According to LinkedIn’s latest Workforce Confidence survey, job confidence across all generations has dropped to its lowest point in years, even lower than the early days of the pandemic. While hiring remains relatively stable, employee belief in their ability to keep or find work is slipping, especially among younger workers.

• Gen Z confidence is at just +24 (on a scale of -100 to +100)—the lowest of any generation.
• Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers have also seen year-over-year declines.

That’s not just a workforce issue—it’s a leadership one. And in the dealership space, where retention is already a challenge, it should raise a red flag.

So What? Why This Matters to Dealerships

Let’s get clear: You can’t deliver a high-performance operation with a low-confidence team.

In retail automotive, where the turnover rate hovers around 46%, the cost of disengaged or uncertain employees is real:

• Missed sales
• Poor customer experiences
• Internal tension between generations
• Lower team accountability and trust

The data reflects what many managers already feel but haven’t put into words: Your team may still show up, but they’re not sure they belong, or believe there’s a future for them.

Here’s the Real Opportunity

What workers across generations are asking for—consciously or not—is leadership that knows how to coach, connect, and communicate.

Technical systems matter. Pay plans matter. But in the face of economic pressure and tech disruption, it’s how your managers lead people that makes or breaks retention, performance, and team culture.

That’s where soft skills come in.

Soft Skills Are No Longer “Nice to Have”—They’re Your Competitive Edge

Soft skills like:

• Emotional intelligence
• Clarity in communication
• Listening and decision-making
• Coaching under pressure
• Strategic presence

These are the hidden drivers of team performance, and they’re often the most underdeveloped skills on the showroom floor or in the service department.

In an environment where employees are quietly disengaging or considering their next move, developing these leadership capabilities isn’t optional; it’s essential.

3 Immediate Actions Dealership Leaders Can Take

1. Audit Your Leadership Conversations: Are your managers coaching their team, or just correcting them? Build in space for one-on-one check-ins, not just task management.
2. Invest in Soft Skill Training, Not Just Process: We train on DMS tools, inspections, and scripts. But are you training managers how to lead under pressure, give feedback, or manage generational dynamics?
3. Make Leadership Development Part of Retention: Employees don’t just leave for more money—they leave when they don’t feel seen, supported, or developed. Show them there’s a path forward by investing in your leadership, not just theirs.

Final Takeaway

You can’t fix career pessimism with a pizza party or a process doc. You need leaders—at every level—who make people feel safe, seen, and supported.

In a time when workforce confidence is shrinking, your dealership’s biggest differentiator isn’t just price, product, or profit—it’s people.

Build leaders who know how to lead them.