A question from the MRAA Employee Satisfaction Survey that often receives low scores is: “I am compensated fairly for the work I perform.” You’re probably not surprised by this. But did you know that dealerships that hold regularly scheduled performance reviews tend to have higher scores on this question because they address this issue in their employee discussions?

Naturally, employees tend to focus on their gross or net pay and forget that the dealer is paying for their employment tax, federal unemployment insurance, and other valuable benefits. If the employee is not reminded about this additional compensation, we find that this question stays at the top of the dissatisfaction list. Even those dealerships that excel at delivering on-time performance reviews may be missing a huge intangible called: “Learning Income.” If you want to dig into the meaning of this term and consider how it can benefit your dealership, start with this blog written by 2016 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo keynote speaker Josh Linkner.

Performance reviews don’t need to be a hassle that managers and employee work to avoid. They are a great chance to review some of the more delicate areas that are required to keep employees engaged and loyal to your dealership. These meetings are also a terrific time to review and update job descriptions by “engaging” the employee in the conversation.

Don’t have a performance review process? MRAA Members, check out our 10 Tips for Marine Dealership Performance Reviews.