SONIC AUTOMOTIVE: NEW HIRE PERFORMANCE COACHING PROCESS
Ensuring consistent, high-quality support for new hires across dozens of dealership locations with different managers was a persistent challenge at Sonic Automotive. In response, the company created its New Hire Performance Coaching Process, which aimed to reduce 90-day new hire turnover for sales and service roles and increase new hire productivity.
Program Details
The New Hire Performance Coaching Process is designed to:
- Improve competency in handling customer objections, particularly in the Vehicle Appraisal (ATA) and finance and insurance (F&I) stages.
- Increase comfort and effectiveness with customer relationship building and technology tools (ELeads).
- Ensure new hires understand and can track their personal key performance metrics (KPIs).
- Foster a strong connection to the Sonic culture, increasing early stage engagement and retention.
The process begins with virtual instructor-led training (VILT) on the 8-Step Sonic Sales Process. This is followed by individualized, one-on-one performance coaching sessions conducted via Zoom at the 30-day and 60-day marks post-training. This model combines scalable formal training with personalized, adaptive coaching.
The coaching criteria and topics were developed collaboratively by a council of general managers, regional vice presidents, business unit leaders, and the central Training Team. This ensured the coaching was relevant, targeted, and addressed the real-world challenges new hires face.
After each coaching session, a detailed Individual Action Plan (“I-Plan”) is created and sent to both the new hire and their manager. This plan clearly outlines the teammate’s responsibilities and the manager’s support actions, creating a shared accountability framework.
Results
The implementation of the New Hire Performance Coaching Process for 1,975 new hires has yielded measurable results in both human capital and financial performance, including:
- Significant reduction in new hire turnover: Internal data show a 22 percent reduction in 90-day turnover.
- Increased F&I gross profit per unit: For third quarter 2025, Sonic Automotive’s Franchised Dealerships Segment increased same-store F&I gross profit per retail unit by 7 percent year-over-year.
- Manager-validated behavior change: Managers report that more than 85 percent of new hires who completed the coaching program demonstrate a “noticeable improvement” or “consistent mastery” in executing the critical steps of the Sonic Sales Process, particularly in managing the ELeads organizer and conducting a confident ATA, as observed and validated by their direct managers in the field.
- Contribution to record overall segment performance: The Franchised Dealerships Segment, the primary beneficiary of this training, reported a 9 percent year-over-year increase in same-store operating income for third quarter 2025. Furthermore, the segment saw an 8 percent increase in same-store gross profit.
THE HASKELL COMPANY: myDEVELOPMENT
The Haskell Company’s myDevelopment program is a comprehensive framework designed to drive every aspect of team member development. It connects individual growth to business needs through a clear, five-phase process, ensuring every team member has the resources, clarity, and feedback required to succeed and progress. The program’s in-house development was a major organizational effort spanning 2.5 years; it was implemented in 2024 for 2,700 team members.
Program Details
The myDevelopment program is delivered via a blended approach of self-guided resources, live training, structured experiences, and feedback sessions. Each of the program’s five core components plays a distinct role in creating a future-ready and highly engaged workforce at Haskell:
- Competencies: These are custom-built, role-specific knowledge, skills, and abilities crafted in-house for all 23 job functions at Haskell. Developed in collaboration with leadership and subject matter experts, they provide the blueprint for what success looks like in every role, both now and in anticipation of future business needs.
- Competency Assessment Tool: All team members and their supervisors use role-specific, practical assessment tools to evaluate current proficiency levels against these competencies. Assessments are scored in five levels (beginning to expert) and are used to identify strengths and pinpoint growth areas, serving as the critical foundation for each team member’s development journey.
- Functional Development Frameworks: Detailed function and role-based guides offer a curated roadmap of required and recommended training, vital knowledge, must-have tools, and critical experiences. Every function has a framework for early, mid-, and senior-level team members within the function. These frameworks ensure team members and their leaders know exactly what steps to take to keep advancing, making career growth transparent, structured, and aligned with Haskell’s business strategy.
- Individual Development Plans (IDPs): The heart of the program, IDPs are personalized plans built by team members (with supervisor input) based on assessment data and aspirational goals. They provide measurable objectives and actionable steps, connecting everyday development to long-term career progression and business priorities.
- MAP Feedback: MAP (Meaningful, Actionable, Purposeful) Feedback is Haskell’s modernized performance review process. By embedding IDP progress and competency growth into regular feedback cycles, MAP creates ongoing accountability, allows for timely course-correction, and ensures every team member receives tangible support and recognition for their development.
Results
Haskell’s goal for the program was to improve its Gallup scores year-over-year for the following questions:
- “There is someone at work who encourages my development.” In 2024, the score was 4.15; in 2025, this score rose to 4.25 with 53 percent of team members giving the highest possible score of 5.
- “In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.” In 2024, the score was 4.04; in 2025, the score increased to 4.28 with 58 percent perfect scores of 5.
In addition, Haskell’s overall engagement score rose from 56 percent to 61 percent engaged.
