18 * OCTOBER 2021 Best Dealerships To Work For Lockwood Kia Oakville, Ont. Dealer principal: Jay Lockwood Number of employees: 33 General Manager Michael DeFreitas on whether the pandemic has changed the dealership's approach to telecommuting: We don't have many positions that allow you to work from home. Some of our administrative staff were given laptops to work from home and encouraged to do so. We will likely still incorporate [work from home] once the pandemic has ended. DeFreitas on how the pandemic has changed productivity of sales staff: Our sales staff is much more productive since they are no longer interacting face to face as often as they used to. Most interactions start online or over the phone and transactions are completed much quicker in person. This has allowed our sales staff more time to follow up and complete administrative duties throughout the day. HGrégoire Nissan Chomedey focuses on internal promotions first and tells employees that if they want to grow, the company will assist. The group photo was taken prior to COVID-19. SUPPLIED PHOTO HGrégoire Nissan Chomedey Laval, Que. General manager: Michael Gioia Dealership group: HGrégoire Number of employees: 66 General Manager Michael Gioia on changes in approach to employment because of digital retailing: Our employees started to FaceTime with clients while working from home, and some clients prefer it this way. We also offer test drives at home for our clients. Gioia on steps taken to offer new hires or existing employees a long-term career path: We always focus on internal promotion first, and always tell our employees that if they want to grow, there will be a place for them to do so. So, proving to me that you want to do more for the company will go a long way. Gioia on the dealership's approach to recruiting and retaining female employees: We already have multiple female employees, and recruiting more women fits in our focus to create a diverse and innovative work atmosphere. Productivity among sales staff at Lockwood Kia has risen as a result of greater use of online and phone interactions with customers, says General Manager Michael DeFreitas. SUPPLIED PHOTO