An assertion made by NADA in it’s recent Dealership Workforce Study late last year was just reaffirmed by analysts at CNW Research, as well: sales staff turnover remains a big issue for dealerships.

That said, CNW’s latest Retail Automotive Summary offers a bit of a silver lining: though sales personnel turnover still “haunts” dealerships, the trend moved in a positive direction during  2013.

CNW president Art Spinella pointed out that while turnover rates for salespeople at new-car dealerships remain high, numbers dropped to about 111 percent last year.

This compares to a high of 124 percent in 2011, brought on by the 2008 economic downturn.

Though these numbers still seem unusually high, Spinella noted that historically, new-car dealership sales personnel turnover has been above 100 percent for decades. But not all dealership staff is heading out the door.

“Technician turnover continues to be a bright spot,” says Spinella, with barely a 15-percent turnover last year.

Office staff is all seeing a positive trend of slower turnover, according to the report.

NADA’s 2013 Dealership Workforce Study showed high rates of turnover for sales people, as well, especially for female sales personnel.

According to the NADA study, the turnover rate for female sales consultants is at 76 percent.  

NADA pointed out  high rates of dealership employee turnover might be due in part to long hours.

“The total number of hours and weekend that employees are scheduled to work has a significant impact on retention,” NADA said in the report.

Sales consultants working 50 to 60 hours per week earn 4 percent more a year than their counterparts working 40 to 45 hours, the NADA report noted. But there's a caveat.

When employees work over 45 hours, turnover increase and retention decreases, implying a change to the incentive system may be due.