherwood Jr., vs 75% company-wide
90 days
replacement guarantee on every position

Hiring results are from our founder Larry Sherwood Jr.’s own records at Gurley Leep Automotive Family, 2019 to 2021; the retention comparison covers the period Indeed measured for that group.

How it works

From an open position to a hire who stays, in four steps.

  1. A manager placing an order on a laptop
    01

    Order by position

    Pick the roles and how many. Pay securely online.

  2. A manager on an intake phone call reviewing notes
    02

    Intake call

    Within one business day: pay plan, hours, brand and what your best performer looks like.

  3. A smiling candidate in a job interview
    03

    Screened candidates

    Interviewed, reference checked and ready for your managers, typically within 10 days of the intake.

  4. A handshake on a dealership showroom floor
    04

    You hire

    Your managers make every hiring decision, and every hire carries our 90-day replacement guarantee.

Every position in the building, from the lot to the GM’s office

One flat fee per hire, from porters and technicians to managers, GMs and executives. Pick a position to start an order, or build the whole order at once.

Sales

Sales Consultant

Floor salespeople who can take an up, work a deal and close. New, used or both.

$2,500 per hireSales

BDC Representative

Phone and internet lead handlers who set appointments that show.

$2,000 per hireF&I

F&I Manager

Compliant finance managers who hold product penetration and PVR.

$10,000 per hireSales

Sales Manager

Desk and floor managers who can train, desk deals and hold gross.

$7,500 per hireService

Factory Elite Technician

Your brand's top designation, such as GM World Class, Toyota Master Diagnostic or Ford Senior Master. The rarest tech in the building.

$20,000 per hireService

Factory Master Technician

Master-level factory certification for your brand, such as Toyota Master or Ford Master. Brand-trained for warranty and diagnostics.

$15,000 per hireService

ASE Master Technician

Current ASE Master Automobile Technician, all of A1 to A8. Broad, multi-brand expertise for your hardest diagnostics.

$10,000 per hireService

Certified Technician

At least two current ASE automobile certifications or the brand's mid-level factory certification. Diagnosis, electrical, HVAC and warranty work.

$7,500 per hireService

Qualified Technician

A documented repair track record, generally two years or more, without current ASE or factory certification. Brakes, steering, suspension and routine repair.

$4,500 per hireService

Lube Technician

Entry level, little or no certification, and a desire to learn. Oil and fluids, tires, inspections, and spotting the next repair.

$1,500 per hireService

Service Advisor

Service drive writers who greet, walk around, sell the menu and keep CSI up.

$3,500 per hireService

Service Manager

Fixed ops leaders who run the drive, the shop and the numbers.

$8,500 per hireParts

Parts Advisor

Counter and wholesale parts people who keep the shop and the customers supplied.

$2,500 per hireParts

Parts Manager

Parts leaders who run inventory, obsolescence, wholesale and the counter.

$5,500 per hireOffice

Receptionist

The first voice and face of the store, on the phones and at the front desk.

$500 per hireOffice

Title Clerk

Clerks who keep titles, registrations and deal funding moving on time.

$2,000 per hireOffice

Office Manager

Office leaders who run accounting, payroll, contracts in transit and compliance.

$5,500 per hireOperations

Detailer

Reconditioning and detail staff who keep inventory front-line ready.

$1,000 per hireOperations

Porter

Lot and service porters who stage inventory, move vehicles and shuttle customers.

$500 per hireEvery other position

Managers, GMs and executives

F&I and fixed ops directors, controllers, HR, marketing, IT, collision and more. 195 positions, each with a pay band and a flat fee.

See all positions →Several positions?

Build the whole order

Mix roles across departments and check out once.

Start an order →

Need a manager, GM, executive or any other position? See all 195 dealership positions, each with what it pays and one flat fee. For more than 25 of one role, call (574) 213-7122 for a volume quote.

Looking for a job instead? Browse open dealership jobs.

Why a flat fee

Most recruiters charge a percentage of your new hire’s first-year pay, so the better the hire, the bigger the bill. We charge one flat fee per position, shown before you buy.

One Certified TechnicianDealershipRecruiting.comContingency recruiterRecruiting subscriptionYour own job ads
What you pay$7,500, one flat feeTypically 20% to 30% of first-year pay36A monthly fee, whether or not you hireAd spend, plus your managers’ hours
On a $60,000 technician$7,500$12,000 to $18,000Depends on the months it runsDepends on the ads and the hours
Price known before you buyYes, on this siteUsually not until the offerYesPartly
Fee tied to the hire’s payNoYesNoNo
Replacement guarantee in writingYes, 90 days, on every hireVaries by firmVaries by firmNone
Who screensAutomotive recruitersA recruiterSoftware and recruitersYour managers

The $60,000 row is an example to show the math, not a quote from any firm. Other firms’ terms vary; ask any recruiter for theirs in writing.

Build your hiring orderBook a call (opens in a new tab)

What one position produces every month

The sales floor, the BDC desk, the service drive and the shop. Each one is a money-making position, and every figure below is built from published benchmarks and, for technician hours, our own field numbers. Each input is labeled on our sources page.

A salesperson with two customers in the showroom lounge
Sales Consultant
$30,546
gross profit a month

9 units a month1 times $3,394 in front gross plus F&I per unit3

A service advisor shaking hands with a technician over a repair order
Service Advisor
$73,500
labor and parts gross profit a month

About $49,000 in labor gross plus $24,500 in parts gross for a typical advisor12

A technician holding a wrench in the service shop
Certified Technician
$42,799
labor and parts sales a month

130 billed hours a month13 times NADA's $186 labor rate, plus $0.77 in parts per labor dollar.1 Master technician about $52,675, qualified technician about $31,276.

