DAYTON, Ohio — Reynolds and Reynolds announced the broad availability of TestFirst Hiring, a pre-employment diagnostic tool that can help dealerships make the right decisions when evaluating prospective employees.

Recent independent market research conducted for Reynolds confirms that one of the top areas of concern for dealerships is how to consistently hire, manage and retain qualified employees. The wrong hiring practices can create a drain on dealership finances and lead to higher turnover, lower morale and lost productivity — all pulling more money off the bottom line. The typical hiring sequence usually involves sifting through dozens of resumes, selecting a few candidates to interview and then hiring an individual — who may or may not be a good fit for the position. TestFirst provides a different, more effective way of handling the hiring process.

TestFirst Hiring is a low-cost assessment and screening tool that allows dealers to test every job applicant efficiently and economically up front before any interviews. Applicants who are qualified for a particular open position are easily identified through the assessment, saving dealers time and allowing them the luxury to interview only the best-matched candidates for the job.

By using TestFirst, hiring managers can gain objective insight into a candidate’s potential and fit within the dealership, based on industry benchmarks as well as the dealership’s own criteria. The assessment helps answer whether candidates have the right personality, work habits, and potential before calling any of them in for an interview.

Currently, 30 percent of American companies — from smaller independent businesses to large, Fortune 500 companies — are using similar assessments to help them address human resource needs. TestFirst Hiring is another solution from Reynolds that will help automotive dealerships improve their business by advancing the process for screening, selecting and hiring talent in the dealership.