A Day In the Life Of Zac Angelowicz

A Day in the Life of Zac Angelowicz
Director of Career Development Larry Miller Automotive Group

By Todd Nordstrom

When many of us are first stirring to the clamor of an alarm clock at 6 a.m., Zac Angelowicz is already in the gym. He’s raising his heart rate. He’s testing his endurance. And, he’s training for what he likes to call “the lost art of blocking and tackling.”

Blocking and tackling is an art,” says Angelowicz. “In the world of business, an accomplished blocker and tackler is an engaging, stimulating communicator, poised and capable of projecting enthusiasm and warmth and of motivating other people. They have a strong sense of urgency, initiative and competitive drive to get things done, with emphasis on working with and through people in the process. They understand people well and use that understanding effectively in influencing and persuading others to act. Blockers and tacklers are actors not reactors and they take personal responsibility in daily excellence.”

What is all this stuff Zac is talking about,”blocking, tackling, engaging? He sounds almost like a coach. And, in many respects, he is a coach. “Blocking and tackling is simply a metaphor I use to describe a personality trait,” says Angelowicz. “It’s a way in which people work. It’s the way they think. It’s the way they communicate. And, that’s how I spend my days,”recruiting the right team members for the right coaches. I’m looking for those people who know how to block when it’s needed, and tackle when necessary. If people are versatile, if they can adapt, I want to talk to them.”

As the Director of Career Development for the Larry Miller Automotive Group, which includes 6 of the valley’s most respected auto dealerships, Zac definitely has his hands full. “My typical day includes a lot of traveling,”driving from dealership to dealership for interviews, meetings, and training sessions,” says Angelowicz. “I couldn’t say there is ever an average day. That’s what I love about this job. I meet new people and face new challenges every day.”

Zac is in charge of screening all applicants for the Larry Miller Auto Group here in the Valley which include Larry Miller Toyota, Larry Miller Hyundai, Larry Miller Dodge and Arrowhead Honda in Peoria. In Avondale the company owns Larry Miller Volkswagen. And in Scottsdale, they own Scott Toyota. That’s quite an impressive list when you consider just how many people work at a single Dealership.

And, that’s just the start. What you may find really interesting about Zac Angelowicz,”his job and his personality,”is that he insists on meeting every potential candidate at the location where they feel most comfortable, closest to their home, or at the dealership that best fits their lifestyle. “I want to meet the real person,” says Angelowicz. “I want to meet the comfortable person, not the nervous one. And, I insist on meeting face to face, or having someone meet face to face with every potential candidate before they get recommended for an interview. This job is no different than building a sports team. I look at history and credentials. I look at personality traits. I consider how the candidate’s lifestyle and personal preferences matches with a manufacturer’s brand. And, most importantly, I make matches between management styles and employees,” see if that person is a good fit for the team.”

Zac handles recruiting, training, and career development of employees. “Obviously there are a lot of different positions within the auto dealership setting,’ says Angelowicz. “I meet candidates from all departments. And, even though people often assume that all auto dealership jobs are in sales, that’s not the case. We have a lot of opportunities here,”and with every position, blocking and tackling still applies. It’s not just a sales theory.

People who have the ability to learn, will succeed here. People who can adapt to any situation, will succeed here. People who truly understand that the way we engage in our work and our lives is the biggest predictor of accomplishment will succeed. But, we can’t always assume that our new recruits will just walk in the door and instantly understand us. That’s where career development comes into play. It’s interesting. Craig Barrett, CEO of Intel said in a recent interview that people are 90% of everyone’s business, but business only spends 10% of their time, finding and developing them. The Larry Miller Group is one of those companies committed to their people.”

Committed, is no joke. Employees who work for the company more than 2 years are eligible to receive fully paid college scholarships for their college age children. When was the last time you heard of such a fantastic fringe benefit? And, the company also offers a Christmas Club Account program where employees can put money into an account throughout the year and at Christmas, Larry Miller will match the amount in the account. “This company is good to its people,” says Angelowicz. “People are treated with the utmost respect every single day. We’re not like many of the stereotypes people have of auto dealers. This company values the home lives of our employees,”there’s not the horror story 80 hour work weeks. We practice respect. It’s not just a buzz word.”

No, respect isn’t a buzz word at the Larry Miller Auto Group. However, it appears as Zac Angelowicz has indeed coined his own unique verbiage,” blocking and tackling any situation that he meets on a daily basis. And, he’s proving that passion for getting into the game, no matter what your career, is definitely contagious.

Click Here to Download the Article in PDF format.

Zac Angelowicz frequently visits the Automotive Dealership Institute. He interviews students on-site and recruits from ADI’s Finance Management and Service Advisor classes on a regular basis. To date Mr. Angelowicz has hired a great number of ADI graduates for his various dealerships.