By these estimates, more gross runs through one service advisor than through two sales desks: NCM puts a typical advisor at about $73,500 a month in labor and parts gross12, against about $30,546 for a sales position at national benchmarks.1,3 The figures come from different studies, so read the comparison as directional. Either way, an empty advisor desk puts a lot of gross at risk.

When a position is empty, part of that production is at risk; how much depends on how much your team can cover, so the calculator lets you set it. Technician figures are labor and parts sales, not gross profit, built from billed hours we see in the field, NADA’s labor rate and NADA’s ratio of parts to labor on repair orders. Every source is on the sources and methodology page.

Hire them, then train them

New people trained before they pick up bad habits become your best producers. We build training plans for sales, BDC, F&I and service teams from our training network, in-store, virtual or on demand. Start with a free 30-minute consultation.

Book the free consultation

See how training works

In their words

Hiring managers and hires from the automotive companies where our founder, Larry Sherwood Jr., recruited sales, service, customer care and operations teams. Every quote is from a LinkedIn recommendation, word for word.

“Truly the best recruiter that I have worked with in my 20+ years in the automotive industry.”
Carey GammonSenior Vice President, StellantisHired with Larry at Fisker
“Larry is the best recruiter I've known in my 30+ years career managing more than 100 high performing team members.”
Iwan SutedjoGlobal Technical Service Sr. Manager, FiskerHired with Larry at Fisker
“Each candidate always lets me know that Larry was a pleasure to work with and one of the primary reasons they took the job.”
J ThongnopSenior Director of Marketing, Sony Honda Mobility of AmericaHired with Larry at Fisker and Sony Honda Mobility
“He consistently presented candidates who were not only well-qualified on paper but also a strong fit with our team dynamic and long-term vision.”
Shawn WagnerManager, Field Service Operations, Fastport HondaHired with Larry at Sony Honda Mobility
“There were no games during the hiring process which encouraged me to feel confident in the company and the experience of future hires.”
Joseph RennaService Manager, RivianHired through Larry
“His approach is warm and personal, which significantly motivates candidates throughout the interview process.”
Arturo MarinAssistant Service Manager, Lucid MotorsHired through Larry

Read all the recommendations on the Sherwood Recruiting site (opens in a new tab) or LinkedIn (opens in a new tab).

Questions dealers ask

Straight answers, taken from our terms and guarantee.

How fast do we hear from you after we order?

We call within one business day of payment for the intake: pay plan, hours, brand and what your best performer looks like. Then we source, screen and present candidates for your managers to interview. First screened candidates typically arrive within 10 days of the intake call.

What if a hire does not work out?

If a hire resigns or is let go for performance or conduct within 90 days of the start date, we search for and present a replacement at no additional fee. Tell us within 10 days of the separation. Separations caused by a layoff, a restructuring, a closed or sold store, or a change to the pay plan, hours or duties are not covered.

What if you cannot find the right person?

If we have not presented a qualified candidate for a position within 45 days of the intake, you can cancel that position and get that position's fee back.

Is the fee a percentage of the hire's pay?

No. Each position has one flat fee, shown before you buy, and it is the full recruiting fee for that hire. Contingency recruiters typically charge 20% to 30% of a placed hire's first-year pay.36

Who makes the hiring decision?

You do. We present candidates. Your managers interview, make every hiring decision and extend the offer, and your dealership is the employer.

What if we hire someone you sent us later?

A candidate we present who is hired by your store, or any store under common ownership, within 12 months counts as a filled position. If that hire was not part of a paid order, the published fee for that role applies.

Do you work with dealer groups and several stores?

Yes. Order online for one store or several, including managers, GMs and executives. Call (574) 213-7122 for a quote on more than 25 of one role.

How do we pay?

By card or bank account through Stripe at checkout, with a receipt by email. Want to talk it through first? Book a call and we will walk through your store's numbers with you.

Who we are

Automotive professionals who recruit

DealershipRecruiting.com is a team of automotive professionals who have sold, financed, serviced and managed in dealerships, and now recruit for them.

Our founder, Larry Sherwood Jr.

I grew up in this business. My mother worked on the corporate side for an OEM, my father was a top-performing salesperson and sales manager, and I learned the road to the sale early, on Joe Verde training and evenings and weekends at the dealership.

I started out at a dot-com in the early 2000s, then joined a dealer group as internet sales manager and worked my way up through business development, sales and finance management. The higher I climbed, the clearer it got. Help a 12-car salesperson sell 12 faster and he takes the rest of the month off. Growth came from filling the open positions with new people, training them before they picked up bad habits and letting that competition push the veterans. Soon my veterans were asking for weekly training.

That is when I fell in love with recruiting. Once new people got past the stigma of car sales and saw what was possible, they excelled, and many of my recruits went on to become sales managers, finance managers and GMs. I founded DealershipRecruiting.com in 2012 and grew it on repeat and referral business, then built the corporate recruiting function for a 36-franchise dealer group across four states: 782 hires in 31 months, with 53 in my busiest month.

If you are passionate about this business and want real success for your store and the people in it, we would like to talk with you.

Read the full story, from Gurley Leep to Fisker and Sony Honda Mobility.

Larry Sherwood Jr.
Larry Sherwood Jr., SHRM-CPFounder, DealershipRecruiting.com · larrysherwoodjr.com (opens in a new tab)

Talk it through first

Not sure which positions or which level your store needs? Call or email and we will walk your store's numbers with you, or browse all 195 positions with what each one pays.

Call (574) 213-7122

or email support@dealershiprecruiting.com