Automotive News Canada - October 2021 - 34

34
* OCTOBER 2021
Best Dealerships To Work For
THE BIG Story
PHOTO: ISTOCK
GET THE
STORIES BEHIND
THE STORIES
COMPENSATION
SATISFACTION
DRIVES EMPLOYEE
Perks are nice, but the 'boring
stuff' helps Best Dealerships
stand out from the pack
By JOHN IRWIN
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS CANADA
THE WINNERS OF THE 2021 AUTOMOTIVE
News Canada Best Dealerships To Work
For program have a simple yet decisive
advantage over others: The winners,
more likely than not, offer strong pay
and benefits. And it's mainly a straightforward
case of more translating to
higher satisfaction.
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" The package of benefits that is
provided by the dealer were the biggest
differentiators between winners
and non-winners for Canada, " said
Daniel Bloom, vice-president of market
research at the Best Companies Group,
which managed the 2021 program.
Even amid all the changes afoot in
the industry and society, Bloom said
the " boring stuff, " including dental,
vision and tuition-reimbursement benefits,
was among the areas where the Best
Dealerships stood out from the pack.
Indeed, data gathered by the Best
Companies Group shows that, on average,
87 per cent of employees at the 25 Best
Dealerships said they were satisfied with their
pay and benefits overall, compared with 75 per
cent of employees at non-winning dealerships.
And 91 per cent of employees surveyed at
the Best Dealerships said they were satisfied
with their store's dental benefits, versus 78 per
cent at non-winning dealerships. Likewise, 86
per cent of Best Dealership winners' employees
said they were satisfied with vision care benefits,
compared with 69 per cent elsewhere.
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GENEROSITY IS A MAJOR FACTOR
Similar gaps existed between winners and
non-winners for satisfaction with retirement
plans (80 per cent versus 67 per cent), life insurance
(90 per cent versus 76 per cent), disability
insurance (88 per cent versus 74 per cent) and
tuition reimbursement (81 per cent versus 64
per cent).
The generosity of a given benefit was also a
major factor. For instance, 44 per cent of Best
Dealerships To Work For winners paid 75 to
100 per cent of medical premiums for their
employees, versus 19 per cent of non-winning
dealerships. Vision and dental benefits, likewise,
were more generous at winning dealerships.
The
dealerships were also more likely
to offer certain perks than other stores. For
instance, 92 per cent of the top 25 dealerships
offered flexible hours for school events, taking
family members to the doctor and other life
events, versus 77 per cent of non-winners. A
majority of Best Dealerships offered fitness or
wellness programs, compared with 27 per cent
of others.
Offering strong benefits packages is key to
retaining employees in an industry prone to
frequent turnover, dealers said.
Bloom:
Benefits
and pay are
paramount
to keeping
employees
happy.
SUPPLIED
PHOTO
Mercedes-Benz Brampton near
Toronto offers " great benefits that
ensure our employees are motivated
and fulfilled both internally and
externally, " human resources manager
Nicole Romero said in a survey
response. " Programs like our gym
reimbursement, community donation,
referral and personal development
scholarships all help promote personal
fulfillment. "
Pay is also a driver of employee satisfaction.
The Best Companies data
showed that 84 per cent of employees
at winning dealerships said their pay
was " fair " for the work they perform,
more than the 76 per cent at other
stores.
The findings come as some dealerships
move away from traditional commission-based
compensation for sales staff as a way to attract
more job applicants and reduce turnover.
MORE INCENTIVES FOR SERVICE STAFF
Trent Hargrave, a partner at Riverside
Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep in Prince Albert, Sask.,
said his dealership in recent years has moved
toward more of a model revolving around a salary
base with incentives for salespeople, while
at the same time creating more incentives for
employees in the service department. He said
the dealership has had above-average sales
results since the change.
" A person has to feel that if it is variable
pay, that it's achievable and that they can
achieve it with regularity, or at least that they
had the opportunity to and the team is behind
them, management in particular, " Hargrave
said.
Fortune Policaro, general manager at
Policaro Acura in Brampton, Ont., said the
dealership discusses with staff how it sets wage
rates. " For example, our management staff and
group reviewed minimum wages and technician
wages. We were open with them, explaining
to them we are doing our research to see
how we compare to other dealers, the financial
impact it has on the business and the timeline
they can expect to have [an] answer, " Policaro
said in an Automotive News Canada survey.
" And we delivered with a concise plan explaining
the new compensation plans. " - ANC
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