Automotive News Canada - October 2019 - v2 - 40

* O C T O B E R 2 0 19

Best Dealerships To Work For

Dealerships reboot for millennials
Younger workers stress
changes in technology,
compensation, career paths
By DOUG FIRBY

CALGARY CORRESPONDENT

teaching their older bosses how to use
new computer systems.
"It used to be the old guy teaching the
younger guy," said Chipman. "Now it's
the other way around."
But the latest technology is just one
of a panoply of millennials' expectations,
Dale said. Millennials are career-focused,
and that means they want a "very, very
thorough" orientation process, succession
planning and weekly or bi-weekly feedback instead of yearly.

MILLENNIALS ARE REWRITING THE
rules for employee attraction and retention, prompting dealerships to change
the way they compensate and train
STABLE PAY, RIGHT CULTURE
employees, industry experts say.
These workers, born between 1981 and
Compensation models have had to
1999, will make up three-quarters of the
change from ones based on commission
workforce by 2025, according to a recent
to more stable salaried positions, with
study commissioned by the U.S.-based
benefits and annual bonuses, Newman
National Automobile Dealers
said.
Association. Experts say milMillennials also seek dealerlennials expect new approachships that are the right cultures to technology, compensation,
al fit.
coaching and career advance"Anytime I'm talking with
ment from their employer and
dealers, I tell them to get very,
want to sign up with companies
very clear on what type of culture
whose values align with their
they want to foster," Newman
own.
said. She cautioned that if a dealAt the forefront is a need for
er chooses to "own" a commudealerships to be both tech savvy Bri Newman
nity-focused culture, for examand up to date in the informaple, that dealer has to fully comof The Minery,
tion technology systems they
mit to it or risk losing millennial
which helps
use, said Bri Newman, vice-pres- companies
employees.
ident of The Minery, an Ontario- find and keep
Chipman said his millennial
based company offering tools to
workers appreciate the compaemployees,
help dealers manage employee
ny's commitment to supporting
says
recruitment, hiring, development millennials
the United Way. In fact, the comand retention.
pany has its own GenNext United
are turned off
Dealers who still have antiWay chapter, aimed at millenniby out-of-date
quated computer platforms or
als.
technology.
disjointed IT will be unable to
PHOTO SUPPLIED
"They want to understand that
BY BRI NEWMAN
hold on to millennials, Newman
they're making a difference [by]
said.
giving back to the community,"
"If I'm in front of a customer,
he said.
and I have to go through 15 clicks
Recruiters can use their techto get the information I need,
nological edge as a tool, Newman
then that's cumbersome and
said, for example by adding the
embarrassing."
term "tech savvy" to a posting for
a sales job.
TECH MUST BE TOPS
"It signals that they are not
recruiting for a typical salesperThis view was reinforced by a
son," she said.
spring 2019 report commissioned
by the Canadian Automobile
Students of
SOFT SKILLS MATTER
Dealers Association (CADA) and
the Automotive
conducted by Seguin Advisory
Each year, the Automotive
School of
Services. "Thinking needs to be
School
of Canada graduates, on
Canada want
inverted to transform dealerships to work for
average, 75 diploma students, 40
into technology-enabling compadegree students, and 80 from the
dealerships
nies first and product companies that provide
automotive-dealership-managesecond," the report said.
ment program.
the latest
And Jason Dale, executive
Teachers at the school have
technology
director of the Automotive School and help with
had to adjust their approach for
of Canada at Georgian College in their careers,
millennials and the oncoming
Barrie, Ont., said he sees this in
says Executive Generation Z, Dale said, focusing
the students, who are "looking
Director Jason more on soft skills. Not the techfor [dealerships] at the forefront
Dale.
nical details of how to text, but,
FILE PHOTO
of technology."
rather, texting in a professional
"Technology is innate in
manner and in a way that invites
them."
a response from the customer.
Steve Chipman, president of the
Millennial students know they are
Birchwood Automotive Group in
entering the industry during a time of
Winnipeg, says tech-savvy millennichange, Dale said. "They want to lead
als like to engage "reverse mentorship,"
that change." - ANC

A recent study commissioned by the U.S.-based National Automobile Dealers
Association shows dealerships face high turnover rates, especially among sales staff.
INFOGRAPHIC: NADA

Park Avenue Academy at Groupe Park Avenue in Montreal
is a training centre for 1,300 employees at 18 dealerships, providing
younger staff with the skills they seek to advance their careers.
P H O T O : G R O U P E PA R K AV E N U E

This showroom
also has a classroom
Academy helps
employees improve
skills, careers

worked on the project for about
six months.
Groupe Park Avenue does not
yet have statistics that prove an
increase in retention, but employee surveys indicate a high level
By DOUG FIRBY
of satisfaction with the proCALGARY CORRESPONDENT
gram. Respondents often say they
joined the organization because
it is known for its learning and
WHEN BERNARD LEBLANC
advancement opportunities,
joined Groupe Park Avenue in
LeBlanc said.
Montreal as COO in May 2016, he
He gives credit to the group's
brought with him an idea from
principal, Norman Hébert, for
his previous role in the aerospace
recognizing the need to hire peoindustry: If you want to improve
ple who are not from a traditional
the attraction and retention of
automotive background. Outsiders
young staff, give them the things
bring with them innovative ideas.
they value.
"I didn't invent anyThis led to the birth of
thing," he said. "I copied
Park Avenue Academy,
what I saw in the aerospace
an online and classroom
industry."
school that offers the
Groupe Park Avenue
almost 1,300 employees at
has employed other meathe group's 18 dealerships
sures to retain young
the opportunity to both
workers, including fixed
improve their skills and
compensation, flexibility
Groupe Park
knowledge and prepare
in work schedules, continAvenue
COO
for career advancement.
ual feedback and active
Bernard
In-class learning is also
LeBlanc says listening, said General
available at the group's
Manager Éric Gingras.
millennials
Volkswagen dealership
The company also shiftand
in the Montreal suburb of Generation
ed to a team concept in
Brossard.
Z employees sales. One veteran salesIt's the only such dealperson is assigned to lead
in particular
ership school in Quebec,
two to four product spelike online
LeBlanc said. At least two
cialists. Each receives a
training
other major Canadian deal- because it
fixed salary, and the entire
ership groups have been in allows them
team receives bonuses for
touch to learn more about
collective achievements.
to study at
the academy.
Any underperformers are
their own
Employees can study
pace.
coached using standard
PHOTO
online at their own pace.
performance-management
SUPPLIED
If they decide to pursue a
tools.
BY BERNARD
new career path, an advis- L E B L A N C
It's all designed to
er directs them to the
improve the customer
proper areas of study. Courses are
experience. One specialist greets
available for all disciplines and
the customer at the door, another
departments, including sales, tech- might handle the test drive, and yet
nical, commercial and financial.
another ensures the delivery goes
"That is very, very attractive
smoothly.
for millennials and Generation
While the "old sales squad" was
Z," LeBlanc said, adding that
afraid of this new way of doing busithey like the flexibility of studyness, LeBlanc said, "I am convinced
ing at their own pace online.
that millennials and Generation Z's
Millennials, born between 1981
do like the sales approach."
and 1999, were followed by
Dealerships that adapt quickly
Generation Z.
to changing times are most likely
The group built the school for
to succeed, LeBlanc said.
little cost by deploying existing
"Innovation is one of our key
staff, mostly millennial workers
values," he said. "We are ahead
with IT skills, he said. In all, the
of the pack in terms of trying new
equivalent of 2.5 full-time staff
stuff." - ANC

Automotive News Canada - October 2019 - v2

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